Welcoming Refugees & Immigrants
It starts with you.
WHY IT MATTERS
103 million people forcibly displaced
32.5 million refugees fleeing violence and persecution. They need safety. They need peace. They need the building blocks for a new life. You can be part of the community that welcomes them and helps them flourish.
Make an Impact
Since 1992, World Relief Spokane has welcomed nearly 12,000 refugees and other new arrivals. But we haven’t done it alone. It takes volunteers, landlords, employers, churches and friends. Join this welcoming community today.
Learn
How much do you know about immigration? About refugees? Step 1 is to listen and learn. Hear their stories. Put yourself in their shoes.
Give Monthly
Help us provide the wraparound services new arrivals need to flourish.
Volunteer
Whatever your skill set, we need it. Be a driver. Be a conversation partner. Be a friend. And learn from someone a little different from you.
With your help, we can make Spokane one of the most welcoming cities on the planet.
“As a young family with three children, we have lived as strangers in Kenya. We remember the challenges of language and adapting to a new culture. The nationals who helped us and prayed for us are still close friends these decades later. We donate to World Relief Spokane because the staff and volunteers are the hands and feet of Jesus welcoming strangers to our community.”
- Dr. Sam and Judy Palpant, donors
Two-Way Benefit
Refugees Receive Vital Services
New arrivals receive help with housing, cultural orientation, training in public transportation, and access to educational services like financial literacy and conversation club so they can become self-sufficient.
Our Community Prospers
We connect churches and community members with immigrant families to foster transformative relationships, where both new and long-term community members flourish and find a sense of unity and belonging.
Latest Articles
Transportation: Volunteers That Drive a Difference
For newly arrived refugees, there’s nothing simple about it. They don’t have cars. They don’t have driver’s licenses. They don’t know the city. They don’t know the bus system. They can’t afford an Uber. And, often, they don’t know English well enough to ask directions.
Resettled: A Life of Gratitude
This small family has fled twice from war-torn countries. Originally fleeing from Sudan, Sheekadeen and Alnaseem were living in Libya when they welcomed their only child, Mohammed, into the world. War broke out in Libya in 2011 when then President Muammar Gaddafi was killed.
Good Neighbor Teams: walking together in welcome
Good Neighbor Teams (GNT) are a group of individuals who are trained to walk alongside a family for six months as they adjust to life in Spokane. Such a partnership takes responsibility for much of the resettlement process including: acquiring housing, registering for schools and government agencies, locating jobs, etc.