Posts Tagged ‘Fox Valley’
Why is the Path Vital to Resettlement in the Fox Valley?
The Path is one way that community members partner with us in this important work of welcoming refugees through giving a monthly gift.
Read about one of our Pathmakers today and what drew her to this work.
How did you get connected with the work of welcoming refugees?
It started years ago when I was hearing so much in the news about displaced people. It felt
uncomfortable to hear that news and then turn off the TV and return to my regular life. I started to
research online about different organizations who had boots on the ground in helping people. There are lots of good organizations doing good work. I wanted to be a part of their work and decided to offer financial support. I found World Relief, which has a local office and was also located in places around the world where people desperately needed help.
Why did you decide to join the Path?
Looking at it from two different angles I decided to join World Relief because, after researching, I felt good about supporting their work. And I wanted to give monthly because it meant my giving would be consistent and I wouldnât ever forget to give.
What motivates you in welcoming refugees?
Reading through the Old Testament I was surprised by how many times God commands his people to care for the widow, orphan, and the sojourner. By welcoming refugees, I am complying with Godâs teaching. Refugees leave their home country out of necessity, not by choice. I think that as a Christian I am called to respond to that need.
How do you think you have changed since becoming involved in this work?
I have become much more compassionate to people who are different from meâdifferent nationalities, experiences, and religions. Itâs good to be different. I was more judgmental of people who were different or thought differently from me, but now I have more compassion and understanding of people with different backgrounds. I appreciate how people can bring different cultures into my world. People who think differently help a community to stretch and grow.
Do you have any advice for someone who wants to help but doesnât know how?
Take a step in a direction and see where it leads. Itâs hard not to be frozen by indecision and not know what to do. After all, what can one person do in the face of so much global conflict and disaster? After taking the first step you will be able to take another. One person canât create change on their own, but change will happen when we work together.
How can you learn?
I try to keep things local. Try to learn about what is going on in your community that you can be a part of. Do some research online. Be willing to get to know people in your community who are different from you. And as you work with others who may disagree with you, always be kind and be open to other points of view. For people who are readers I recommend the book, âInalienableâ written by Matthew Soerens.
Join the movement and become a Pathmaker today!
Why is Immigration Legal Services Vital to Resettlement?
Immigration Legal Services (ILS) is an invaluable department in our Fox Valley office. Though their work is vital to the long-term integration of our refugee community, many community members are unaware of how much their work encompasses.
Our Community Engagement Manager, Karen Crisler, sat down with Phil Stoffel, our Immigration Legal Services Manager, to hear a little bit more about what itâs like to work in ILS.
Can you start by sharing what your role is at WR? And what exactly is ILS?
I am the ILS Manager and I am a Department of Justice (DOJ) accredited representative. This means that I am authorized by the DOJ to practice immigration law, within the context of World Relief. Reps are accredited every 3 years.
Our ILS program assist clients with a variety of services such as green cards, permanent residence, family reunification, citizenship, and travel documents. We do charge fees for our services but they are nominal compared to a private attorney, and we take into consideration the circumstances of each of our clients, especially when it comes to our larger families.
We exist to provide competent and affordable immigration services to refugees and immigrants who might not otherwise be able to afford or access legal services.
How is your work effected by global events?
Day to day, our work is based on our local resettlement numbers. 90% of the refugees we resettle return to our ILS team for help with their green card, citizenship, or other services.
That being said, we try to stay as ready as possible to respond to global events. One of the biggest ways we are doing that is by building up our ILS team. When I started it was just me. Now we have 2 DOJ reps, with a third to be hired soon. We also have an administrative assist and a contract attorney on our team.
A major global event that effected your work was the fall of Kabul in the fall of 2021. What has it been like working with our Afghan arrivals, especially in light of their unique immigration status?
The situation that caused Afghans to flee Kabul has created a lot of chaos.
When Kabul fell, we welcomed roughly 200 Afghan âparoleesâ in the Fox Valley. About half of those people worked with the U.S. government or military, and therefore qualified for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV), which we helped them apply for. For those with SIV status there is a pathway to a green card, and eventually citizenship.
