U.S. Annual Refugee Admissions Cap Raised to 62,500

Dear Friend,

I have waited four years for this day. As a former refugee, I was excited by yesterday's news that the United States will officially raise the refugee admissions ceiling for the 2021 Fiscal Year to 62,500. This puts us one step closer to America's historical average of 95,000 and it's a significant increase from the prior year’s record-low of 15,000.

We at Inspiritus rejoice in the spirit of welcome and are eager to empower these individuals and families on their journey from surviving to thriving.

As Rev. John R. Moeller, Jr., Inspiritus' President & CEO has shared:

“Inspiritus is excited to get back to the robust work of welcoming the stranger! Inspiritus and its partners live to offer this welcome. It’s who we are. It’s like sunshine, air, or water to our team. It’s our very life. For the last several years, Inspiritus has experienced a dark winter of the soul. It doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy. In fact, the team has used the time to plan, but now we know that spring is coming. I can see the life blood coming back into bodies, minds and spirits of our staff and partners. Together, we will be more than ready to roll out the red carpet and provide a warm welcome to the huddled masses who seek an opportunity to start anew in America!"

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On a personal note, I wish to thank our many supporters who advocated on behalf of refugees. This increase is thanks to everyone who raised their voices and is proof that advocacy works.

Please consider donating to our refugee services and programs today, so we can continue our work to reunite families. As always, thank you for the compassion, support, and care you provide to the refugees we serve. We couldn’t do this work without you!

With Gratitude,

Aimee Zangandou
Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services
Inspiritus

Join the Conversation: Rebuilding Refugee Resettlement

Dear Friend,

We want to invite you to join Inspiritus’ Director of Refugee & Immigrant Services, Aimee Zangandou, and Inspiritus President & Chief Executive Officer, Reverend John R. Moeller, Jr., in their conversation to discuss our long-standing refugee resettlement program.

It's an exciting time for our Refugee Services as we're getting ready to welcome more and more refugees to Georgia. This includes the important work to be done to rebuild the infrastructure for resettlement, and to prepare our communities on how to welcome their new neighbors.

We hope you’ll join us on Thursday, March 18 to learn more about Inspiritus’ refugee resettlement program, and to hear how we are working to make Georgia a welcoming state for those seeking safety and opportunity in our country!

Inspiritus will be holding two webinar sessions (depending on your location):

THURSDAY, MARCH 18

SAVANNAH: Webinar at 10:00 AM

Register Here

ATLANTA: Webinar at 6:00 PM

Register Here

Be sure to register today so you don't miss out on this informative session. Look forward to seeing you on March 18!

Kind Regards,

Sarah Burke
Community Engagement Coordinator
Inspiritus

Inspiritus speaks to ABC News: "Everyone Needs A Family."

Below is an excerpt from today's ABC News article. Please note, the views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Inspiritus, Inc., a nonpartisan and nonprofit agency.

The hope for refugee resettlement

In 2016, there were nearly 325 refugee resettlement agency offices across the United States. By the end of 2019, more than 100 of those sites had to permanently shut down or suspend their services, according to Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, the president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. Vignarajah said her organization, alone, had to close 17 affiliate programs during the Trump era.

"Our organization has had to reduce staff almost every quarter over a four-year period, and it's always agonizing to figure out who's the next staff member who's going to have to go," said John Moeller, head of Inspiritus, a resettlement agency that works in Georgia and Tennessee.

His organization's capacity has been reduced by 80% in the Atlanta area and, between the two states, has lost 50% of its staff.

"That means that you lose cultural competence, you lose language skills, you lose specialization in this field," he added.

To keep programs across the country alive, agencies moved staff to other immigration services that were less severely impacted or digging into their own funds as federal resources dried up.

For Zakaria Abdulrazek, 44, that has meant losing co-workers and sweating whether he was next -- even as he struggles to bring his own family to the U.S. from his native Sudan.

Abdulrazek fled Darfur in 2003 amid the genocidal violence, escaping to Libya and then Malta -- and seven long years later, he arrived in the U.S.

Now, Zak works for Inspiritus in Atlanta as a case manager, helping the latest waves of refugees adjust to life in their new home country.

Zak Abdulrazek, a Sudanese refugee who's lived in Atlanta for over a decade, is trying to bring his wife to the U.S., but he told ABC News her application has faced long delays.

But that journey has been a lonely one. He met his wife a few years ago while visiting Sudan, marrying in 2018 and having a daughter last year. But between the coronavirus pandemic's impact on visa processing and Trump's ban on immigration from Sudan and other Muslim majority countries, his family remains separated.

While Zak's encouraged by Biden's executive order (Biden pledged to increase the annual refugee admissions cap to 125,000 in the 12-month period starting Oct. 1.), he's still waiting to see how it will impact his wife's visa application.

"Still we need actions, so we are waiting, hoping it will be better than before," he said.

In the meantime, he worries for their safety, especially as violence flares up again in the Darfur region and Sudan struggles with fuel and food shortages and an economy on the brink of collapse. He said that a close friend returned last month to visit family in Darfur when militant forces targeted him as a U.S. citizen and killed him.

Josine Izabayo, a 24-year-old refugee from Democratic Republic of Congo, moved to the U.S. last year and is adjusting to life in Georgia on her own. She told ABC News she's had a hard time adjusting to life in the U.S., especially without her family who remain overseas.

'Everybody needs a family”

Advocates say the U.S. must do more to meet the historic need. There are more than 80 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, including 26 million refugees.

