Sponsor and Support the 2025 Inspiritus Golf Tournament!

Dear Friend, 

What if a round of golf could provide meals for families, after-school enrichment for kids, and gardens for neighbors in need? On November 3, it can. Join us at the 2025 Inspiritus Golf Tournament at Temple Hills Country Club and help transform everyday swings into lasting impact.

By playing, sponsoring, or supporting this event, you invest in the most vulnerable families in Middle Tennessee — equipping them to heal, grow, and thrive. Every swing makes a difference:

• $125/Individual Golfer: Covers greens fees, cart, contests, and lunch — and provides after-school snacks for 30 children.

• $400/Team of 4: Includes all golfer benefits plus reserved team carts, recognition in the program, and provides raised garden beds for 2 families.

Want to make an even greater impact? Become a sponsor!

Your participation helps provide meals, enrichment, and support services for hundreds of neighbors across Middle Tennessee.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, November 3

• Location: Temple Hills Country Club

• Time: Breakfast/Check-in 8:30 AM | Tournament 9:00 AM

Thank you for your continued support and empowering the individuals and families we accompany on their paths from surviving to thriving.

We can’t wait to see you on the course!

For questions regarding the tournament, registration, or sponsorship, please contact Doug Werth at douglaswerth@me.com or Jack Ficken at jack.ficken@thrivent.com.

With gratitude,

Janet Arning
Middle Tennessee Empowerment Services
Executive Director

Register for the 2025 Inspiritus Golf Tournament!

Hi Friend,

Most Monday mornings blend together: meetings, emails, the usual routine.

But November 3 is different.

That's the day your golf game creates measurable, lasting impact for families across Middle Tennessee. Real meals for kids. Real food growing outside neighbors' doors.

The Inspiritus Golf Tournament at Temple Hills Country Club turns one morning into life-changing support.

WHAT YOUR PARTICIPATION PROVIDES:

View this email in your browser

Hi Friend,

Most Monday mornings blend together: meetings, emails, the usual routine.

But November 3 is different.

That's the day your golf game creates measurable, lasting impact for families across Middle Tennessee. Real meals for kids. Real food growing outside neighbors' doors.

The Inspiritus Golf Tournament at Temple Hills Country Club turns one morning into life-changing support.

WHAT YOUR PARTICIPATION PROVIDES:

Individual Entry ($125)
→ Greens fees, cart, contests, and lunch
→ 30 kids get after-school meals

Team of 4 ($400)
→ Everything above + reserved team carts + program recognition
→ 2 families access fresh fruits & vegetables growing outside their front doors

This isn’t just golfing for charity. It’s about coming together and building community right here in Middle Tennessee to help families access what they need to thrive.

EVENT DETAILS:

📍 Temple Hills Country Club, Franklin, TN
☕️ Breakfast & Check-in: 8:00 AM
⏰ Shotgun Start: 9:00 AM
📅 Monday, November 3, 2025

Spots are filling fast. Once they're gone, the opportunity to join this tournament won’t happen again until next year. We’d love to see you!

Questions? Contact douglaswerth@me.com or jack.ficken@thrivent.com.

With gratitude,

Janet Arning
Middle Tennessee Empowerment Services
Executive Director

P.S. Can't make it November 3? You can still create impact by sponsoring a hole or forwarding this to someone who should be there. Every connection matters!

200 Homes Repaired. 4 New Recoveries Launched.

Dear Friend, 

At Inspiritus, we believe that healing begins at home. A safe roof, sturdy walls, and a place to rest your head each night—these are more than just physical structures. They’re a foundation for recovery, dignity, and hope.

That’s why we’re proud to share that, thanks to your support, Inspiritus is winding down our long-term recovery operations in Fort Myers, Florida—where we've repaired more than 200 homes damaged by Hurricane Ian. These homes now stand as beacons of resilience and renewal, and we are grateful to every volunteer, donor, and partner who helped make this incredible milestone possible.

As one chapter closes, another begins.

We’re now turning our focus to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, with four new long-term recovery programs launched across the Southeast: Valdosta, GA | Savannah, GA | Mountain City, TN | Polk County, FL

Each of these areas faces a long road ahead—but with your continued support, we’re walking alongside families every step of the way, restoring homes, rebuilding hope, and assuring our neighbors that they’re not alone.

To help lead this important work, we’re thrilled to welcome Jaime Mok as our new Executive Director of Disaster Relief. Jaime brings nearly two decades of global humanitarian experience — including with Habitat for Humanity International — and a deep commitment to community resilience and dignity. His leadership will strengthen our capacity to respond swiftly and compassionately to disasters across the southeast. Click the button below to read more about Jamie's appointment in Metro Atlanta CEO. 

How You Can Help

Our ability to serve depends on the generosity and commitment of people like you. If you feel called to help, there are two ways to get involved today: Join us on the ground to help families rebuild or make a gift to support materials, tools, and staffing needed for home repairs.

Whether you give your time, your resources, or your voice—you are a vital part of this work. Together, we’re transforming communities, one home at a time.
 

With gratitude,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

A Congolese Family in Savannah Needs Your Support Today

Dear Friend,

When violence erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Amani and his wife Liliane had no choice but to flee with their three children. Persecuted and afraid, they left behind everything they knew in search of safety—and found it in Savannah, Georgia.

