Posts Tagged ‘Refugee Resettlement’
January Community Impact Newsletter
On January 20, 2025, an Executive Order from the White House temporarily suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), pending a 90-day review. This pause is a serious blow to thousands of refugees hoping to find safety and a new beginning in the Sacramento region, as well as to those already here who are waiting to be reunited with loved ones.
Read MoreSewing & Group Connection: The Story of Amira
Amira* arrived in Chicagoland with a sense of great relief after she and her family fled Afghanistan. “When we first arrived in the U.S., I felt very good and happy. I was so relieved to have made it to the U.S. because we left the war in our country, and we are safe here.” However,…
Read MoreWhy We Welcome: The Joy We See
This guest blog is written by Emily Waterman, the Cultural Orientation Coordinator in our Chicago Office The early days quickly passing after a refugee arrives here in Chicago sometimes all blur together. It’s a whirlwind of collaboration for our initial resettlement team as we work to establish new arrivals and provide for their immediate needs.…
Read MoreWhy We Welcome: The Hope We Have
This guest blog is written by Alisha L Garza, a Volunteer Coordinator in our DuPage Office To be human is to experience a variety of emotions—often conflicting ones. Like a woman in childbirth, there is the striking reality of pain and joy. Even Jesus was called the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3), while the author…
Read MoreWhy We Welcome: The Prayers We Pray
This guest blog is written by Basma Outhman, staff member at World Relief Chicagoland Have you ever wondered what a refugee’s journey truly looks like? The simple answer is: hard, long, and complicated. But if you look closer, you’ll see that no two stories are alike. Every refugee has a unique tale to tell—one marked…
Read MoreNovember Community Impact Newsletter
This month, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we celebrate Muriel Chiavini, a dedicated volunteer with the Afghan Women’s Program since the fall of 2019. Muriel’s journey of service is deeply rooted in her experience teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Philippine Refugee Center, where she prepared refugees for cultural immersion and integration in the United States. She reflects, “God used my experience to help the Afghan women refugees of World Relief.”
Read MoreWhy We Welcome: The Gift of Giving
This guest blog is written by Shelley Hiller, a long term partner of World Relief This summer, my church started a Good Neighbor Team. We were matched with a family from Syria who had been living in Iraq for several years while undergoing the vetting process for refugees. On the surface, there are many differences…
Read MoreA Journey of Welcome with Bri Stensrud
Women of Welcome (WOW) is a community dedicated to diving into scripture to understand God’s heart for the immigrant and refugee. It has quickly grown into a strong and responsive group of Christian women led by Director, Bri Stensrud.
Read MoreHow Youth are Impacting the Lives of Refugees
This is a guest blog written by Anne Quetua, Leader of the Youth Advocacy Board at Wheaton North High School We are the Youth Board for World Relief, a dedicated group of high school students committed to engaging our peers in supporting local refugees. My personal journey with World Relief Chicagoland was inspired by my…
Read More8 Ways We’ve Been Working With Refugees Throughout Our History
Over the last 80 years, the work we’ve done together has been defined by supporting those who have been displaced. Read more and join us.
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