REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION MINISTRIES REPORT (Oct Apr. 2014)

Transcription

1 REFUGEE AND IMMIGRATION MINISTRIES REPORT (Oct Apr. 2014) to Disciples Home Missions & Week of Compassion May 2014 Board Meetings From Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley, Refugee & Immigration Ministries (RIM) Director Note: Per US State Department regulations, churches within a 50 mile radius of an approved refugee resettlement office are encouraged to provide sponsorship and personal assistance to refugees entering their areas. Beyond these bounds, ANY Disciples church is also requested to provide materials and funds for basic resettlement assistance such as pillows, sheets, school backpacks, clothing and furniture, holiday gifts, and special needs help! Contact our Disciples office of Refugee & Immigration Ministries Director, Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, at: sstanley@dhm.disciples.org; or for further information! Our Disciples related refugee resettlement offices include Church World Service affiliates located in: Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; Denver, CO; New Haven, CT; Miami, FL; Palm Beach, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; South Bend, IN; Louisville, KY; Lexington, KY; Grand Rapids, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Lincoln, NE;Omaha, NE; Greensboro, NC; Durham, NC; Concord, NH; Buffalo, NY; Rochester, NY; Syracuse, NY; Columbus, OH; Portland, OR; Lancaster, PA; Knoxville, TN; Austin, TX; Amarillo, TX; Dallas, TX; Ft. Worth, TX; Houston, TX, Harrisonburg, VA; Richmond, VA. Disciples-Assigned Refugee Arrivals Report thru Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Case and Individual Numbers of Arrivals by Month for FY October 2013-April Case #s People # Oct. '13 Nov. '13 Dec. '13 Jan. '14 Feb. '14 Mar. '14 Apr. '14 Disciples-Assigned Refugee Arrivals by State AZ CA CO CT FL GA IL IN KY MI MN NE NC NH NY OH OR PA TN TX VA Case #s People # Disciples-Assigned Refugee Arrivals by Region Case #s People # Disciples-Assigned Refugee Arrivals by Nationality CentAfRep Congolese Eritrea Ethiopia Somalia Sudan Burma Cuba Afghan Bhutan Iran Iraq AfghImm IraqImm Case #s People # Africa East Asia Europe W Hemis NE/S Asia

2 WoC Emergency Assistance Provided Provided emergency assistance to Disciples- assigned families through support of the Week of Compassion s Compassion in Action Fund. This fund supports recent refugee families who face unusual and critical unmet family, health, and mental health needs. Funds are provided to Refugee & Immigration Ministries by Week of Compassion at $5,000/time, and then are disbursed, if and as emergency needs require, from the RIM office. All disbursements to families indicate the support is given in partnership with the Week of Compassion of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The following specific refugee emergency assistance was offered in recent months: $1,500 for a Bhutanese family s housing relocation and funeral costs in Atlanta following the young father s suicide in their home. Counseling and funeral preparation assistance has also been offered to the surviving wife, son, and daughter. The RIM director has visited the Atlanta affiliate office to follow up on the family, which arrived into the US in (Note: The family s daughter, wife, and brother are pictured above.) $1,000 for rental assistance, medical treatment, and medicine during an Armenian single mother s treatment for breast cancer in the Los Angeles area. The mother is unemployed due to her medical condition and has two teenage children. The RIM director has visited the LA affiliate office to follow up on the family, which arrived in the US in July, $1,650 for family rental assistance support during time of Iraqi husband s recent Stage 2 cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments. The family had arrived into the US in July, Funds allowed wife to engage in work search and provided needed childcare support. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Outreach re: Refugee Support & Resettlement Highlights of RIM s recent & ongoing encouragement for refugee support and resettlement included the following: *Spoke of Refugee & Immigration support needs at the Disciples Women Fall Gathering at the Christian Church Capital Area Region in Baltimore, MD. (Oct. 12) *Presented 3 workshops for Pastors, a youth workshop, and presented display at the Pacific Southwest Regional Assembly in Anaheim, CA. (Oct ) *Preached at Mill Creek Christian Church, Bakersfield, CA. (October 21) *Sponsored Gathering of all Sacramento area pastors and mission leaders with RIM Director and Church World Service personnel from Sacramento. *Visited Atlanta, Georgia CWS Resettlement office and Decatur Christian Church on December 16 to build partnerships. *Visited Greensboro, NC CWS Resettlement office on December 16 th to strengthen partnerships. *Visited Raleigh, NC CWS Resettlement office on December 17 th to strengthen partnerships. *Spoke to Liberian refugee community at Whosoever Will Christian Church event at Univ. of Maryland, December 20 th. *Preached at Springfield Christian Church on December 22 nd. *Preached at Hilton Christian Church, Newport News, VA. on Jan. 5 th to encourage ongoing support for longer term refugee needs in the Hampton Roads area (as the CWS office was closed there recently.) *Supported Middle School Mission Trip to discuss refugee & immigration ministries in January, housed at Nat l City CC. Included Refugee Cultural Banquet on Sat. p.m. with guest Liberian, Salvadorean, and Jamaican refugee/immigrant speakers, and Sunday worship with NCCC Hispanic Congregation. *Presented workshop at Black Ministers Retreat in Johnson City, TN. to raise awareness of refugee concerns. *Engaged with Montagnard community at First Christian Church, Charlotte, NC in weekend meetings over Feb to listen to human rights concerns and build relationships and strategies for community support. *Continue working to link Montagnards with resource organizations for support of related families facing human rights challenges in Thailand and Central Vietnam. *Planned April visits with Texas resettlement sites and churches. *Plans to offer refugee crafts/cultures display & sales at Disciples Women s Quadrennial in Atlanta. *To attend and support refugee needs at summer conferences of NAPAD, Hispanic National Assembly, and the National Convocation (of Disciples African American communities).