But arriving in the United States was only the beginning.

Starting over in a new country, with a new language and new systems, is overwhelming. Amani now works long hours in a warehouse while Liliane cares for their children and dreams of going back to school to become a nurse. Their children are adapting quickly, but the summer brings new challenges—especially the need for food assistance and structured youth programming while school is out.

This is where you come in.

Your donation today will help Inspiritus provide essential services to refugee families like Amani and Liliane’s—afterschool and summer programs for their children, job training, food assistance, and more.

In the last year alone, Inspiritus has served 5,380 refugees across Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, and Birmingham—including 689 refugees from the Congo.

But demand is growing while funding is shrinking.

Families like Amani’s have the strength and determination to succeed—they just need the resources to get there. Your gift today can bridge that gap and help turn their hopes into real, lasting opportunity. 

Will you help us empower more families to thrive in their new homes?

Thank you for being part of this life-changing work.

With heartfelt thanks,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

Help Ahmed and His Family Rebuild Their Lives in Atlanta

Dear Friend,

Before the fall of Kabul, Ahmed and his wife were respected professionals in Afghanistan. Ahmed served as a doctor, and his wife was a university language professor. Together, they dedicated their lives to education, health, and public service.

When the Taliban took over, everything changed. Their work for the Afghan government put their family at risk, forcing them to flee with their two young children and leave behind the careers—and life—they had built.

Today, they are rebuilding from the ground up in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ahmed and his wife have found entry-level jobs and are doing everything they can to provide for their family. But their true goal is to return to their professions—to once again teach, heal, and contribute in meaningful ways to their new community. To do that, they need access to career upskilling and credentialing support—and their children need a safe, enriching space after school while their parents work and study.

That’s where Inspiritus—and you—come in.

Your donation today can help Ahmed and his wife earn the certifications they need to return to their careers, and provide their children with afterschool programming that supports academic and emotional development.

At Inspiritus, we’ve spent more than 40 years walking alongside refugees like Ahmed’s family—providing job training, youth programming, and essential resources to help families rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose. But recent funding cuts have put these vital services at risk for thousands of refugees who depend on us to help meet their needs.

In the last year alone, Inspiritus has served 5,380 refugees across Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, and Birmingham—including 1,181 refugees from Afghanistan.

With your help, we can invest in the potential of families like Ahmed’s—turning surviving into thriving.

 

Thank you for believing in the dreams of refugee families and helping them thrive in their new home.

With heartfelt thanks,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

URGENT: Contact Your Representative to Protect Immigrants

Dear Friend,

At Inspiritus, we walk alongside individuals and families on their path from surviving to thriving. 

Today, that journey is under threat for thousands of refugees and immigrants across the country—including many of the people we serve every day in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.

The U.S. Senate just passed a sweeping budget bill that includes the largest immigration enforcement funding package in modern history —dramatically increasing funding for detention, deportation, and border enforcement, while slashing essential support for lawful immigrants, refugees, and asylees.

Now, the bill is headed to the House of Representatives—and we have a short window to act.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: 

• Ending SNAP, Medicaid, and Medicare eligibility for refugees and other lawfully present immigrants

• Imposing unprecedented new fees on humanitarian immigration applications

• Dramatic increases in federal funding for detention and deportation programs

The House is expected to vote as early as July 2. Now is the time to make your voice heard.

TAKE ACTION:

Call or email your Representative and urge them to vote NO on this harmful legislation. Together, we can protect the dignity, safety, and rights of our newest neighbors.

Click the button below to send an email, or call your Representative's office directly to speak to staff or leave a voicemail. Every action matters! 

Thank you for standing with us—and with the families and individuals we accompany.

 

With gratitude,

Aimee Zangandou
Refugee & Immigrant Services
Executive Director

Support a Nashville Refugee Family This Summer

Dear Friend,

Mina and her three children fled their home in Sudan after their family was targeted for one heartbreaking reason: they are Christians.

Her husband was killed in a brutal act of religious violence, and with their lives in danger, Mina had no choice but to escape with her children. They arrived in Nashville seeking the one thing they had lost—safety.

With strength and determination, Mina has started to rebuild. But this summer, her family faces another crisis: with school out, Mina is struggling to provide enough food and find a safe, structured place for her children while she works.

Right now, they need our help.

Your gift today can provide families like Mina’s with critical support—nutritious food and access to summer and afterschool programming that helps children heal, learn, and grow.

In the last year alone, Inspiritus has served 5,380 refugees across Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, and Birmingham—including 136 refugees who fled from Sudan.

For over 40 years, Inspiritus has supported refugee families across the Southeast—families escaping war, persecution, and disaster—with housing, employment assistance, youth programs, and emergency aid. But due to recent funding cuts, our ability to serve families like Mina’s is at risk.

Your compassion today can give a family like Mina's the support they need to survive and thrive.

Thank you for standing with Mina and so many others who have risked everything for the freedom to live in peace.

With gratitude,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

Help Josef’s Family Stay Safe and Housed This Summer

Dear Friend,

When Josef served as a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, he risked everything to support American troops. His work made him—and his family—a target when the country fell to the Taliban. Forced to flee for their lives, Josef, his wife, and their children resettled in Birmingham, Alabama with the hope of finding peace and safety.