The other half of parolees that didnât qualify for SIV status are here lawfully and authorized to work for up to two years, but there is not a legal pathway to citizenship for them. This means that our contract attorney, Molly Smiltneek, and a team of pro-bono attorneys are working to help these parolees apply for âasylumâ which is a complex, cumbersome process with no promise of success, but would create a legal pathway is granted. Nothing in immigration is guaranteed.
So unlike refugees, many Afghan parolees donât have a guarantee at having a permanent status or long term work authorization. And, more significant than that, a large amount of people are separated from their family.
When it comes to Afghan reunification, most reunification is dependent on those here receiving permanent residence cards, and eventually citizenship. Typically, you can only apply for certain family members based on your permanent residency or citizenship, and in normal circumstances the reunification of a husband and wife can take 2-4 years at a minimum; often times longer. In some reunification cases, we get senators involved, and itâs difficult even for them to push cases forward.
About 50% of our program time goes to our Afghan population right now. Itâs an opportunity to serve people, but many of these people have suffered.
What is the hardest part of your role? What is the most rewarding?
They are one and the same. Itâs really challenging to have people sitting in front of you, living in the same place as you, but they donât have the same rights as you. Especially challenging when they are separated from their family members. On some forms I have to ask clients where their parents are living – and many people donât know. Many donât even know if their family members are alive or not.
But the most rewarding part is when the work comes to fruition, and someone gets a green card or citizenship, or we get to see them reunited with their family after years apart.
That is a microcosm of the work we do â its heavy with longing and waiting, and on the other side is the joy of being reunited. Almost a glimpse of heaven in a way.
Can you share a reunification or citizenship story?
I worked with an individual who had to leave his pregnant wife behind when he came to the U.S.
He met with our ILS team when he got here, and we were able to file a petition for his wife and daughter to come join him. Fast forward four years and her case was finally approved. He was able to meet his four-year-old daughter for the first time and be reunited with his wife.
If you could help people understand one things about ILS, what would it be?
Most people who work in the field of ILS have the same goal: to serve the clients. But itâs hard because the government is ultimately in control of the processing. We can do as much as we can to get paper work in and out efficiently, but ultimately the government is in control of the speed. The truth is that there isnât always pathway, and even if it exists, it takes so long. For example, in 2015 the processing time for a green card took around 8 months. Right now, green cards are taking about 36 months.
I am encouraged by our team though. We have a great team, a strong team. And, we have great clients. The work is never finished, but I feel like our staff is willing to take on the challenge. Our goal is to serve as many people well, as we can.
We are so grateful for Phil and the work his team accomplishesâ the commitment of our ILS department is critical to the long term success of our refugee neighbors.
A Welcoming Community: Tara’s Volunteer Story
At World Relief we believe in the power of welcoming communities. Read how Tara participates in a welcoming community.
When the Taliban took over Kabul Tara saw many news reports about Afghans fleeing the country. The stories of families needing new homes inspired her to want to make a difference in her own community and an opportunity to serve with World Relief came across her path through her church, Christ the Rock. Tara signed up through her church to lead a Good Neighbor Team. A Good Neighbor Team is a small group of volunteers who welcome, walk alongside, and offer long-term reciprocal friendships with a newly arrived refugee family for six months.
However, Taraâs team had to wait a year before they could be matched with a refugee family. Although the wait was long, Tara says that it was worth the wait to be matched with the family they now partner with. The volunteer team used that time they waited to prepare for their experience as volunteers by watching videos about serving in ways that are empowering and discussing those ideas together as a team.
Building Friendships
Taraâs team was officially matched with their partner family, Joseph and Beatrice* and their children, in the beginning of this year. Joseph and Beatriceâs family is Congolese. Some of the things that the Good Neighbor Team has supported the family in has been transportation to medical appointments, answering questions about life in the U.S., and support through friendship. Tara shared that she was surprised how easily their team has been able to connect with Josephâs family. Several members of the family speak English well and so the language barrier is less significant than Tara had expected.
