Posts Tagged ‘Refugees’
Navigating Healthcare with Mercy
Navigating the healthcare system can feel overwhelming. More than once, I’ve stood in front of a huge sign in a medical complex looking over a long list of names and suite numbers trying to find the right office. Sadly, it’s not just medical facilities that feel like an enormous maze, it’s the healthcare and insurance systems…
Read More13 Years of Separation: Now Welcomed Home
After coming to the United States as a refugee, Hodan communicated with her family only through phone calls and WhatsApp for 13 years. Her mother, Safia, and her sisters, Seynab and Yagsir, were 8,000 miles away in eastern Ethiopia. In September 2024, their long separation finally ended. Thanks to your partnership with World Relief Chicagoland’s…
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 MoreWorld Relief Troubled by Rumors that Trump Administration Will Rescind Guidance Limiting Immigration Enforcement Activities in Churches and other “Sensitive Locations”
World Relief is deeply troubled by recent reporting that the Trump administration is considering revoking guidance that limits the circumstances under which Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) would carry out immigration enforcement activities in churches, schools, hospitals and other “sensitive locations.”
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 MoreChristmas Displaced
Lately I have been musing on how often the Christmas story describes people being displaced from their homes. The most obvious example, and the subject of countless Christmas pageants, is the Holy Family leaving Nazareth to trek 90 miles south to Bethlehem. It couldn’t have been easy. The road was not always safe, Mary was…
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 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 MoreThe Journey of Refuge and Hope: A Community’s Impact on a Father’s Story
This is the story of a father who fled Albania in 1990 and found a new life in the U.S., and of his daughter, Drina, who, inspired by his journey, is now dedicated to helping refugees. Their story is one of resilience, sacrifice, and the lasting impact that happened because of your support. Escaping Albania:…
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