With the help of Inspiritus, Josef and his wife secured jobs and began building a new life from scratch. But recently, their journey took another painful turn: their young daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Josef and his wife have had to take unpaid time off work to care for her—putting them behind on rent and utility payments.

This summer, they need a lifeline.

With your help, we can provide emergency assistance to Josef’s family and dozens of others like them—refugees who have already lost so much and are doing everything they can to stay afloat.

Will you make a gift today to help Josef’s family keep their home and the lights on during this critical time?

In the last year alone, Inspiritus has served 5,380 refugees across Atlanta, Savannah, Nashville, and Birmingham—including 1,181 refugees from Afghanistan. As funding cuts take affect, our ability to meet their needs increasingly depends on donations from donors like you.

For over 40 years, Inspiritus has been there for refugees across the Southeast—from Atlanta to Birmingham, Savannah to Nashville—offering job assistance, emergency aid, youth programs, and more. But due to recent funding cuts, our ability to provide this support is at risk.

Your donation today will bring real, immediate relief to families like Josef’s who simply need a helping hand during a temporary crisis.

Thank you for your compassion and commitment.

With gratitude,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

Act Now: Protect Medicaid and the Individuals We Accompany

Dear Friend,

At Inspiritus, we walk alongside individuals and families on their path from surviving to thriving—and right now, many of those individuals are at risk.

A new proposal in the U.S. Senate would slash critical funding for Medicaid, impose harmful restrictions, and permanently bar refugees and other humanitarian immigrants from receiving coverage.These changes would directly impact many of the people we serve across Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.

This includes:

• Refugees and immigrants rebuilding their lives in a new country

• Children in foster care and low-income families who rely on SNAP
   

We cannot stay silent. These cuts would reduce access to healthcare, food assistance, and essential support services for those who need them most.
 

WHAT'S HAPPENING: 

• The Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill includes deeper cuts than the House proposal.

• It introduces stricter work requirements for Medicaid and SNAP.

• It would permanently exclude refugees and asylum seekers from Medicaid eligibility.

• It could force states to reduce SNAP benefits if they cannot afford new cost-sharing rules.

 TIMELINE:

• Week of June 23: The Senate is expected to debate and vote

• Week of June 30: The House and Senate will work to finalize the bill

  WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Contact your Senators today and urge them to VOTE NO on cuts to Medicaid by clicking the button below. 

This legislation puts thousands of vulnerable individuals and families at greater risk. Your voice can help stop it.

Thank you for standing with us—and with the families and individuals we accompany.

With gratitude,

John R. Moeller Jr.
President & CEO
Inspiritus

Our 2024 Annual Report Is Here!

Dear Friend,

We are excited to share with you the Inspiritus 2024 Annual Report, a reflection of our continued commitment to empowering individuals and families on their path from surviving to thriving. This year, we have achieved many milestones thanks to your incredible support. From expanding our programs to touching the lives of even more individuals and families, it has been a year of meaningful progress.

We invite you to read the full report to learn about some of the impactful highlights of 2024, including:

• Empowering 8,643 Refugees, Asylees, and Immigrants: In 2024, we supported 8,643 individuals on their journey from surviving to thriving, helping them build new lives in the communities we serve.

• Providing Over 108,000 Meals to Underserved Individuals: In 2024, Inspiritus provided more than 108,210 meals to individuals in need across Middle Tennessee, ensuring that families had access to essential nutrition through our empowerment programs.

• Supporting Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: In 2024, our Disability Services program in Georgia provided safe, supportive residential housing to 70 adults with IDD across 58 Host Homes, enhancing their quality of life and promoting independence.

Click the button to explore the full report and see how your support has helped us create lasting change for the families and individuals we accompany.

We cannot express enough how grateful we are for your continued dedication to our mission. Together, we’re making a real difference. As we look ahead, we’re excited about what we can accomplish with you by our side.

Thank you once again for being a part of this journey.

With gratitude, 

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

Update on Refugee Resettlement

Dear Friend,

Imagine arriving in a new country with nothing but hope—and finding out the very programs meant to support you are disappearing.

That’s the reality facing thousands of refugees in our communities after federal funding cuts earlier this year forced us to reduce our refugee resettlement workforce by 50%. In just six months, we had supported over 5,000 individuals—and then lost the resources to serve them fully.

And yet, we remain—still walking alongside new Americans in Atlanta, Savannah, Birmingham, and Nashville. Because of you, we’re able to keep showing up when it matters most.

With donations from supporters like you, we're actively working to provide thousands of refugees in our region with:

• Employment Placement Services

• Child & Youth Services

• Economic Empowerment Supports

• Emergency Needs Assistance (Rent, Utilities, Food)

Our resources are limited presently but every gift makes a big difference for the family it helps. 

UPDATE ON REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT: We have recently received communications from our federal resettlement partners that refugee resettlement may reopen soon to a limited number of refugees whose prior travel plans were canceled earlier this year, as well as to a number of Afghan allies who may start arriving soon. Thank you for standing with us as we remain committed to this important work. 