3 National Farm Worker Ministry Support & Farm Worker Actions *Attended National Farm Worker Ministry Board Meeting January in Keene, CA. (outside Bakersfield), and took five guests to meeting (including local Disciples, UCC, and indigenous Hispanic area leaders.) *Helped lead farmworker immigration reform action with UFW, NFWM Board, and area clergy at Congressman McCarthy s office in Bakersfield, CA. on January 23, and engaged local Disciples pastors in event. *Made initial contacts to begin to reform and re-activate a Disciples Farm Worker Ministry group. *Recruited local Disciples participants for April 23 & 24 UFW/NFWM sit in, faith leader breakfast, and march. *Participated & engaged others in Coalition of Immokalee Workers Tour in Asheville, NC. *Recruited NY Disciples pastors to present request for farmworker justice to May 8 Philip Morris shareholder meeting. *Continue to build support for CIW and Fair Food Program campaigns. Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries Support *Participated as DHM representative in Sept meeting of Board, provided immigration ministries report, and consulted about ongoing support links between RIM and SWGSM. *Assisted with Epiphany emphasis ministry awareness campaign development in January. *Reported to board at April meeting. Immigration Advocacy Faith Leadership and Partnerships Throughout the time period of this report, RIM has strengthened leadership for immigrant rights within the denomination and built faith partnerships for immigration reform. Campaigns have particularly emphasized legislative reform during the months of October through March, have heightened participation in administrative asks during the months of 2014, are supporting safer deportations and the halting of deportations until legislative fixes are attained, and are developing tools for civic engagement and voter development as legislative momentum has stalled in the Congress-- especially since the Spring of Each of these strategies helps support permanent and humane solutions to immigration needs. Please contact the RIM Director, Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, at sstanley@dhm.disciples.org or to engage together in advocacy priorities! Resources and presentations of advocacy priorities will continue to be shared throughout Disciples partnership venues such as NAPAD, Black Ministers Retreat, African American Assembly, Disciples Women Quadrennial, Hispanic National Assembly, and regional and institutional gatherings. Highlights of each recent/current advocacy emphasis area include: A. Legislative Advocacy for Immigration Reform *Hosted a Global Summit for Immigration Reform at National City Christian Church, with sponsorship by Church World Service and related denominations including Disciples of Christ, and with participation of GMAP Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, Reconciliation Ministries Director Rev. April Johnson, and 20+ Disciples leaders from 13 states. *Participated in & recruited Disciples to engage in ongoing rallies, Press Conferences (with bipartisan congressional colleagues, multi-faith partners, the Congressional Black Caucus, Immigrant Rights Advocates, etc.) to support the representation key faith values such as family unity, path to citizenship, support for the vulnerable, workers rights, humanitarian border practices, awareness of root causes of migration.

4 *Engaged in Civil Disobedience, together with 208 community leaders, faith leaders, and congressional representatives, to raise awareness of family suffering that compels the need for immigration reform. *Helped revise guiding faith principles of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition for immigrantion reform. See this summary of faith values at: Congress-Recs_ pdf *Provided prayer leadership, participation, and Disciples recruitment for FastAction for Immigration Reform ; a 40 day Fall fasting campaign to generate faith engagement for immigration reform, in solidarity with immigrants. *Provided worship leadership, event participation, art support, and Disciples recruitment for engagement in the Fast4Families movement, Phase 1 on the National Mall in DC--where leaders fasted 23 straight days on water only to raise awareness of family separations and the need for immediate immigration reform. (Nov. 15-Dec. 12) *Assisted worship and legislative visits, and recruited Disciples participation in Phase 2 of Fast4Families, during bus tours across the US, through dozens of legislative districts, and culminating in DC events. (Feb. 24-Apr. 9) *Engaged in and provided leadership assistance for multiple Congressional visits with ecumenical partners on Capitol Hill to support passage of positive immigration reform legislation in the House of Representatives, and wrote position statements on behalf of RIM/DOC regarding various pieces of legislation, the Republican Principles for Immigration Reform, etc. *Continue to support legislative visits by Disciples within their regions, and to invite Disciples to call and/or visit their legislators in DC! Also, RIM is ready to provide a program for your congregation or conference that highlights immigration as a civil rights opportunity of our era! Sharon at: sstanley@dhm.disciples.org or call to schedule a visit to your area! *Serve on the SEARAC (Southeast Asian Resource Action Center) national board supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander leadership for education, immigration reform, and civic engagement.

5 B. Push for Administrative Support *Assisted in shaping and supporting Administrative Recommendations with ecumenical faith partners in the IIC. Find these at: Recs_ pdf *Engaged in Civil Disobedience, together with 31 faith leaders, to ask President Obama on Presidents Day (February 17) to stop deportations; recognizing the Obama administration has deported nearly 2 million immigrants since beginning office. *Continue to lift up faith perspectives for Administrative Support. See here another letter our RIM office has supported, along with many other faith communities: C. Support for Safer Deportations & Not1More Campaigns *Supported the development of Recommendations for Safer Deportations with several denominational partners-- seeking practical, humane, and immediate aid for families in deportation proceedings until a more permanent legislative fix can be attained. Continue to seek congressional, administrative, and DHS support for these. See them posted on this page: *Continue worship, housing, and meal support for families in deportation processes. Provide ongoing assistance to family members on hunger strikes in DC to raise awareness of unjust deportations and family separations. Encourage communities to support similar efforts in their areas! D. Voter Development and Civic Engagement *Working currently to develop resources for congregational support for voter development and civic engagement, and to help lead events (especially around upcoming holy days and holidays ) to raise strength of potential immigrant voters.