Staying Ready, Staying Together

by Gail Cornelius, Wisconsin Regional Director

In recent months, increased immigration enforcement activity has brought new uncertainty into the lives of refugee and immigrant families across our communities. Questions about re-interviews, documentation, and the possibility of detention are no longer theoretical. They are discussed quietly at kitchen tables and surface in late-night conversations. In moments like these, what families need most is not urgency or alarm, but steadiness and people willing to walk beside them with care and clarity. 

In response, World Relief Wisconsin has taken intentional steps to help families prepare for what may come, while remaining rooted in dignity and relationship. Support through the Stay Together campaign allowed us to expand this work at a critical moment, and what has unfolded since has been both practical and deeply encouraging. 

One expression of this has been the launch of our Ready Together workshops. As church and community partners began asking how they could more fully show up for families facing increased enforcement activity, these gatherings became spaces of shared learning and trust-building. Across six workshops, I have been continually moved by the level of interest and engagement from volunteers and community leaders. Nearly 150 people came ready to listen, to learn and to carry responsibility thoughtfully. Their questions reflected care for families who are neighbors, friends and congregants. 

These workshops equipped partners to support emergency preparedness in ways that feel grounded and relational, extending care well beyond any single event or organization. Because of the response we have seen, additional Ready Together workshops are already being planned in communities across the state. This work is continuing to grow, carried forward by people who feel called to stand with families in uncertain times. 

Alongside this, we have remained focused on the very practical needs of the families themselves. Through this work, we created and distributed more than 500 Ready & Resilient binders. These tools are designed to help families organize identification, immigration and other important documents as well as think through emergency plans. While simple in design, the binders hold deep meaning. For families, they offer reassurance that preparation is possible, even when circumstances feel unsteady. Each binder represents time spent together, questions answered and concerns taken seriously. 

This spirit of accompaniment was especially evident during our Immigration Legal Services intensive service week at the end of March. Over four days in Appleton and Oshkosh, nearly 30 people received direct legal support, including free assistance filing Freedom of Information Act requests, an important step in helping families understand their records and their options. What stood out to me most during that week was the atmosphere itself. I witnessed staff from across teams sitting patiently with families, helping organize documents, answering questions, and creating space where people felt seen rather than rushed. It was a tangible expression of care that was quiet, steady and deeply respectful. 

Taken together, these efforts point to a shared commitment to remain present with families, even when answers are incomplete and pathways forward feel unclear. The challenges refugee and immigrant families face are ongoing, but this work has affirmed that preparation can be an act of hope, and community can be a source of strength. 

I am grateful for what has taken shape, for the partners who have leaned in with humility, for the staff who have served with compassion, for the individuals and organizations that provided financial support for these programs and for the families whose resilience continues to teach us. As Ready Together workshops expand into more communities and this work continues, we remain committed to walking alongside families with patience and care, helping them stay ready, resilient and together. 

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