Josine Izabayo, a 24-year old refugee from Democratic Republic of the Congo, made "the very difficult decision to quit your country" in 2014, fleeing the DRC's relentless conflict that made her an orphan. She spent six years in Uganda stuck "in process," she said, awaiting word on resettlement.

"I came to a new country, new life without knowing anybody," Izabayo told ABC News.

One year ago, she moved to Clarkston, Georgia, outside Atlanta. But her adopted family of nine has not been admitted, their applications left in the balance.

"Everybody needs a family to support and to be with, and so it is very challenging for me," she said. "Hopefully, it will be good... soon."

We hope so, too, Josine!

Please consider donating to our refugee services and programs today, so we can continue our work to reunite families. As always, thank you for the compassion, support, and care you provide to the refugees we serve. We couldn’t do this work without you!

With Gratitude,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

Inspiritus in U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report
Feb. 5, 2021, at 5:24 p.m.
By Claire Hansen, Staff Writer

Long Shadow of Trump's Refugee Restrictions Threatens Biden's Bid to Up Admissions

Resettlement agencies, crippled by Trump’s policies, say they’re determined to rebuild as President Joe Biden promises to increase refugee admissions.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Inspiritus, Inc., a nonpartisan and nonprofit agency.

The Rev. John Moeller has had to lay off a lot of employees since the Trump administration began slashing refugee admissions four years ago."We have a skeleton staff today," says Moeller, the chief executive officer of Inspiritus, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that provides refugee resettlement services."All of the specialization and professional skills and languages we had on our team have all had to go," he says.

But in some ways, Inspiritus is lucky. It is still open. More than 100 organizations in the U.S. have had to close down or suspend their refugee services in the last four years as former President Donald Trump lowered refugee admissions to rock-bottom levels, drying up federal funding doled out to resettlement agencies. Many organizations that didn't have to close were, like Inspiritus, forced to scale down. Now, the diffuse refugee resettlement infrastructure in the U.S. is facing a new, albeit more welcome, challenge: rebuilding.

President Joe Biden on Thursday said he will raise the refugees admissions cap to 125,000 for the next fiscal year, fulfilling one of his campaign promises while pledging to restore the refugee resettlement system. He also intends to propose raising admissions for this year after a consultation with Congress.

As with many other programs, Biden will be contending with the long shadow cast by Trump administration policies. It'll likely be years before the crippled system is able to once again process and handle such an influx – a fact Biden seemed to acknowledge.

"It's going to take time to rebuild what has been so badly damaged. But that's precisely what we're going to do," Biden said during a speech at the State Department.

Refugee agencies say they're excited and determined, despite the long road ahead.

The president has the authority to determine how many refugees – the world's neediest people, often fleeing devastating violence and persecution in unstable parts of the world – are admitted to the U.S. each year. The fraction of those allowed to settle in the country go through extensive background and security checks that can take up to two years in some cases.

April 7, 2020 | Bogota, Colombia | Venezuelan migrants leaving Colombia walk on a highway with their belongings. Thousands of Venezuelan migrants living in Colombia have lost their jobs and in some cases been evicted from their homes due to the recession caused by the spread of COVID-19. Groups of Venezuelans gather in walking caravans and head to the border crossing in Cucuta, Colombia. (Guillermo Legaria/Getty Images)

Trump, who campaigned on an anti-immigrant message, targeted the refugee program as soon as he took office, almost immediately slashing admissions from 110,000 to 50,000 and pushing the cap down further each year, ending with a ceiling of 15,000 for the current fiscal year.

It was an enormous deviation for the program, which has been robustly supported by both Republican and Democratic presidents and held up as an example of American's moral leadership. The annual ceiling on admissions has historically averaged about 95,000.

Resettlement in the U.S. involves a complex web of private and public partners. It is largely handled by nine major nongovernmental organizations that work with the State Department and either have local offices around the country or partner with local agencies. The federal government, which vets and processes refugees before they are allowed into the country, gives the agencies funding based on how many refugees they settle. Most states also contribute funding, and agencies also rely on volunteers and donations.

Pushing admissions to record lows, therefore, has had a domino effect: Significantly fewer admissions means significantly less money. Less money means fewer staff and fewer offices. "If you wanted to kill a refugee program, this was the way to do it. You squeeze it to death, you strangle it slowly," Moeller says.

The loss of expertise and intellectual capital will be difficult to restore, experts say. Moeller notes that refugee resettlement is an economy of scale: The larger number of refugees an agency serves allows it to be more efficient with staffing and services. Significantly lower admissions also affect whole ecosystems of services that have been grown and nurtured over the years to support newly settled refugees, says Hans Van de Weerd, interim senior vice president, Europe, at the International Rescue Committee, one of the nine major resettlement agencies. "A lot of the systems that benefit from the regular flow of refugees and immigrants arriving get really, really damaged," Van de Weer says of lowered admissions.

Employers that partner with resettlement agencies to provide opportunities for refugees, for example, needed to find other streams of workers when refugee admissions dried up, Van de Weerd says. Losing those partnerships will have a lasting impact, even as admissions ramp back up under Biden.

"The infrastructure and capacity is not there," Moeller says. "The sinews have not been maintained to ensure that the partnerships we need to be effective are knit together."

It wasn't just the raw admissions numbers. The Trump administration also imposed additional bureaucratic barriers on refugees while shuttering refugee offices and reassigning refugee officers.