Two families resettled in Alabama were recently featured by the Washington Post in a story we'd like to share with you. Please consider donating today to support families like the Mehraz family, who still need our accompaniment services in order to thrive despite government funding cuts. 

Sunday, June 1, 2025
Two refugee families. Two very different experiences under Trump.

The Langtons from South Africa were given a fast track to refugee status in America. The Mehraz family from Myanmar is struggling after cuts to refugee resettlement agencies.
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After years of living in a makeshift hut at a refugee camp in the woods of Bangladesh, Shom Mehraz boarded an airplane for the first time in her life and flew across the world to this city in August.
 
She and her family had endured the unthinkable in Myanmar. Military officers kidnapped and raped young women in their village. Neighbors were rounded up and shot to death before their very eyes in what has been internationally recognized as a genocide. They told the officials who spent over two years vetting them as refugees about how their home had been burned to the ground.
 
Thousands of miles away in South Africa, Errol Langton had also experienced violence firsthand. Decades earlier, he said, he had been stabbed 15 times by a Black intruder in his home. He believes the crime is part of a pattern of attacks on Afrikaners like himself, though there is no evidence of a broader campaign of targeted violence against White farmers.
 
The road to becoming refugees took both families to Birmingham, Alabama. But that is where the two families’ similarities end.
 
When President Donald Trump took office, he suspended the U.S. refugee program, preventing many people facing persecution from entering the United States. But in February, his administration offered refugee status to Afrikaners for the first time. Langton immediately logged onto his computer and submitted his application to the U.S. Embassy. He arrived here three months later.
 
Now, both are being resettled by Inspiritus, a refugee resettlement nonprofit that has helped thousands of people rebuild their lives in the South. The president paused or reduced funding for agencies assisting refugees in the U.S. after taking office. As a result, Inspiritus has cut more than 50 percent of its refugee-serving staff. It has also had to scale back programs that help refugees with urgent medical needs.
 
Inspiritus is using what remains of its funds to help both refugees who arrived before Trump’s inauguration and the South African family that landed in Alabama in May.
 
For Mehraz’s family, those cuts have added to their struggles. Nobody in the family speaks fluent English. They don’t understand the bills arriving in the mail and are finding it hard to afford groceries. They are largely relying on a volunteer group associated with their mosque to conduct basic tasks like getting their children enrolled in school.
 
Langton and his family speak fluent English and are hoping to establish a farm in the U.S. like the one they had in South Africa. The father of four children said he has been working with the Inspiritus staff to secure housing and employment.
 
His family’s arrival as part of the first group of Afrikaners admitted into the country as refugees has added to criticism of Trump’s immigration policies. Many in the world of refugee resettlement are questioning why the president would block thousands of largely non-White immigrants fleeing situations of war and mass killings from trying to enter the U.S. while allowing in Afrikaners.
 
In a dramatic Oval Office meeting last month between Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump reiterated baseless claims that White Afrikaners have been victims of a genocide, despite a recent South African court ruling that said White genocide in the country was “clearly imagined and not real.” Ramaphosa and several South African officials there acknowledged that violence was a concern, but they pushed back on the idea that it could be drawn along racial lines.
 
Mehraz and Langton do not know each other. Mehraz said through an interpreter that her family was simply happy to be in the U.S. And Langton said he was glad Trump was shining a spotlight on the challenges for people like him. But the contrast between the two is not lost among those trying to help in Birmingham.
 
“These programs are made for people who are running away, hiding in bathrooms so they don’t get raped, living under gunfire, living with flies and fleas for months and years trying to fend for themselves,” said Hazem Abouhouli, a volunteer assisting refugee families in Birmingham. “There’s a big difference.”
 
From Bangladesh to Birmingham
 
Myanmar’s armed forces began escalating their attacks on Mehraz’s village in 2017, in what the government called “clearance operations” — a mass slaughter of the Rohingya people in reaction to attacks by rebel groups. In the nation also known as Burma, military officers massacred at least 10,000 people of the Muslim minority, burned down more than 300 villages and raped scores of women.

Mehraz with her son, Abu Juhar, age 7. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

Mehraz worried for her husband and seven children. The family shuttled their teenage daughter from one relative’s home to another in hopes that the officers wouldn’t know where to find her. She and other young women in the community tried to make their skin look darker by rubbing coal across their bodies. They knew the soldiers tended to target girls who were lighter skinned.
 
Mehraz’s husband is disabled, but they tried to make ends meet by growing their own food and raising chickens and goats. No one in the family has a formal education. She said they often fished in a nearby canal to help feed the children. The violence in their community was so rampant, they said, that one day they arrived and found the water red with blood.
 
Not long after, Mehraz and her family decided to leave, joining an exodus of nearly 1 million Rohingya people fleeing to Bangladesh.

After more than a week of walking, they arrived at a forest that today houses the largest international refugee camp in the world. They settled in Unchiprang, or Camp 22, which holds more than 24,000 refugees as of April. For four years, they survived off what they could find in the woods and handouts from aid groups.
 
Then, in early 2021, an international human rights organization began vetting them for resettlement as refugees in another country.
 
The family spent hours recounting their trauma, they said. Over the next two years, they attended at least five meetings at which officials checked their stories, took their fingerprints and made sure they were up-to-date on vaccines. In 2023, they finally received good news: The U.S. would take them in.
 