Congolese Hospitality
After volunteering for several months Tara is grateful that she decided to volunteer. She is grateful for her familyâs opportunity to learn and grow in their friendship with Joseph and Beatrice. Taraâs family loves to visit Joseph and Beatriceâs family and enjoy time together in their home. Hospitality is very important in Congolese culture and Taraâs family feels honored to receive that hospitality. One of the things Tara is learning is to be more flexible. She says sheâs learning that, âitâs about the moment and not the to-do list.â
Embracing Differences
One of the cultural differences that Tara has noticed is differences in how she prays and worships. Although both families share the Christian faith they express their faith very differently. The day after Joseph and Beatrice arrived in the Fox Valley Tara met them in their home with their World Relief case worker. They took some time to pray together. Tara said she was expecting a brief and quiet moment of prayer before moving on to other things. Instead the Joseph and Beatrice took a long time to pray aloud, sing, and kneel.
Reflecting on her volunteer experience Tara has learned more about culture, but it has also made her look at her own community differently. She says she is more aware of the challenges facing newcomers to the Fox Valleyâsuch as access to transportation and healthcare. Taraâs hope is that our community can be a welcoming place for all newcomers.
*Names changed for privacy
If you are interested in volunteering learn about our volunteer opportunities here.
Interview with Office Director: Tami McLaughlin
How did you start working at World Relief?
I was the director of missions at a local church outside of Atlanta and we partnered with World Relief for a short-term mission trip. We went to Clarkston, Georgia, and I think it has the largest number of languages spoken in one square miles in the United States; it was a community that was refugee-based. That was my introduction to World Relief, and when I was looking for a new job I actually applied to World Relief four times. I started out as an employment specialist in Atlanta, and one day my boss walked into my office and said âI think youâre from Wisconsin, and we have a position open in Wisconsin.
How do the teachings of Jesus Christ impact what you do at World Relief?
Jesus loves the vulnerable. I think in the Old Testament the words ârefugeeâ and âsojournerâ are mentioned over 20 times. I think these people and this work is really dear to Godâs heart, and I feel the presence of God has been so evident in so many situations that Iâve been in because of how important this work is to him. Jesus loves, Jesus is involved, Jesus’s presence is present.
What is the biggest cultural difference that youâve experienced when working with refugees?
When I first started working at World Relief, I was working with three sisters. Weâre trying to find a job for them, and two of the sisters got jobs at a chicken factory. The third sister wasnât strong enough to do the work in the factory. A couple of weeks later, I got a call from the human resource department at the chicken factory and they said âYou need to tell your clients that if they canât come to work they canât send their sister to work in their place.â To me, it was common sense that you canât send someone else to work for you, but for them it wasnât. That was a learning experience for me, how we should evaluate some of the things we do in our own culture.
What should the residents of the Fox Cities know about their refugee neighbors or how they can support them?
They should know that their refugee neighbors will deeply enrich their lives by bringing in a different culture. Different cultures are something that we all could learn from and that would enrich our lives if we took the time to learn about them. I think it is sometimes assumed that when people have a different language or different skills, that theyâre not as strong or have as much to contribute to our community. Refugees are people whoâve survived and persevered through really difficult situations, but their circumstances shouldnât define them. They are very resilient people who have survived so much, and when theyâre here they can start thriving beyond any circumstance theyâve had to face.
9 Things You Need to Know About Private Sponsorship
On Thursday, January 19th, the Biden Administration announced a new private sponsorship program for refugees called Welcome Corps. Through Welcome Corps, everyday Americans can directly sponsor refugees who are being resettled in the U.S.
Today, there are an estimated 103 million displaced people globally, including 32.5 million refugees. Forced from their homes and separated from support networks, refugees are among the worldâs most vulnerable populations.
At World Relief, we know you want to live out Jesusâ call to welcome the stranger and care for those experiencing vulnerability. Private sponsorship builds on World Relief and other refugee resettlement agencies’ existing opportunities to welcome newcomers and is one more way you can answer that call. Here are 9 things you should know about private sponsorship.