March 25, 2020 | Berlin | A poster supporting homeless people and refugees is displayed at the window of an apartment building. The German words read: "Racism Kills." (Markus Schreiber/AP)

Trump's travel ban – which was rescinded by Biden on Day One of his term – barred refugees from countries with some of the worst humanitarian crises, like Syria and Yemen. The administration also reset admissions priorities, ditching international standards that push the neediest refugees to the top of the list for guidelines that tend to favor Christians and white Eastern Europeans.

"If you think about the program as a car, not only did the previous administration slam on the brakes, it intentionally sought to dismantle the engine," says Krish Vignarajah, chief executive officer of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, one of the major U.S. resettlement organizations. Vignarajah said 17 of the organization's affiliated refugee agencies had to close in the last four years as a result of Trump policies. Biden seems eager to start reversing some of those policies. He on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at restoring the resettlement system that included a laundry list of action items. The order directs the government to streamline the refugee process and calls for a review of existing programs and some Trump policies. It also rescinds several Trump actions.

Experts involved in resettlement say changes at the federal level concerning policy and staffing will be crucial in building out the resettlement system again, but refugee agencies themselves will still face formidable obstacles in preparing to handle more admissions. Even just finding and hiring qualified staff back will take time."That whole infrastructure was basically strangled, and rebuilding is going to take a massive amount of time," Van de Weerd says.

April 6, 2020 | Ciudad Juarez, Mexico | Cesar, an asylum seeker from Nicaragua waits with his wife, Carolina (right) and his 8-year-old son Donovan at a U.S. port of entry to change their asylum court dates. (PAUL RATJE/AFP/Getty Images)

Agencies are also facing less tangible obstacles. Trump's rhetoric demonizing immigrants and a charged political atmosphere have contributed to a more hostile and xenophobic environment in some places for refugees, agencies say, though they note that their communities are still overwhelmingly welcoming.

"We have seen a shift in how refugees are treated, because sometimes they're lumped into the pool of immigrants, and people aren't always educated on who refugees are," says Shalaina Abioye, the director of refugee services at Catholic Charities Fort Worth in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas.

The Trump administration's restrictions on the system, however, came with a few silver linings – some of which could prove crucial in the coming years. Some agencies reassigned staff members from refugee programs to efforts helping asylum-seekers and other immigrants. Those shifts, and the drop in needed refugee services, also allowed organizations to focus heavily on helping communities through the coronavirus pandemic. With less federal funding flowing in, refugee organizations have put more effort into private fundraising, which will come in handy as admissions ramp up and agencies begin to rebuild.

And agencies say they're seeing even more community buy-in and enthusiasm from volunteers – not, perhaps, in spite of the current political environment, but rather because of it.

March 28, 2020 | Lesbos Island, Greece | A migrant family wearing handmade protective face masks stand next to their tent in the Moria refugee camp. (MANOLIS LAGOUTARIS/AFP/Getty Images)

"All of this negative policy attention really did trigger a lot of support in communities," Van de Weerd says. "We will be able to scale up rapidly because there are communities that are willing to help and to stand up and to make local resources available as well."

No one can say for sure how many refugees the U.S. will be able to settle in the next year or two, but many people who work in resettlement say it's unlikely the country will be able to hit 125,000. Some are cautiously optimistic about seeing somewhere between 30,000 and 60,000 refugees admitted in fiscal 2022. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic will likely continue to impose additional barriers on travel and resettlement. Despite a demoralizing four years and the looming challenges ahead, resettlement agencies say they're both hopeful and committed to rebuilding and serving as many people as are admitted to the U.S. Some have already crafted or implemented plans to start expanding their operations again.

"We'll be ready to reach out and hire staff, since there's so many staff who have been laid off from different agencies and across the United States," Abioye says. Moeller, in Georgia, says his staff is determined.

"We will find a way to overcome," he says. "At one level, you might look at the infrastructure and say it's impossible, but at another level, we say that's what we do. We do the impossible."

Please consider donating today to join with us in doing "the impossible."

If you'd like to share a link to this article, please do so here. As always, thank you for the compassion and support you provide to refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.

With Gratitude,

Virginia Spencer
Chief Development Officer
Inspiritus

#refugeeresettlement #SurvingtoThriving #Inspiritus

Inspiritus MLK Day of Reflection 2021

A day of service, learning and advocacy to commemoratethe life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This will be an enlightening afternoon of reflection. We are very excited to announce that we will have a children's pastor and two youth pastors facilitating an age-appropriate learning experience for the first half of the afternoon's event.

Our children will be lead by: Deacon Mary Houck. She serves as Director of Children's Ministry and Special Needs Ministry at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta and has been involved in leadership of the Inspiritus MLK Day of Service for several years.

Our youth will be lead by Reverend Michael Jannett and Hillary Nelson. Reverend Michael is the Assistant to the Bishop for Communication and Formation for the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA. Hillary Nelson is the Director for Middle and High School Youth Ministry at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Atlanta.

The adult sessions will have a multi-sensory approach with musical performances and artist, GW Harper, painting through out the event. We will reflect on Dr. King's messages of peace, hope, and service through poems, lectures, and break-out group discussions.

Families, please register each of your children separately, and indicate whether you'd like a children's ticket (5th grade and under) and/or a youth ticket (6th grade through 12th grade) on our registration page.

Please note that families will begin the event together, on the parent's Zoom link, then we will ask the children to log on to a separate Zoom on their own devices after the introductory portion of the program.

We look forward to learning, serving, and advocating with you on January 18th!

A Special Zoom Event

Monday, January 18, 2020

1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST

"Hope Can't Be Quarantined"

Dear Friends,

We want to highlight the following op-ed piece that ran over the weekend. Our CEO, John Moeller, co-authored this article along with Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, the President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. In case you missed it, we are reprinting it here as it is a critical topic that needs immediate attention.