“I was so happy,” said Mehraz, whose interpreter, Jillur Rahim, is a volunteer for the Refugee Support Team, an informal group of volunteers in Birmingham. The only thing she had heard about the U.S., she said, was that it’s a big country. Their refugee camp has a higher population density than some of the most densely populated cities in the world. Anywhere with space sounded like heaven.
 
A year later, the family boarded a plane to the U.S. At that point they’d been at the refugee camp for seven years and spent much of it in the refugee application process. For reasons unknown to them or the volunteers who help them, they were assigned to resettle in Birmingham.

Shom Mehraz, seen at the door, with her resettled family in Birmingham, Alabama. They are seeing diminished help due to the Trump administration’s cuts to refugee assistance in the area — after escaping brutal killings, rapes and persecution in Myanmar. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

A ‘Black apartheid’
 
Langton grew up on a farm in South Africa. When he was around 17, he said, robbers attacked his family’s shop near their home. He wasn’t there at the time, but he said one of the men hit his mother with a pistol. The assailants rounded up his relatives and employees and stole their belongings.
 
Years later, when Langton was in his mid-20s, a man broke into his home and stabbed him 15 times. Langton said the man was on top of him and jabbed him near his collarbone. He managed to push him off. He never learned the motive, he said, but he believes the incident to be part of a pattern.
 
“Apartheid was a terrible, despicable thing. … I was never involved, I never partook,” said Langton, now 48. “But the same thing is happening now. It’s still apartheid — it’s Black apartheid.” He cautioned that he doesn’t believe all White or Black South Africans are to blame for the problems of the past or what he is trying to draw attention to now.
 
Black people and other racial minorities were segregated, not allowed to vote and denied other basic rights during the nearly five decades of apartheid in South Africa. Langton emphasized that it was White people who voted to end apartheid in a referendum. But, he said, “nobody wants to tell that story.”
 
He pointed to current initiatives like Black Economic Empowerment that are aimed at addressing historic inequities as proof of what he described as a “modern apartheid.” The policy offers funding and resources for Black business owners that he said puts White people like himself at a disadvantage.
 
Experts and studies on wealth and power distribution in South Africa do not support the idea that Afrikaners are at a disadvantage. In 2017, a government audit found that White South Africans owned nearly three-quarters of the country’s land, while making up only seven percent of the population. A 2023 study found that the typical Black households have 5 percent of the wealth of White households.

Errol Langton is one of 59 Afrikaners who came to the U.S. about three months after President Donald Trump signed an executive order granting the South Africans refugee status. (Courtesy of Errol Langton)

South Africa does not release crime statistics based on race, which makes it difficult to identify killings of White farmers. Official police data shows 12 people were slain on farms between October and December 2024 — a period during which 6,953 people were killed in the country. South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, the data shows, and has been plagued by violent crime for decades.
 
In the Oval Office meeting, John Steenhuisen, the minister of agriculture in South Africa, who Ramaphosa pointed out is White, said there are problems that South Africa needs to address when it comes to the safety of farmers. He described it as a “rural safety problem.”
 
Jonathan Jansen, a professor of education at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, said those attacks are not driven by race.
 
“They’re being attacked because of their isolation,” he said. “Farms are in rural areas — they’re fairly isolated from the main highways, the main cities — and so robbers see this as a place where they can rip off people.”
 
Langton, who grew Swiss chard, mustard leaf and other greens, was also involved with local government. He kept close tabs on the news and applied for refugee status the same day the email address for Afrikaners’ application submissions became public. In the application, he recounted the violence he says he experienced. Langton said the process involved three hours-long interviews.
 
He applied on Feb. 12 and arrived at Dulles International Airport outside of D.C. — exactly three months later.
 
Langton, his wife and four children, including his eldest daughter’s husband and children, were greeted by journalists and Trump administration officials. Several of the Afrikaners, some holding small children, stood together waving American flags.
 
“When you have quality seeds, you can put them in foreign soil and they will blossom,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said. “They will bloom. And we are excited to welcome you here to our country, where we think you will bloom.”

Refugee children in Mehraz’s family play in an apartment in Birmingham. (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post)

‘Happy that I’m here’
 
Recently, Mehraz got a letter in the mail and didn’t know what it was. She took it to the Birmingham Islamic Society, which has become a focal point of support for the family. It was a phone bill. Inspiritus had handled those payments, and the family cannot read or write in their language — much less in English.
 
Immediate concerns like these are all they have time to dwell on. Mehraz’s daughter, Ramida Begum, now a mother with three children, said she has fewer nightmares about the horrors of Myanmar and Bangladesh and more about the mounting bills her family cannot pay.
 
“I worry about what will happen in the future,” Begum said.
 
The International Organization for Migration arranged for their travel to the U.S., but the flights were not free. Collectively, they said they owe around $14,000 for their transportation to Alabama.
 
The extended family of 13 lives in apartments in Hoover, a Birmingham suburb that’s minutes away from the Islamic society where they go to pray. Their apartment has no paintings or decoration, just two large couches, a table and a TV that still has packaging tape on it — all donated.
 