1. What is Welcome Corps?
Welcome Corps is a new private sponsorship program from the U.S. government that allows groups to sponsor and resettle refugees. Sponsors will play the primary role in welcoming, financially supporting and assisting refugees for the first 90 days as they begin to rebuild their lives in the U.S. and integrate into their new communities.
2. How do I become a sponsor?
Becoming a private sponsor is a multi-step process that includes forming a group of five or more individuals, submitting an application, background checks, demonstration of sufficient financial resources and more. Currently, private sponsors can apply to be matched with someone in need of sponsorship. The U.S. government is also working to roll out an option for people to sponsor specific individuals they already know who are in need of resettlement from another country. To learn more and begin your application process with Welcome Corps, click below!
3. Who is eligible for resettlement through Welcome Corps?
Over the last year, the U.S. government has developed sponsorship programs specifically for Ukrainians and Venezuelans.
This new program expands on the previous sponsorship programs and will be implemented in phases. In Welcome Corpsâ first year, the goal is to mobilize at least 10,000 Americans to help at least 5,000 refugees, and then scale up to make the program an enduring feature of the refugee resettlement system.
The first refugees who will be assisted by private sponsors through Welcome Corps are expected to arrive in April 2023 and will primarily come from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
For specific information regarding sponsorship for Ukrainians, click here.
For specific information regarding sponsorship for Venezuelans, click here.
4. If I become a sponsor, what will I do?
Sponsors assume responsibility for initial resettlement services, providing financial and other forms of support as required by the refugee resettlement process. Some examples of non-material support include:
- Meeting the refugee(s) upon arrival in the United States and transporting them to initial housing.
- Ensuring that the sponsee has safe and appropriate housing and basic necessities.
- Ensuring that the sponseeâs healthcare and medical needs are met for the duration of the resettlement period.
- As appropriate, helping the sponsee complete the necessary paperwork for employment authorization, a Social Security card and for any other public benefits for which they may be eligible.
- As appropriate, assisting the sponsee with accessing education, learning English and enrolling children in school.
- Supporting employable sponsees in securing employment in the U.S. workforce
- Ensuring appropriate interpretation/translation
- Providing cultural and community orientations
For more information on the sponsorship process through Welcome Corps and whatâs required of sponsors, visit welcomecorps.org.
5. Is private sponsorship good for refugees?
Private sponsorship opens more pathways for more people fleeing persecution to rebuild their lives and thrive. At World Relief, we applaud the expansion of sustainable, lawful opportunities for those fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
Navigating the process of private sponsorship can also come with challenges for both sponsors and refugees. But you donât have to face them alone.
At World Relief, we have decades of experience working with refugees and displaced populations across the globe through our various local community sponsorship and volunteer programs. We utilize this experience to equip churches and passionate people like you to walk alongside those who choose to welcome newcomers and the newcomers they are matched with.
If you are interested in private sponsorship and would like to receive updates on how World Relief can support you in the process, please sign up here. In addition, we will send you a free code for our eLearning course “Navigating Friendships” which will help you learn how to build empowering, long-lasting friendships with those from different cultures. Please see question 8 regarding World Relief’s involvement in private sponsorships. Please see question 9 if you are unable to be a sponsor but want to still make a difference!
6. Has private sponsorship been done elsewhere?
Yes! Private sponsorship has been a successful piece of refugee resettlement efforts in countries like Canada and Australia, and versions of private sponsorship have even been part of U.S. refugee resettlement historically. Most recently, the U.S. has re-engaged private sponsorship models to resettle Afghans, Urkanians and Venezuelans. This new program expands private sponsorship to include refugees from around the world.
7. What about traditional pathways to refugee resettlement? Will refugees continue to be resettled by World Relief and other agencies?
Yes! The U.S. federal refugee resettlement program will continue to operate and World Relief will continue to offer various ways for churches and individuals to engage in welcoming refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations. Private sponsorship will complement the work already being done by organizations like World Relief, allowing more people fleeing persecution to find safety in the U.S.