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Opinion: Migrants in detention deserve dignity, sanitary conditions

While anxious shoppers across the country stockpile toilet paper and hand sanitizer in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, immigrants at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, struggle to make their lone bar of soap last the week. Even more so now, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed at least 9 positive cases among detainees in the facility and 23 cases among personnel, according to the private prison contractor, CoreCivic, that operates the detention center.

If they want to wash their hands more frequently or with liquid soap per the CDC’s handwashing recommendations, they must use their commissary accounts – that is, if they have any money at all. Those fortunate enough can buy basic supplies like soap or toothpaste at more than double, or even five times the price they’d pay outside. Only some have the opportunity to earn money by working at their detention facilities, often for a salary of $1 per day. Migrants literally cannot afford the soap to keep themselves safe.

And this soap shortage is only the tip of the iceberg. Nearly every day since the pandemic began, leaders from former ICE acting director John Sandweng to medical experts for the Department of Homeland Security have been calling for the release of the nearly 32,000 migrants in ICE custody to help mitigate further outbreak. In late March, 3,000 medical professionals sent a letter to ICE urging them to reduce the detention population. It responded instead by increasing the number of detainees by 700 within that same week. Despite the agency’s announcement that they would limit enforcement and arrests during the pandemic, raids have continued — including in New York, the crisis’ U.S. epicenter.

Migrant detention centers are, as many have called them, tinderboxes. Close quarters, substandard hygiene supplies, and a failure to adhere to CDC recommendations means that the spread of the virus in these facilities is nearly inevitable. Just this past summer, a mumps outbreak quickly spread through 57 facilities across the U.S. — and already, 267 migrant detainees and 123 ICE personnel have tested positive for coronavirus nationwide.

And yet, efforts to release inmates from prison to stop the spread of COVID-19 have been far more effective than calls to release ICE detainees. Just shy of 32,000 domestic prisoners have been released or diverted from penitentiary facilities nationwide, according to the UCLA School of Law’s “COVID-19 Behind Bars” project. Meanwhile, no more than 700 migrants have been released from ICE detention across the country – with hundreds of men and women above the age of 60 still in custody. Why can we not show the same level-headed compassion to the tens of thousands of migrants with no criminal record?

Seeking a better life should not be a death sentence — and migrants are trying to raise the alarm, despite ICE’s attempts to silence them. Guards at three ICE detention facilities in Louisiana and Texas have used force to suppress protests over coronavirus concerns. We’ve also seen at least five hunger strikes by detainees to secure more hygiene supplies or their release from crowded facilities, where implementing social distancing is impossible.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is proud to stand with these migrants in the fight for their lives. The coronavirus pandemic is a time of unprecedented uncertainty for all of us, but it is a time, too, for us to acknowledge and embrace our shared humanity.

There are so many ways to help our brothers and sisters in detention: write letters, donate to a visitation program that places funds in migrants’ commissary accounts, urge your elected officials to support humane alternatives to detention, or simply spread the word about the inhumanity faced by those in ICE detention.

Empathy can’t be detained. Compassion can’t be kept in cages. Hope can’t be quarantined.

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is the President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, one of the nation’s oldest and largest immigration nonprofits.

John Moeller is the President and CEO of Atlanta-based Inspiritus and a Board Member of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service.

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Please see link to the Op-ed here, and thank you for your continued support and kindness.

With Gratitude,

Virginia Spencer

Vice President of Development

Inspiritus

New Americans Celebration

The seventh annual New Americans Celebration held their annual day of education and outreach for refugees and immigrants, on Thursday, February 13th. Hosted by the Coalition of Refugee Service Agencies, NAC celebrated new Americans, particularly those now living in Georgia. Supporters met on Atlanta’s State Capitol to engage with legislators and share why refugees and immigrants should continue to be welcomed in Georgia.

The coalition of 21 refugee and immigrant-serving organizations, including Inspiritus, sought to highlight the contributions made by refugees in the state. Currently, the federal government is appealing a judge’s decision to block the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order that allows state and local governments to turn away refugees.

Over 350 advocates braved the rain to let their representatives know that #GALovesRefugees Many speakers spoke on behalf of GA’s refugee community. One of those speakers was Mohammed Karim, a client in our Refugee Youth Career Pathways program. Mohammed had recently become a citizen, and he represented the refugee community during the New Americans Celebration press conference.

Inspiritus resettled Mohammed’s family over five years ago. Mohammed received a scholarship through Inspiritus and is currently a student at Georgia State University studying criminal justice to one day become a police officer or join the U.S. Military. We’re very proud of Mohammed, and you can watch some of the press coverage below:

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/community-members-march-to-georgia-state-capitol-to-show-support-to-refugees-and-immigrants/85-e84a8ef5-981b-4f9b-b3e0-4f034e205f86

#GALovesRefugees and #GALovesImmigrants!

My letter to you regarding the Refugee Admissions Setback

Dear Friend,

I'm writing to make sure you're aware of the disheartening news regarding the United States' Refugee Resettlement Program. Last week, The Trump Administration announced its intention to set the 2020 refugee admissions ceiling to 18,000: the lowest number in the history of the program. An Executive Order now grants authority to states and local governments to deny refugee resettlement in their communities. This order violates the United States' commitment to welcome the most vulnerable refugees into our country.

Everyone here at Inspiritus, an affiliate of LIRS, is disappointed by this staggering setback. Lifesaving programs that have held bipartisan support for the past forty years are systematically being dismantled.

