Resettlement Arrivals

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1 Refugee Arrivals and Congregational Involvement in 2009 Refugee and Immigration Ministries (RIM) Disciples Home Missions Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Resettlement Arrivals In 2009, the Disciples resettled 1,249 refugees. Disciples are one of the six denominations that resettle refugees through the Church World Service Immigration and Refugee Program (CWS/IRP), resettling approximately 11% of the CWS/IRP caseload. It should be noted that CWS/IRP is allowed by the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees only where there is a local CWS/IRP affiliate refugee office within 50 miles. This means that Disciples congregations in many parts of the United States are unable to resettle refugees through RIM. Learn more about RIM s refugee resettlement program at: Arizona 91 California 142 Colorado 24 Connecticut 25 Florida 95 Georgia 47 Illinois 32 Indiana 69 Kentucky 56 Michigan 36 Minnesota 6 States where the Refugees were Resettled Nebraska 70 New Hampshire 16 New York 104 North Carolina 51 Ohio 72 Oregon 15 Pennsylvania 50 Tennessee 26 Texas 170 Virginia 54 Total 1,251 Afghanistan 8 Angola 4 Bhutan 200 Burma 315 Burundi 10 China 8 Cuba 132 Democratic Republic of Congo 18 Eritrea 33 Ethiopia 9 Iran 98 Iraq 327 Countries from which the Refugees Fled Liberia 13 Pakistan 4 Palestine 2 Somalia 44 Sri Lanka 2 Sudan 12 The Former USSR: Azerbaijan 3 Ukraine 1 Vietnam 8 Total 1,251

2 Border Ministries Arrivals The Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries (SWGSM) is a border ministry of the Southwest Region which receives major funding and support from Week of Compassion. It is located in Bayview, Texas, and the Rev. Feliberto Pereira is the Executive Director. SWGSM assists persons released from the local Department of Homeland Security detention center to join their friends or relatives who live in other parts of the United States. SWGSM also provides housing, food, medical and legal assistance to persons who must remain in the area pending the outcome of their asylum applications. Learn more about SWGSM s work with refugees and immigrants and its many other border ministries at In 2009, SWGSM assisted a total of 178 persons to join their friends and family in other locations, mostly by paying for their bus tickets. Those persons came from the following countries: Colombia 5 El Salvador 12 Cuba 76 Guatemala 4 Dominican Republic 1 Honduras 12 They were assisted in their travels to: Arizona 1 Louisiana 3 California 2 Maryland 3 Colorado 10 Massachusetts 1 Delaware 2 Missouri 4 Florida 62 Nevada 11 Georgia 9 New Jersey 4 Idaho 2 New York 10 Illinois 8 North Carolina 8 Indiana 1 North Dakota 2 Kansas 1 Ohio 4 Mexico 56 Nicaragua 11 Panama 1 Total 178 Oregon 2 Pennsylvania 2 South Carolina 3 South Dakota 1 Tennessee 1 Texas 8 Virginia 5 Washington 5 Washington, DC 3 Total 178 Humane Borders is an ecumenical Border Ministry operated out of First Christian Church in Tucson, Arizona, whose pastor is the Rev. Robin Hoover. Humane Borders provides water in the desert locations for those persons crossing the border seeking opportunities for a new life in the United States. Humane Borders saved many lives during 2009, but it is impossible to know the number of persons assisted. 2

3 Congregations Involved in 2009 The following is based on information available to RIM. We are certain that additional Disciples congregations were involved in various refugee and immigration ministries in 2009, and we would appreciate knowing about them. Co-sponsors through RIM The following congregations were co-sponsors (along with their local CWS/IRP affiliate refugee offices) of refugees resettled through RIM. Chalice, Gilbert, AZ (Eritrean family of three) Central, Denver, CO (Somali family of five) Central, Lexington, KY (Iraqi family of three) South Elkhorn, Lexington, KY (Iraqi family of three) Beargrass, Louisville, KY (Iraqi family of five) First, Rockwood, TN (Iraqi family of five) Other Assistance to Refugees through RIM The following congregations assisted refugees resettled through RIM by providing goods, funds and/or other services. First, Scottsdale, AZ (Burmese family of eight) Central, Coral Gables, FL (Cuban family of four) Sandy Springs, Sandy Springs, GA (Somali family of five) First, Wilton Manors, FL (Three Cuban families totaling eight persons and an Iraqi family of three) Allisonville and Speedway, Indianapolis, IN (Chinese man) United Church of Wayland, Wayland, MI (Burmese family of eight) Broad Street, Columbus and Gender Road, Canal Winchester, OH (Iraqi family of three) First, Oak Ridge, TN (Iraqi man) Park View, Chesapeake; First, Hampton; Hilton, Newport News; Olive Branch, Norge; and Grafton, Yorktown, VA (Bhutanese family of five) Co-sponsors and Assistance to Refugees through Other Agencies The following congregations were co-sponsors of refugees or provided assistance to refugees that were resettled through resettlement agencies other than CWS. Beargrass, Louisville, KY (Iraqi family of five) Episcopal agency Amherst Community, Amherst, NY (Two Cuban families) Unknown Agency First, Charlotte, NC (About 60 Montagnard from Vietnam) Multiple Agencies Shalom Community, Greensboro, NC (Sudanese family of seven) Lutheran Agency Disciples, Cleveland, OH (About 25 Bhutanese) Jewish Agency First, Columbus, OH (Several Apartments for Bhutanese) Jewish Agency First and Northside, Knoxville, TN (Rwandan woman) Episcopal Agency Helped Refugee Children The following congregations assisted refugee children through the provision of donations for the Kids to Kids program. First, Des Moines, IA First, Greensboro, NC Runnells, Runnells, IA 3