8. Is World Relief assisting with private sponsorship?
Currently, World Relief provides other community sponsorship opportunities â such as our Good Neighbor Team program â through our local office and is not administering the private sponsorship program directly.* However, we do have resources available to serve both sponsors and those being sponsored.
The World Relief Workshop is our e-learning platform designed to equip individuals, groups and churches to best serve their refugee neighbors â from courses on navigating common barriers to ESL tutoring. Many of our U.S. offices are also able to offer services to sponsees such as English classes and immigration legal services.Â
9. Iâm not ready to become a private sponsor. Is there anything else I can do?
Yes! As mentioned, World Relief works with refugees and displaced people in the U.S. and all over the world and offers the opportunity to welcome and walk alongside refugees and other immigrants through local volunteer and sponsorship programs.
You can support this work by volunteering with World Relief Fox Valley or making a donation to World Relief. Your gift will allow World Relief to provide job training, legal support and more for immigrants and refugees in the Memphis area from countries like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iran, Myanmar and other parts of the world. Together, we can extend welcome and help people rebuild their lives here in the Fox Valley.
Have additional questions?
We will host an information session on Welcome Corps during the week of February 13th. Email wrfvreception@wr.org to learn how to join.
A Look into Casework with Quench
What do you like about your job?
I have a lot of things I like about my job. My job is not just about getting a paycheck but I do it because I like supporting people. I like helping people to get resettled in America and start living a better life. I also like meeting a lot of different people of many different cultures. It is critical for me in my work to get to understand other cultures because I cannot help my clients if I do not know what is important to them. Â
What are some goals you work on with your clients in their first 90 Days?
The government provides direction for us for goals the first 90 days through the R&P service guide. We also work with the client to help them to accomplish their goals for the first 90 days. The most important goals we focus on are employment, permanent housing, applying for benefits and insurance, doctorâs visits, enrolling children in school, ESL classes for adults, learning how to use public transportation or learning how to drive a car, and getting important documents such as social security.
What do you think are important strengths for a caseworker?
Two strengths that are important for caseworkers are being timely with your work and treating everyone fairly. Itâs important to be timely with your work because most tasks must be completed by a certain deadline. Treating people in the way that you would like to be treated is important so that all clients are treated in the same way.
What does an average day look like?
It depends on the day, but most of the days I am busy. A lot of times I call my clients to check in on them about their job or about how their kids are doing in school. Clients call me a lot with many questions at all times of the day. I also do a lot of home visits to take clients to appointments and check in on them. I take clients to the dentist, to get their RCA-refugee cash assistance, and to go to the store. A lot of days my plans change because I have to respond to my clientsâ needs.
What is challenging about your job?
Working with people from different backgrounds is challenging because they have different expectations. People expect that I will do a lot for them when I work with many clients so I cannot always do as much as they would like. The clients I work with come from many different cultures and many have experienced trauma, both of these things influence their expectations for life in the U.S. Itâs also hard when people speak different languages, but that is usually that is not a challenge because I speak 9 different languages.
What is something that encourages you in your work?
I find a lot of encouragement in my coworkers because I am still learning a lot about being a caseworker. My coworker, Marlo, is so helpful. Sheâs always willing to stop what sheâs doing to help me when I have a question. My teammates donât pressure in my job but they are willing to encourage and teach me.
How do you think your story impacts your work?
Because I have lived in a refugee camp I can understand what itâs like to come to the US and live in a country that is so different from oneâs own. There are a lot of surprises when you arrive to the U.S. It takes time understand life here and I can help and encourage my clients from my own experience.
What is one thing you wish people knew about refugees?
To understand how challenging it is for refugees to learn life in the U.S. Often people expect refugees to respond to life here in a certain way, but for refugees life in the US is brand new. For many people life here is so different than what they are used to; itâs like they are starting their lives all over again.
Meet Farah: Afghan Community Ambassador to the Fox Valley
For Farah, Herat, Afghanistan was home. Itâs where she grew up, found a job she loved and started a family of her own.
As one of seven children, Farah spent every weekend with the women in her family talking, laughing and eating. Gathering in the homes of moms, sisters and daughters, their togetherness embodied the hospitality Afghans so highly value.