This issue is a deeply personal one for me. My family fled the Rwandan genocide, and we were fortunate enough to be among the less than 1% of all refugees worldwide to be offered a chance to rebuild our life through this program. I still have a photo of my father and I arriving at the Atlanta airport as refugees in 1997 (pictured below).

Today, I'm privileged to lead an incredible team here at Inspiritus. Like myself, several other staff members are former refugees, and they bring their bravery and resiliency to work every single day.

There are two things you can do to help us in this fight:

1) Please donate to our refugee services here and select Refugee Services in the pull-down menu.
Help us continue to be both a state and a nation that provides safety for our immigrants. Your donation will go towards providing day-to-day needs to newly arrived refugees: an apartment, food, health screenings, orientation, legal documents, and school registration for children. Visit our refugee services page for a full list of services.

2) Contact your elected reps in Georgia, and members of Congress, to ask them to support the GRACE ACT(Guaranteed Refugee Admission Ceiling Enhancement Act).

I want to thank you for your constant support during these past few challenging years. We will continue to advocate for a robust resettlement program and serve refugees who now call Georgia their home.

Kind Regards,
- Aimee Zangandou
Director of Refugee and Immigration Services Inspiritus

We Welcome Refugees to Georgia

I welcome refugee sign

On January 18, more than 200 volunteers from the Atlanta area gathered in the recreation hall of Rock of Ages Lutheran Church in Stone Mountain to pack more than 4,000 pounds of rice for refugees recently resettled by LSG.  As they mingled and waited for the rice packing to begin, many volunteers made signs, sharing their reasons for supporting refugees in Georgia and explaining why they choose to spend their day off from work or school as a day of service.

we welcome refugees because we can

refugees welcome sign

In a little over an hour, the hard-working volunteers – who ranged from groups of middle schoolers to individuals and families to groups of adults from local congregations - re-packaged the 25 and 50 pound bags of rice into smaller family-sized bags to be distributed to refugee families.

close up of rice for refugees

So, Why Rice? 

A bag of rice may seem like a strange welcome gift, but to those entering a brand new country with few resources and no immediate means to secure their family’s next meal, rice can be more than just food.  Rice, often a central part of the diets of many refugees, can bring a feeling of comfort and security in a tumultuous period of their life.  When refugees step off a plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to begin their new life in the United States, they’re often exhausted and overwhelmed from their journey and the long waiting period spent in a refugee camp.  They are unsure of what the next hours and days will bring.  Lutheran Services of Georgia provides them with food, shelter, clothing, cultural information, and other support in the first weeks in America, setting them up for to be self-sufficient and contributing members of their communities.

volunteers pack rice for refugees

How We Help.

Lutheran Services of Georgia currently resettles over 600 refugee clients each year in the Atlanta and Savannah areas. In 2015, LSG resettled refugees from 14 countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Burundi, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Sudan, Indonesia, Iran, and the Ukraine.

packing rice for refugees

LSG is there to secure housing for refugees, help refugees find their first job, and assist refugees in getting acclimated to life in Georgia. LSG supports refugees as they apply for important documents, including social security and Georgia ID cards, enrolls refugee children in school, and helps refugees select a primary care physician. LSG provides cultural orientation covering essential aspects of U.S. culture, including U.S. law, medical and educational systems, transportation, banking, and more. With help from organizations like LSG, more than 80 percent of newly arrived refugees in Georgia became completely self-sufficient within 180 days (source: CRSA).

group packs rice for refugees

In addition, LSG’s Savannah office provides additional support for refugee children through the Refugee School Impact Program, launched in spring of 2015. This program aims to improve the academic performance and social adjustment of refugee children. LSG’s School Liaison and a team of volunteers support families through tutoring, individualized case management, regular assessments, and meetings with parents, teachers, and school administration.

We need your help.

refugees sign live with love, not fear

LSG relies on volunteers and donors to help the many families in need in Georgia.

Pastor Stephen Friedrich of Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Marietta, Ga. shared his reason for volunteering:

"Participating in the MLK Day of Service with LSG was a tangible way for me to put my Christian faith into action. We believe that God's kingdom is a place where all are fed and welcomed. Yesterday I was part of a group working with God for his kingdom right in our midst. For me, there is no greater joy!"

Refugee resettlement is only a portion of what we do and who we serve.We help find homes for children through Foster Care and Adoption.  We keep families together who at risk of separation through our Family Intervention Services.  LSG provides disaster relief when needed.  If you are interested in volunteering with Lutheran Service of Georgia, please contact us at 404-875-0201 or click here to get involved.

Thank You, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church!

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Thanks to our friends at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church who delivered Hope Tree Shoe Boxes for refugee children made by their congregation, and have been making the shoe boxes for refugee children for many Christmases!

They delivered to Redeemer Lutheran Church, Atlanta, who also played a big role in facilitating Hope Tree by providing space for gifts to be sorted, organized and delivered to refugee children and families that LSG works with in Clarkston.

Little Helpers + Hope Tree Make A Merry Christmas for Refugees

Hope Tree lsg

Thank you to our friends from Little Helpers, who bought and delivered gifts for all members of 2 refugee families as part of our Hope Tree program, in which volunteers purchase gifts for refugee children in need. This was an especially significant experience for the group, as some members were refugees themselves.

