Most United States citizens trace their roots back to another part of the world.  Immigrants have always served as a significant part of our vibrant community.  Whether coming to raise their families in a land of greater opportunity or fleeing persecution in their homeland, the United States has been a safe haven for people from every corner of the world.  New Americans arrive expectant and full of big ideas, often sacrificing everything just to land in our borders.  They arrive in a new country with a foreign culture and language and find they face an uphill battle as they strive to build a new life for themselves and their families.

World Relief comes alongside refugees, who have fled persecution in their homes, offering support and friendship in the midst of uncertainty.  One of ten organizations contracted by the US government to ease refugee transition, World Relief mobilizes local churches to embrace newcomers in their community. 

Easing the Transition
Melody Pahlow and her family hosted a Bantu family of nine for almost two weeks when they first arrived in the United States, easing their transition while their apartment was being prepared.  A group of volunteers supplied furniture, basic food supplies and created a home for the Bantus.

Sharing resources, equipping homes and offering language training, staff and volunteers offer friendship and practical skills to help refugees feel the US is their home.  As churches follow the biblical call to welcome the stranger, they offer support to families who left everything behind.

Offering Support
Even after arriving legally in the country, refugees and immigrants are required to maneuver through a complicated legal system.  Often lacking language skills or familiarity with the legal landscape, new Americans need assistance to ensure the maintain their legal status, take steps towards reuniting family members still overseas and move towards formal citizenship. 

World Relief offers legal assistance to many most in need.  In Baltimore, a lawyer from our legal clinic offers consultations, files paperwork and attends hearings with clients—offering a necessary service many would not otherwise have access to. 
Arriving in the United States as a refugee or immigrant can be incredibly difficult.  Often coming directly from a traumatic experience, new Americans face a series of legal, cultural and economic hoops they must jump through in their first few months in a country.  Offering love, support and essential skills, World Relief strives to welcome the newcomer and embrace the stranger—to serve as the hands and feet of Christ to those in need in our own backyard.

Find A World Relief Office Near You