World Relief California Unveils New Name, Unites Local Offices to Strengthen Impact Across the State

New structure enhances foundation of service to refugees and immigrants established over five decades 

Contact: Lauren Rasmussen, media@wr.org, 802.310.4255

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, World Relief unveiled a new structure and name for its California offices. World Relief California brings together World Relief’s longstanding offices in Sacramento, Modesto, Garden Grove and San Diego as one coordinated regional team, strengthening its ability to serve refugees and immigrants in vulnerable situations across the state while preserving the local relationships that have long defined its work.  

World Relief’s presence in California spans nearly five decades. Beginning in Orange County in 1979, the organization expanded to Sacramento in 1989, Modesto in 1996 and later San Diego in 2020. Since 2023, World Relief’s California field offices have served nearly 25,000 refugees and immigrants across the state, including more than 8,000 refugees directly resettled by World Relief. Each office has developed unique expertise and strong community partnerships while sharing a common commitment to helping refugees and immigrants pursue stability, opportunity, belonging, and thriving lives.  
  
“The regional structure expands our capacity across California while maintaining the local partnerships and community connections that remain at the heart of everything we do,” said Mark Dandeneau, regional director for World Relief California. “Integrating office strengths across the region strengthens core resources and capabilities while preserving the unique distinctives of each office. Our local teams remain deeply connected to their communities, clients and church and community partners, now with the added strength, expertise and support of a California-wide team behind them.” 
  
Under the new regional model, local leadership remains in place, with Janelle Fite leading Sacramento, Sarah Williams leading Modesto, and Heather Kwak leading our Southern California offices in Garden Grove and San Diego. Each office will continue responding to the specific needs of its community. This new structure represents an essential investment in the future, creating stronger connections between local offices while expanding the organization’s overall capacity and impact. Working as one California region will enable World Relief to share best practices, strengthen services, deepen partnerships, coordinate resources, and respond more effectively to changing community needs. Together, the four offices will multiply shared strengths to support clients through refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, economic empowerment, case management, education, health navigation and community integration.  

“This is an important milestone in the history of World Relief’s work in California,” commented Aerlande Wontamo, senior vice president of U.S. Programs at World Relief. “We’ve seen incredible synergies emerge as we’ve implemented similar structures in other regions, and the time is right to reinforce and accelerate our offerings in California, enabling us to continue to serve our clients with excellence and greater intentionality in partnership with the church.” 

Across California, World Relief remains rooted in its shared mission: to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church. World Relief California’s vision builds on that mission: to strengthen inclusive communities across California where refugees and immigrants thrive — through trusted, unified partnerships with churches, communities and neighbors. We lead the way by equipping churches and collaborating with community and government stakeholders to support families in their journey toward belonging.  

As refugees and other immigrants navigate changing policies, economic pressures and uncertainty, World Relief California remains committed to standing alongside them in partnership with the church, helping build communities of welcome and belonging across the state.

To learn more about the new name and structure, visit worldrelief.org/california. 

On Friday, October 23 at 12:00 p.m. PT, World Relief California will host a virtual town hall to share further about the new structure and name. To join the town hall, register here.

ABOUT WORLD RELIEF CALIFORNIA  

World Relief California stands alongside refugees and immigrants in vulnerable situations through locally rooted programs and partnerships across Sacramento, Modesto, Garden Grove, San Diego and surrounding communities. Building on nearly five decades of service in California, World Relief works in partnership with the church and broader community to help individuals and families pursue stability, opportunity, belonging and thriving lives.