Here’s what Tran Smith, who organizes the Atlanta Little Helpers group, said about the experience:

Hope Tree atlanta

“Our family volunteer group Little Helpers wanted to reach out to people in need this holiday, but participating in the LSG's Hope Tree for Refugees was more fulfilling and important than just that. Some of the volunteers were also refugees who came to this country seeking freedom and finding much support and love. Tears flowed as some of us experienced that "full circle moment" when we were face to face with the families who simply asked for winter clothes and a large pot to cook meals this holiday.  Although there was a language barrier, we had no trouble communicating because it was out of respect and love that we were brought together. A big thanks to LSG for allowing us to have this opportunity and for doing such great work to help others achieve their independence."

Hope Tree

Little Helpers is a program that works with young people to help them understand the value of volunteering, recognize the blessings in their lives, broaden their community perspective and feel the sense of accomplishment received from lending a helping hand. Ultimately, the goal of the program is to raise confident children who incorporate community service into their lives on a regular basis.

Little Helpers was created in Memphis, but today has chapters across the country including the Rochester, NY; Mooresville/Charlotte, NC; Denver, CO; Atlanta, GA and Tampa/St. Pete, FL.

Hope Tree refugee

Hope Tree

Take Action: Help LSG Welcome Refugees to Georgia

By Emily Laney, Atlanta Program Manager for Refugee and Immigration Services

Many of you were shocked and saddened by the pictures and story that have circulated of a sweet Syrian 3-year-old boy, Aylan. He and his family drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to safety. The plight of Syrian refugees and other refugees around the world is beyond what most of us can fathom. The pictures and story of this precious little boy are heartbreaking and can leave us feeling powerless. What can one person do?

Each year, LSG resettles hundreds of refugees from all around the world in the Atlanta and Savannah areas. We would love to help connect you with Georgia's refugees. Here are three ways you can help LSG welcome and support newcomers locally.

1) DONATE: Do you have a vehicle you are no longer using? What about furniture, kitchen items, household goods, or clothes? Refugees come to the United States with very few possessions, and any donations we can acquire for them help tremendously.

2) BEFRIEND: Are you a career professional? College student? Mom with a few kids? We can help anyone connect with a refugee family to befriend and mentor on U.S. culture, the workplace, parenting, and more. Whatever your passions and skills, there is probably a refugee family who would love to meet you!

3) GIVE: Whether you can give $25 for a MARTA transit pass, $250 to sponsor program costs for a client to attend cultural orientation, or  $1,100 to provide matching funds for our employment program, every dollar you give will help create a warm welcome for refugees in Atlanta and Savannah.

If you are interested in any of these opportunities, contact Melanie Johnson at 678-686-9619 or mjohnson@lsga.org.

Andrea Receives Board of Immigration Appeals Accreditation

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LSG staff member Andrea Pietri-Diaz was recently accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA). Here's what she had to say about her experience:

After LSG received Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) recognition last October, I had an opportunity to apply for accreditation to administratively practice immigration law as a non-attorney. I felt that getting accredited would allow me to serve refugees and immigrants on a greater scale. I would contribute to LSG's Immigration Services department's growing capacity to take on more clients. This also helped me start a career path I would not previously have thought to follow.

It was not a short process. The BIA requires applicants to take a series of educational courses (webinars, e-learning courses, in-person courses, and seminars) to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of immigration law. Immigration law is complex, detail-oriented, and constantly changing. Applicants must gain hands-on experience under the supervision of an immigration attorney. I completed close to 100 hours of experience working under LSG Immigration Services attorney Killa Marti. She has been a phenomenal teacher, mentor, and role model during this process and I could not have asked for anyone better.

BIA accreditation allows me to administratively represent refugees and immigrants before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It also means our department is able to tackle more cases, providing more legal representation and assistance to refugees and immigrants at low or no cost to the client. The refugee and immigrant population is an already underserved and underrepresented population.  I've worked with immigrants and refugees for a few years now and it is constantly rewarding to help such a vast, yet vulnerable population.

LSG congratulates Andrea on her BIA accreditation. Click here for more information about Immigration Services.

Amir the Tailor

Amir is a tailor and a refugee from Iran recently resettled through LSG in Savannah. Refugee Services Case Manager Amelia Iaderosa interviewed him about his work as a tailor, his refugee experience, and his hopes for life in the United States.

Amelia: Tell me about the work you did before you moved to America.

Amir: In Iran, my parents owned their own tailoring shop. I was born into the tailoring profession, and from the age of 10, I started learning the technical skills needed to become a tailor. When I had to flee Iran, I went to Turkey. In Turkey, I was able to use my knowledge of tailoring to find employment and support myself. I lived there for 4 years before I came to America. For the first two and a half years, I would go to different tailor shops and fill in as needed. During this time, I did not feel satisfied; I was working for employers that did not want my input or to use my skills and I was working 12 to 16 hours a day just to survive. I eventually moved to a new city and found a job working with a larger company that allowed me to utilize my skills more. Being able to use my skills and work with a company that saw my potential made me feel satisfied, but I was still looking for more in my life.

Amelia: Tell me about your job now that you are in America.

Amir: I feel alive here in America with my new job; my job is a part of who I am as a human being and I love that. I am working for a local designer who has started her own fashion line and it is growing daily. I create dress samples for the designer and I can see that she is satisfied with my work and that makes me very happy. I feel like I am being helpful and doing a good job.

Sometimes the designer will give me a garment and ask me how to make the garment look the best, how it should be adjusted to make it the best it can be for the company. I knew from my work in Turkey that I had talent working in bulk production, but I never was able to do the intricate work I am able to do at my new job. At my new job I have the opportunity to give my input and recommendations. I feel like I am a part of a team now, and that my position is very important to the future of the company. This is why I feel so alive in America; I see that I am really a very skilled tailor and I have a chance to improve my ability and get better and better at my trade.