From a young age, Farah was motivated to learn about the world. Nicknamed the âcity of civilization,â Herat was a rich tapestry of inspiring history, art and culture. âI took English and [found] other resources to help me grow,â she said.
She received a degree in education and went on to work as an English teacher at an educational and cultural center in Herat. The center was part of a partnership between the Afghan Ministry of Culture and Information and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Most students ranged in age from 15 to 35, and many came from poor, rural communities where they had limited access to the internet and educational opportunities. Â
âI enjoyed how we served the youth,â Farah said. âWe had at least 200 students a day.â Those students received training in English, digital literacy, leadership, job preparedness and more. Eventually, Farah got involved in implementing programs and became the deputy coordinator.
When she was 25, Farah got married. She and her husband enjoyed traveling together and lived in a beautiful home where they planned to raise a family. Their son, Hanan, was born in 2019.
Farah and her husband loved their lives, and they felt safe, surrounded by family and all that Herat had to offer.
But then, they started hearing disturbing rumors. Farah remembers sitting in her living room in August 2021 when she first heard the Taliban was coming.
The coupleâs jobs put them at risk of being targeted by the extremist group, so they made the heartbreaking decision to flee, leaving the home they loved behind.
First, the family of three fled to Kabul, hoping to get a flight out of the country. They soon discovered, however, that the airport was no longer safe. âPeople died trying to get to the airport. There was shooting, noises, so many people. You canât imagine,â she said. âI was watching on TV. Many people tried to go to the airport three or four times, but were not able to. I saw how horrible it was.â
They needed to find another way out. The family continued east, and managed to escape through Pakistan. Eventually, they made their way to the U.S. where they were welcomed in Wisconsin by World Relief Fox Valley.
At first, adjusting to their new lives was difficult. âEverything was different,â Farah said. âFood, transportation. Everyone needs to have a car here.â She also felt the loss of the support system she had in Herat. âTaking care of my child, I am the only one. But in Afghanistan, I had a support system.â
While World Relief couldnât replace the family, friends and home Farahâs family lost, the welcome they shared helped ease the burden of loss. It wasnât long before Farah was using her own language and cross-cultural skills to help World Relief welcome more Afghans like her.
She is now on staff at World Relief Fox Valley, leading womenâs groups to help others in her community adjust and thrive in their new lives in the U.S.
These Afghan womenâs groups are helping create safe spaces for women to connect, process and develop life-skills as they navigate their new lives and rebuild together. Group activities range from the practical, like taking women on tours of the labor and delivery floors of local hospitals, to the more relational, like gathering women together to get to know one another and share life experiences and journeys.
Even as she focuses on rebuilding, in her own family and in the wider Afghan community, some days are harder than others. Farah misses her home in Herat, and she hopes Americans can learn from the beauty of Afghan culture.
âThe people of Afghanistan are so hospitable. People care about each other a lot. Families are together, and care for each other. There is respect for elders,â she said.
Although this is not the life Farah and her husband had imagined, they plan to invest in their Wisconsin community. âI am not originally from the U.S.,â Farah said, âbut I want to be a part of the community and serve the people.â
I helped U.S. troops in Afghanistan. I’m safe now, but I worry for friends I left behind.
Program participant Seeta Habib and her family were resettled in Memphis in October 2020 through the special immigrant visa program. She and her husband had served as interpreters and journalists for U.S. forces in their home country, and they were consequently targeted by the Taliban. This is her story.
When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 1996, millions of Afghan girls were shut out of school. I was one of them.
It wasnât until the eventual defeat of the Taliban government in 2001, when I was 13 years old, that I entered a school for the first time in five years.
It was one of the happiest days of my life, but it was still a dangerous time to be a girl in Afghanistan, seeking an education. I learned English secretly, in a private class outside of school, and when I graduated, I knew I wanted to be a part of Afghanistanâs reconstruction. I became a print journalist for a magazine operated by NATO’s security mission in Afghanistan, the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force in Farah, in the western part of Afghanistan. There, I covered ISAF activities having a positive impact in the community.
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