For refugees such as Mehraz and her family who were already in the U.S. when Trump became president, there are longer wait times for services, fewer people to help and less dollars to distribute where the need is greatest, said John Moeller, chief executive of Inspiritus.
 
“We are in a season of austerity, so we’re spreading the peanut butter just a little bit thinner to make sure we help everybody,” he said.
 
That’s where the Islamic society and Refugee Support Team step in.
 
“We get increased calls from people because Inspiritus used to have a hired, paid person who takes care of renewing food stamps, Medicaid, makes appointments … and now they don’t have that support,” said Abouhouli, a member of the refugee team who came to the U.S. with a student visa and is now a U.S. citizen.
 
Rahim, the other volunteer, recalled a recent night when the family called him at 2 a.m. The children were sick and the family had made it to the emergency room, but they needed an interpreter. Rahim stayed on the phone for over an hour helping them communicate with the doctors.
 
They used to just need him for moments like that — emergencies. But not since Trump’s funding freeze and reduction of refugee programs.
 
“Now they need the support everywhere,” he said.
 
After months of searching, Begum’s husband finally got a job in construction, and he and his boss communicate through body language. Some of the extended family’s nine young children are old enough to be in school and have learned to count up to 100 and say a few English phrases.
 
Mehraz was not aware of the Afrikaners who had come to the U.S. When Rahim explained the politics and news around it to her, she said simply: “I don’t know what to make of it, I’m just happy that I’m here.”
 
While the Islamic community members and volunteers work overtime to fill the gaps for the refugees, Langton described coordinating with a caseworker who is trying to help him find a job. He wants to be a farmer, he said, like he was in South Africa. He said that landing in the middle of Alabama has been disorienting.
 
When asked whether he thinks the refugee program should be restored, Langton said he felt it wasn’t for him to say. Like the Mehraz family, he said he was just grateful to be in Birmingham. “And without being selfish,” he added, “I kind of need to, you know, put my oxygen mask on first.”

Courtesy of The Washington Post.

Thank you for your ongoing interest and support in this important work. 

 

Sincerely,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

A Statement on Refugee Settlement

Dear Friends,

Inspiritus has accompanied refugees for more than 40 years, helping families rebuild their lives in safety and dignity. Today, we stand ready and prepared to welcome refugees once again.

A recent Executive Order directed the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize resettlement of Afrikaners from South Africa. The first cohort of Afrikaner refugees are arriving in United States soon. 

It is our hope that opening refugee resettlement to Afrikaners means a move towards helping the over 20,000 vulnerable people who remain stranded — families and individuals from places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Syria — who have fled violence, war, and persecution and have completed the rigorous U.S. vetting process, often spending years - even decades - in refugee camps. The United States has the infrastructure to welcome them, and the federal government has the tools and authority to resume processing. 

Refugee resettlement is not a matter of politics or preference—it is a moral and humanitarian obligation rooted in American values and international commitments to protect people forced to flee their homelands in search of safety. 

Today, we stand ready to continue our longstanding commitment to the work of welcome, and we urge the Administration to open U.S. Refugee Admissions Program to all refugees.

Sincerely,

John R. Moeller Jr.
President & CEO
Inspiritus

Volunteers Needed in Savannah, GA

Dear Friends,

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Inspiritus was invited by local officials in Savannah, GA to step in where recovery resources were scarce or unavailable. With few, if any, long-term recovery organizations on the ground, Inspiritus has been filling a critical gap—bringing not only our expertise, but a deep commitment to community-led recovery.

Since launching our response in August 2024, Inspiritus volunteers have contributed nearly 3,000 hours of service and completed over 327 home cleanups, offering hope and tangible help to households facing unimaginable hardship.

Yet the need remains urgent. Many families in Savannah are still living in unsafe, storm-damaged homes. Roofs are leaking. Mold is spreading. Essential systems—plumbing, electricity, structural foundations—have been compromised. Most of these residents are low-income homeowners without insurance or access to other recovery resources.

That’s why we’re launching a Long-Term Recovery project in Savannah—and we need your help.

We’re looking for compassionate volunteers to join us on the ground as we provide critical home repairs, at no cost to the homeowner. These services include:

• Debris Removal

• Mold Remediation

• Accessibility Modifications for Elderly & Disabled Residents

• Flooring & Drywall Installation

• Painting Kitchen & Bathroom Cabinetry

Inspiritus has established a volunteer base at Garden City United Methodist Church, with housing available for daily and overnight volunteers.

Whether you have professional construction skills or simply want to lend a hand, there’s a place for you on our team!

Thank you for your continued support as we work hand in hand with local communities, partners, and volunteers to provide vital assistance to those affected. Your generosity and compassion makes all the difference.

Sincerely,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

See You Tomorrow! Groundbreaking Celebration + Parking Details

Dear Friend,

We’re just ONE DAY away from celebrating the beginning of something beautiful in North Nashville! 

We’re not just creating housing—we’re creating space where local neighbors can thrive. 

Groundbreaking Ceremony Details:

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2024 

Location: 1622 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208 

Time: 

• 12:30 PM – Guest Arrival & Community Gathering 

• 1:00 PM – Ceremony 

• 1:30 PM – Photos & Light Refreshments (light sandwiches, fruit, and beverages) 

Parking: Free parking is available on the far side of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Additional street parking can be found along 7th Avenue North, behind the Women’s Rescue Mission. Guests may also park at Boyce Street Baptist Church, conveniently located next door to the event site.