Amelia: What are your hopes for the future?

Amir: I want to excel in all things dressmaking and fashion design. I want to go to the top of the industry! To do this, I wish to study fashion design and learn all there is to create my own fashion line and my own business. I know I can do this because I am in America now and I have the opportunity to improve myself. Someday, you will see me with my own brand and new designs.

Amelia: What is a message that you want to send to others in America about your experience as a refugee?

Amir: I just want to say to American people, be grateful for what you have here in America. As a refugee who came to the US at the age of 24, I had to start a new life at level zero; all I had was my tailoring experience. Please use the opportunities you have to be successful in America.

Amelia: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Amir: I want to tell LSG, I am very appreciative of what you have done for me. I cannot say in words, or find a real way to thank you for everything you have done. I am just very thankful for everything you do. During this job I have found my talent and I am hopeful for my future and to make all of my dreams for the future come true.

I also want to say, I have learned something new in America, and I have found the value of time. When I was in Iran, I would work a few days of week and the other days I would just waste my time. Now here, I know how important it is to use my time wisely in order to be successful. I know now how important my time is because I have been born again in America. I have many difficult experiences in my past and I feel like I have lived more than 24 years because of this. But now that these experiences are behind me, I know that I can start new in America and fight through the bad and live my life the way I have always dreamed!

LSG Kids Club Celebrates Successful First Season

This summer, Lutheran Services of Georgia launched LSG Kids Club! LSG Kids Club provides fun, therapeutic day camp experiences for newly arrived refugee children. The program aims to promote healing, adjustment, and confidence-building for recently resettled refugee kids who have experienced trauma.

Beginning on July 13, LSG Kids Club held four weeks of summer camp for refugee kids. 47 children attended camp who were recently resettled from Somalia, Burma, Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Together, the children spoke eight different languages: Somali, Nepali, Burmese, Rohingya, Malay, Swahili, Arabic, and Farsi. Kids participated in yoga, ballet, music and voice lessons, pet therapy, art projects, gardening, team and trust building activities, athletic activities, and fieldtrips to Piedmont Park and Zoo Atlanta.

Camp Coordinator Jessie Burnette reflected on the first season of LSG Kids Club:  "We have already received so many gracious thanks from parents who say their children benefited from their experiences with Kids Club. In our short pilot season, we saw children make great strides in processing fears, building friendships across language barriers, and leading other youth. I cannot wait to see what a full season combined with an ongoing mentor program can do for our children and the Clarkston community. It is our goal to serve each and every child that is resettled through our agency."

LSG thanks the following organizations and volunteers for making this first season a success:

• Living Grace Lutheran Church (Camp Venue)
• Atlanta Pet Partners (Pet Therapy Group)
• Funda Yilmaz, LPC (Yoga instructor and licensed therapist)
• Kathryn Farmer (Ballet instructor)
• Whitney Burnette (Voice/Music instructor)
• Matthew Johnson (Volunteer/Camp Counselor)
• Pam Amy-Cupp (Volunteer/Camp Counselor)
• Annie Goodman (Intern/Camp Counselor)
• Alix Janke (Driver/Fieldtrip Chaperone)
• Natalie Yasson (LSG Staff: Driver/Field Chaperone)
• Melanie Johnson (LSG Staff: Camp Assistant/Volunteer/Supporter)
• Padam Rai (Nepali Interpeter)
• Abdul Rahman (Somali Interpreter)
• Safa Shamsuddin (Burmese/Rohingya Interpreter)
• Christine Nzamuranga (Swahili Interpreter)
• Jessie Burnette (Camp Coordinator)
• VSA Arts (for providing Zoo Atlanta tickets)

LSG Kids Club will continue to serve newly arrived refugee children by hosting therapeutic camps throughout the year. LSG also plans to implement a mentoring program serving the same population of children. LSG Kids Club welcomes volunteers who would like to be a part of making a positive impact in the lives of refugee children by teaching a skillset, such as art, yoga, dance, music, theater, athletics, teaching, counseling, and more.

LSG Kids Club is supported, in part, through a grant from the Lutheran Services for Children Endowment at the ELCA Foundation. To see photos from the camp, click here. For more information or to inquire about volunteering, contact Jessie Burnette at jburnette@lsga.org.

Meet the RIS Summer Interns - Part 2

Each summer, Lutheran Services of Georgia’s Refugee and Immigration Services department takes on several interns. We’re excited to introduce five of our summer interns: Kory Baggarley, Jalisa Davis, Kate Faulk, and Jenny Rose. Click here to read part 1.

Kory Baggarley

About Kory: Kory is from Savannah, Georgia and is interning at the LSG Savannah office. He's a senior studying Political Science at Armstrong Atlantic State University. Two years ago, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Kory loves to travel, explore nature, and study global current events. He worked as a music teacher in Dubai for a year and was able to explore many of the Gulf countries while he was there.

Kory's Hopes for the Summer: "I chose to intern with LSG because they are a unique organization in our state that provides resettlement aid for refugees who needed to flee their own countries. I felt this would be a tremendous opportunity for me to learn hands-on about many of the conflicts happening in the world along with their impact on human lives. At the same time, I hope to be able to help individuals and families settle in Georgia and start a healthy and happy life here in the U.S."

