Posts Tagged ‘Chicagoland’
Life-on-Life: Why Being a Friendship Partner Matters
Please meet Rick Hayden, who volunteers with World Relief Chicagoland as a Friendship Partner. Friendship Partners make a 6-month commitment to provide practical and relational assistance to newly arrived immigrants or refugees. The volunteer visits approximately once a week to help practice language, understand culture, navigate services, and most importantly, to be a friend. Here…
Read MoreA Mother’s Journey to Self-Sufficiency
Please hear from Emily O’Connor, Intensive Case Specialist in our DuPage Office: I met Usman Ghareeb and his mother, Madina, in February 2022. They had just arrived in the U.S. a couple of months before in the wake of the crisis in Afghanistan. Usman was born with what was later confirmed to be cerebral palsy…
Read MoreFalling Into God’s Plan
An Interview with an English Language Volunteer Below is an interview with Barb Olker, a long-time volunteer with our English Language Learning program. How long have you been volunteering with World Relief Chicagoland, and specifically with English Language Learning classes? My husband and I have been doing this since the 90’s. It’s been a long…
Read MoreHow to Love Sacrificially
Greetings! Recently some members of my church reminded me what it means to love sacrificially. One of them would travel 90 minutes one-way to the church every week. When I asked why she didn’t find a church closer to home, she responded “I know I need to love God by loving this church and the people in it.…
Read MoreA Syrian’s Journey
Humanitarian crises can be triggered by any number of causes: violent conflicts, natural disasters, famine, or epidemics. But some humanitarian crises have their roots in the loss of civil freedom where citizens can’t speak openly about political and economic issues for fear of retribution. We often partner with Syrian refugees and asylum seekers who want…
Read MoreWorld Relief Praises the Re-Introduction of the Bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act and Urges Swift Passage
July 14, 2023 CONTACT:Pinkston Teamwr@pinkston.co BALTIMORE, MD — Today, World Relief praises the bipartisan re-introduction of an Afghan Adjustment Act in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives and urges swift Congressional passage of the bill. This important bill acknowledges the plight of Afghan nationals who faced an urgent threat of persecution…
Read MoreExperiencing God’s Generosity Through the Hands of Others
Before long, students will soon be ready to go back to school! This includes refugee and immigrant families, and you and I have a great opportunity if we open our hearts in support. Reflecting on this mid-summer season, I want to share a story from my own family about how God takes care of those…
Read MoreThe Power of Perspective in Relationships
Every relationship you have holds the potential to change you. And when you grow your perspective to understand the experiences, thoughts, and values of others, those relationships hold the power to help change a community. I’ve had many relationships throughout the years that have guided, challenged, encouraged, and shaped my life. And I’m sure you…
Read MoreWorld Relief Applauds Bipartisan Introduction of the Dignity Act
Today, a bipartisan group of congressional leaders led by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) introduced the Dignity Act – a broad immigration reform bill that would include an earned path to legal status for qualifying undocumented immigrants with the option to pursue naturalization, an expedited path to citizenship for Dreamers, and reforms to border security and asylum processing.
Read MoreBuilding 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…
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