Posts by chicagoland
Building a Summer of Welcome
Summer is right around the corner! It’s the season of graduation parties, life transitions, and changing ministry rhythms. In the midst of all that, my team has been wondering, How can your church keep serving and welcoming our immigrant and refugee neighbors through the summer season – and have some fun along the way? Here’s one…
Read MoreWhen It Comes to Impact, Small Things Live Large
When challenges arise, it’s easy to overlook the small things that can bring meaning and ultimately joy to any situation. In fact, it’s often in these small things where the true impact lies, giving us a fuller picture of what really matters. Listen to three World Relief Chicagoland staff share stories of how these small…
Read MoreSocial Emotional Learning Equips Refugee Children and Their Families to Thrive
At World Relief, we are committed to advocating for refugees the opportunity to legally seek refuge in the United States. But our work doesn’t end there. We know that serving the refugee community requires caring for the whole person and their families. As part of our bold vision to move Forward Together, we are determined…
Read MoreBuilding a Cross-Cultural Relationship as a Volunteer
Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or just starting out, Whitney Renfroe agrees that uncertainty can often accompany a cross-cultural relationship. After all, Whitney is no stranger to helping immigrants. During her college years, this occupational therapist spent a summer month in Greece serving and walking alongside refugees. And it’s the passion that brought her to…
Read MoreWorld Relief Argues Detaining Children Should Stay Off the Table
March 17, 2023 CONTACT:Pinkston Teamwr@pinkston.co Baltimore, MD – World Relief is troubled by recent reports indicating that the Biden administration is considering the reinstatement of migrant detention policies utilized by previous administrations. Restoring these policies would allow the government to temporarily hold immigrant families – including young children – in jail-like facilities upon their arrival…
Read MoreThe Act of Sacrificial Love
This month, about 100 people will arrive as refugees at our offices in Chicagoland from countries like Afghanistan, Syria, Burma and others. As we prepare for Holy Week, I can’t help but reflect on God’s lavish and magnificent love for each of these individuals and the opportunity we have to show sacrificial love. I was…
Read MoreQ&A with Ukraine Response Coordinator Robert Hessenauer
February 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. From the beginning, the global community of World Relief has been responding — welcoming Ukrainians seeking safety in the U.S. and working alongside Christian agencies and churches in Ukraine and the surrounding countries of Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Moldova to support those displaced by…
Read More5 Things You Should Know About the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
Early in the morning on February 6, massive earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria. For many of us who live thousands of miles away from the devastation, it can be hard to imagine the profound scale of loss. It’s even harder to know how best to respond. And yet, if you’re like us, your faith compels…
Read MoreFarzana’s Story
In 2021, a young Paralympian, Afghan girl arrived alone in the U.S. without her family. Kabul had fallen to the Taliban. One year later this same girl sits confidently in front of an intimate crowd at a coffee shop and openly shares her experience – leaving the only home she knew and adjusting to a new life in a foreign country.
Read MoreTatyana Sigidina, Ukranian Church Liaison
Hello, I am Tatyana Sigidina, and I joined the church team as Ukrainian Church Liaison in December 2022. I was born in Ukraine in a huge Christian family, the eighth child of eleven. After finishing high school and seven years of music school, I got a diploma for tailoring women’s clothing. In the 1990s, when…
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