This is a space designed for community—built from the legacy of service, shaped by love for our neighbors, and sustained by the belief that North Nashville deserves lasting investment. 

We hope you’ll join us as we break ground on a future rooted in respect for the past and commitment to what’s ahead.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Details:

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2024 

Location: 1622 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208 

Time: 

• 12:30 PM – Guest Arrival & Community Gathering 

• 1:00 PM – Ceremony 

• 1:30 PM – Photos & Light Refreshments (light sandwiches, fruit, and beverages) 

This a friendly reminder to RSVP if you haven’t already. Please click the button below to RSVP by April 11.

Add event to calendar

Apple  Google  Office 365  Outlook  Outlook.com  Yahoo  

Please Note: This is an active construction site. We recommend wearing sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Parking information will be shared with all confirmed guests prior to the event.

Questions? Contact Kia Jarmon at kia@mepragency.com 

We can’t wait to celebrate this community milestone with you!

Sincerely, 

Janet Arning
Executive Director
Middle Tennessee Empowerment Services
Inspiritus

Teams Deployed: April 2025 Flood & Tornado Response

Dear Friends, 

Recently, a wave of powerful tornadoes and catastrophic flooding has swept across the Memphis region—leaving behind a path of destruction that has uprooted lives, damaged homes, and shattered the sense of safety for thousands of families.

Entire neighborhoods are still under water. Power remains out in many areas. And countless families—many of whom were already vulnerable—now face the overwhelming task of rebuilding from nothing.

In the face of so much loss, Inspiritus is responding with urgency.

Our Disaster Relief Teams are on the ground, providing free Debris Removal, Muck & Gut, and Mold Sanitation services to storm survivors across Memphis and neighboring communities. We are working hand in hand with local emergency officials and have played a key role in forming the new Shelby County VOAD, helping ensure a coordinated and sustained recovery effort.

This work doesn’t stop at city lines. Nearby communities across state borders—West Memphis, Arkansas and Holly Springs, Mississippi—have also been hit hard, and we are committed to extending our services wherever they are needed most.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.

DONATE:

We encourage you to support our response efforts by donating. The more funds we raise, the longer our teams can stay on the ground continuing to help families and individuals impacted by the storm. Your support will provide free Debris Removal, Muck & Gut, and Mold Sanitation services to help families affected, especially those who can't recover without help.

• $50 helps provide safety gear for a volunteer

• $100 covers supplies for a muck and gut job

• $500 sponsors mold sanitation for a storm-damaged home

VOLUNTEER:

If you would like to make an impact and empower storm survivors on the road to recovery, please consider joining our Disaster Relief Team on the ground in Memphis, TN. Our work would not be possible without the support of volunteers like you, committed to assisting survivors in their darkest hours. If you are interested in volunteering, please click the button below.

• No experience is needed—just a willingness to serve

• Volunteer housing is available

• Be part of a movement bringing hope and healing to Memphis and nearby communities

Thank you for standing with us as we work alongside local communities, partners, and volunteers to provide critical support to those in need. Your generosity and compassion makes all the difference.
 

Sincerely,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

Honoring the Legacy. Building for the Future.

Dear Friend,

At Inspiritus, we believe that every square foot of space we occupy should serve a greater purpose. That’s why the redevelopment of our North Nashville campus is more than a project—it’s a commitment to honor the original intent of this sacred ground. 

We were fortunate to secure our property at the corner of Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and Garfield Street—the former site of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church—thanks to the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Their dedication to Christ's call to love our neighbors as ourselves made this opportunity possible. 

We are deeply grateful for their trust, and we recognize our responsibility to carry that vision forward. This land was entrusted to us with the hope that it would continue to serve the community—and we are determined to make sure it does. 

This is a space designed for community—built from the legacy of service, shaped by love for our neighbors, and sustained by the belief that North Nashville deserves lasting investment. 

We hope you’ll join us as we break ground on a future rooted in respect for the past and commitment to what’s ahead.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Details:

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2024 

Location: 1622 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208 

Time: 

• 12:30 PM – Guest Arrival & Community Gathering 

• 1:00 PM – Ceremony 

• 1:30 PM – Photos & Light Refreshments (light sandwiches, fruit, and beverages) 

This a friendly reminder to RSVP if you haven’t already. Please click the button below to RSVP by April 11.

Add event to calendar

Apple  Google  Office 365  Outlook  Outlook.com  Yahoo  

Please Note: This is an active construction site. We recommend wearing sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Parking information will be shared with all confirmed guests prior to the event.

Questions? Contact Kia Jarmon at kia@mepragency.com 

We would be honored to have you with us as we celebrate this next chapter—anchored in purpose, powered by partnership, and built for our community!

Sincerely, 

Janet Arning
Executive Director
Middle Tennessee Empowerment Services
Inspiritus

RSVP: Together, We’re Creating Space for Our Community to Thrive

Dear Friend, 

We’re proud to share what’s coming to North Nashville. On April 17, we break ground on a campus designed to meet real needs—now and into the future.