4 Assisted a CWS/IRP Affiliate Refugee Office The following congregations assisted the work of their local CWS/IRP affiliate refugee offices by providing them with funds, goods, space, and/or volunteer time. Sun City, Sun City, AZ Central, La Crescenta, CA Bixby Knolls, Long Beach, CA First, Sacramento, CA First, Torrance, CA Women s Retreat, N. CA/NE Region Ray of Hope, Decatur, GA Eagle s Landing, McDonough, GA Sandy Springs, Sandy Springs, GA Community, Jeffersonville, IN Downey Avenue, Indianapolis, IN Westview, Indianapolis, IN Crestwood, Lexington, KY First, Louisville, KY Jeffersontown, Louisville, KY First, Minneapolis, MN Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, MN Amherst, Amherst, NY St. Paul s, Raleigh, NC High Street, Akron, OH Karl Road, Columbus, OH Hebron, Hebron, OH Mantua Center, Mantua, OH United, Austin, TX Kirkwood South, Houston, TX Assisted RIM The following congregations assisted RIM in responding to refugee situations overseas, Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries, Humane Borders, or emergency situations of resettled refugees through RIM s Alternative Giving Catalog and RIM s Disciples Women study of Haiti. Central, Indianapolis, IN First, Pleasant Hill, MO Washington Ave., Elyria, OH University, Seattle, WA Helped SWGSM The following congregations assisted the Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries through the donation of goods, funds, volunteer work groups and /or educational visits. First, Bentonville, AR First, Bloomington, IL University Place, Champaign, IL First, Bowling Green, KY Crestwood, Lexington, KY First, Baton Rouge, LA Christian Temple, Baltimore, MD First, Clever, MO Broadway, Columbia, MO First, El Dorado Springs, MO First, Macon, MO First, Pleasant Hill, MO Rosendale, Rosendale, MO First, Alamogordo, NM Bethany, Farmington, NM Highland, Hobbs, NM Sinai, Brooklyn, NY First, Wilmington, NC Edmond Trinity, Edmond, OK First, Stillwater, OK Waukomis, Waukomis, OK Arden Road, Amarillo, TX First Arlington, TX Northwest Arlington, TX Rush Creek, Arlington, TX Bluebonnet Hills, Austin, TX Shepherd of the Hills, Austin, TX United, Austin, TX University, Austin, TX Azle, Azle, TX Bastrop, Bastrop, TX Bella Vista, Brownsville, TX First, Bryan, TX First, Burkburnett, TX First, Cleburne, TX Central, Corpus Christi, TX First, Corpus Christi, TX Casa View, Dallas, TX Central, Dallas, TX Highlands, Dallas, TX 4

5 Northway, Dallas, TX Warren Ave., Dallas, TX First, Donna, TX United Memorial, Euless, TX South Hills, Ft. Worth, TX Richland Hills, Ft. Worth, TX University, Ft. Worth, TX First, Gladewater, TX First, Granbury, TX Bethany, Houston, TX El Redentor, Houston, TX Good Shepherd, Houston, TX Kirkwood South, Houston, TX First, Huntsville, TX Memorial, Jacksboro, TX Shekinah, Katy, TX First, Kerrville, TX Cantico Nuevo, Killeen, TX Central, Killeen, TX First, Kingsville, TX Kingwood, Kingwood, TX First, Lake Jackson, TX First, Lexington, TX First, Lockhart, TX Ebenezer, Los Fresnos, TX First, Lubbock, TX Lubbockview, Lubbock, TX First, Lufkin, TX First, McAllen, TX First, McKinney, TX First, Midland, TX First, Nacogdoches, TX Bethany, Odessa, TX First, Pampa, TX First, Paris, TX First, Pasadena, TX First, Plano, TX First, Port Arthur, TX Primera, Raymondville, TX Bet-el, Robstown, TX First, Rockdale, TX First, Rockwall, TX First, Rockwall, TX Round Rock, Round Rock, TX First, San Angelo, TX Marbach, San Antonio, TX Mexican, San Antonio, TX Rolling Oaks, San Antonio, TX Western Hills, San Antonio, TX Emmanuel, San Benito, TX First, San Marcos, TX Cypress Creek, Spring, TX First, Temple, TX RIM is part of DHM and supported by your Basic Mission Finance and Week of Compassion Offerings! 5