Groundbreaking Ceremony Details:

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2024 

Location: 1622 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208 

Time: 

• 12:30 PM – Guest Arrival & Community Gathering 

• 1:00 PM – Ceremony 

• 1:30 PM – Photos & Light Refreshments (light sandwiches, fruit, and beverages) 

This a friendly reminder to RSVP if you haven’t already. Please click the button below to RSVP by April 11.

Add event to calendar

Apple  Google  Office 365  Outlook  Outlook.com  Yahoo  

Please Note: This is an active construction site. We recommend wearing sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Parking information will be shared with all confirmed guests prior to the event.

This space is being built with and for our neighbors—designed to meet real needs and strengthen our community. 

We are deeply grateful to the partners, funders, and supporters who have already invested in bringing this vision to life. Your commitment is helping create a lasting impact for generations to come.  

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to invest in this transformational work, there’s still time to make a meaningful impact. We’re working to close a $2.5M funding gap that will ensure neighbors have access to the critical programs and resources they deserve.  

Questions? Contact Kia Jarmon at kia@mepragency.com 

Sincerely, 

Janet Arning
Executive Director
Middle Tennessee Empowerment Services
Inspiritus

Inspiritus North Nashville Groundbreaking – April 17, 2024

Dear Friend, 

We are honored to invite you to a special moment for North Nashville. On Thursday, April 17, 2024, Inspiritus will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment of our campus—a project centered on dignity, service, and long-term community investment. 

This groundbreaking represents more than a construction milestone. It is a celebration of North Nashville’s resilience and potential. Together, we are building hope, opportunity, and space for our community to thrive.

About the Development: 

This new Inspiritus campus will expand our reach and deepen our impact by:

In a time when nearly one in three renters in Tennessee are spending more than half of their income on housing, and as the supply of affordable senior housing continues to decline, this redevelopment is a timely and critical response to the needs of our neighbors. 

Groundbreaking Ceremony Details:

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2024 

Location: 1622 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208 

Time: 

• 12:30 PM – Guest Arrival & Community Gathering 

• 1:00 PM – Ceremony 

• 1:30 PM – Photos & Light Refreshments (light sandwiches, fruit, and beverages) 

Please Note: This is an active construction site. We recommend wearing sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Parking information will be shared with all confirmed guests prior to the event.

Click the button below to RSVP by April 11.

Add event to calendar

Apple  Google  Office 365  Outlook  Outlook.com  Yahoo  

If you have any questions or would like additional details, please contact Kia Jarmon at kia@mepragency.com

We would be honored to have you with us as we celebrate the beginning of a transformative chapter—for North Nashville and for the people who proudly call it home.  

Sincerely, 

Janet Arning
Executive Director
Middle Tennessee Empowerment Services
Inspiritus

Thank You for Your Impact!

Dear Friends,

We are deeply grateful for your partnership and participation in the 2025 Hunger Walk/Run! Your commitment to this impactful event was more than just a step forward—it was a powerful act of faith and service, directly impacting the lives of the refugees we accompany at Inspiritus.

Thanks to your efforts, a portion of the funds raised will go directly to Inspiritus, helping provide food, resources, and critical support to newly resettled refugees in our community. While we sincerely appreciate this contribution, we also recognize and deeply appreciate the funds raised to support hunger relief efforts within your own community.Your generosity is making a difference not only for the families we accompany, but also for those in need right in your very own backyard.

You have truly put faith into action, walking alongside those in need and demonstrating the power of community and compassion. Thank you for being a part of this mission with us. We are honored to serve alongside you and look forward to continuing this partnership in the fight against hunger!

Note: If your team has any remaining donations to submit, there is still time! The Atlanta Community Food Bank will count all funds received by March 31, so please send in any final contributions before then.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Mary Armstrong-Reiner
Hunger Walk Coordinator

Inspiritus

Urgent: Protect Refugee Resettlement Programs

Dear Inspiritus Supporters, Partners, and Advocates,

The recent decision by the U.S. Department of State to terminate cooperative agreements with all 10 national refugee resettlement agencies is a devastating setback to our nation’s commitment to welcoming those seeking safety and a fresh start. This abrupt action threatens the ability of Inspiritus and our partners to provide the critical support refugees need to rebuild their lives.

Inspiritus stands firmly against this decision, which jeopardizes essential services such as housing, employment assistance, education, and healthcare for newly arrived refugees. Without these programs, families fleeing war, persecution, and unimaginable hardships will face even greater challenges in achieving stability and self-sufficiency.

For years, Inspiritus has worked alongside our partners to empower refugees and immigrants, ensuring they have the opportunity to thrive in their new communities—just as generations before them have. This decision undermines decades of progress and threatens the future of those seeking refuge in the United States.

Musa and Amina

We need your voice. We urge lawmakers to intervene and protect these life-changing programs. We call on supporters, faith leaders, business partners, and community members to advocate fiercely and demand the restoration of this vital funding.

Take action now! Contact your representatives and urge them to defend refugee resettlement programs. Click the button below to sign and share.

Together, we can stand up for the dignity and rights of those seeking safety.



With urgency and determination,

Aimee Zangandou
Refugee & Immigrant Services
Executive Director