Jalisa Davis

About Jalisa: Jalisa is originally from Slidell, Louisiana. She currently attends Georgia State University. Jalisa is in her junior year and studying Public Policy with a concentration in Non-profit Leadership and a minor in Spanish. Jalisa's hobbies include arts and crafts, exploring, learning new things, and watching movies.

Jalisa's Hopes for the Summer: "I decided to intern with LSG because I had a great experience volunteering. I wanted to become more involved in the resettlement process and the various ways LSG serves their clients. This summer, I hope to learn about the various cultures of our clients. I look forward to seeing our clients flourish in their new lives in America."

Katherine "Kate" Faulk

About Kate: Kate is from St. Simons Island, Georgia. She's a rising senior at Emory University pursuing a Linguistics major and a minor in German. Kate enjoys theater, music, travel, reading, and learning languages.

Kate's Hopes for the Summer: "I worked with Atlanta's refugee community last summer through Tapestri and enjoyed the experience. I am hoping at LSG to gain more experience in the resettlement process and to help facilitate the adjustment of refugees to their life here, as well as to learn about their cultures. I also hope to continue to gain a more global perspective."

Jenny Rose

About Jenny: Jenny is from Lilburn, Georgia and currently lives in Decatur. Jenny is working on her Master of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management at Georgia State University. She plans to graduate in the fall of 2016. She enjoys spending time with her husband, Joseph, and four-year-old twin boys, Cohen and Ephraim.

Jenny's Hopes for the Summer: "I really want to gain experience working in refugee services. It's something I have wanted to do for a long time but just never had an opportunity. I also hope to gain knowledge about the unique challenges facing LSG, along with what types of skills I need to have to effectively serve clients and be a successful manager in a nonprofit setting."

 Thank you, Kory, Jalisa, Kate, and Jenny for joining us in welcome this summer. To learn more about interning with Refugee and Immigration Services, contact Melanie Johnson at mjohnson@lsga.org. 

LSG Launches First-Ever LSG Kids Club

On July 13, 2015, Lutheran Services of Georgia launched its first-ever season of LSG Kids Club! LSG Kids Club is a summer program that aims to promote healing, adjustment, and confidence-building for recently resettled refugee kids who have experienced trauma. The program provides a fun and therapeutic introduction to life in Georgia, along with giving kids an opportunity to make new friends.

Eleven children and teens participated in the first week of the four-week LSG Kids Club. They came from four different countries--Somalia, Burma, Bhutan, and Nepal--and spoke three different languages--Somali, Nepalese, and Burmese. The kids enjoyed activities and field trips including yoga, pet therapy, skills-focused games and physical activities, and more.

LSG is partnering with an growing list of community members and organizations to make this program possible. Current partners include:

• Raksha, Inc, a Georgia-based nonprofit organization for the South Asian community. Special thanks goes to Niekachi Nwogo for conducting therapy sessions throughout the program.
• Funda Yilmaz, LPC and yoga instructor who specializes in trauma therapy and healing through Grounded Yoga
• Atlanta Pet Partners, an organization that provided pet therapy
• Living Grace Lutheran Church for hosting the program

LSG also thanks our volunteers and interpreters.

• Padam Rai, Nepali Interpreter
• Abdulrahman, Somali Interpeter
• Kathryn Farmer, Dance Instructor
• Pam Amy-Cupp, Camp Counselor
• Annie Goodman, Camp Counselor
• Matthew Johnson, Camp Counselor
• Jessie Burnette, Camp Coordinator and LSG staff member
• Melanie Johnson, LSG staff member and volunteer

LSG Kids Club is supported, in part, through a grant from the Lutheran Services for Children Endowment at the ELCA Foundation. For more photos from the Club, visit our Facebook page. To learn more about LSG Kids Club, contact Coordinator Jessie Burnette at jburnette@lsga.org or (706) 889-3348.

Refugee and Immigration Services Hosts Breakfast for Interpreters

Lutheran Services of Georgia's Refugee and Immigration Services department recently hosted a breakfast to show appreciation for our interpreters. LSG could not provide quality services to clients from all over the world without our skilled and knowledgeable interpreters.

Case managers, interns, and five of LSG's interpreters came together to enjoy breakfast and share tips on how to work better together. The interpreters included speakers of Burmese, Amharic, Tigrinya, Arabic, and Somali. RIS plans to host several interpreter breakfasts throughout the year.

LSG thanks all our interpreters for their hard work and commitment to welcoming refugees and immigrants.

Interview with Noor & Nurul

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Lutheran Services of Georgia.

Noor and Nurul are refugees from Burma who arrived in the U.S. in March 2015 and were resettled through LSG's Savannah office. LSG staff member Amelia interviewed them about their experiences as refugees in the United States.

Amelia: Why did you leave Burma?

Noor & Nurul: There was a lot of fighting between the Rakhine (Buddhists) and Rohingya (Muslims). Because Burma is a Buddhist country, the government would not provide the Rohingya Muslims with any support or help, and this was bad because the Rakhine were not good to our people. In our town, the Rohingya were being killed and our villages were being burned. As Rohingya, we feared for our lives. If we were caught by the Rakhine people, we could be put in jail or killed for no reason. It was not safe for the Rohingya because the Burmese government does not want Muslims in their country. Also, the government would not allow us to practice our religion. The government was even saying that the Rohingya are not true citizens of Burma, which is not true. Many generations of Rohingya were born in Burma, but the government says we are from Bangladesh.

There is no future for Rohingya people in Burma. We are not recognized as citizens, so there is no hope for a better education or a better future.

*****

Amelia: How has LSG helped you with moving to the United States?

Noor & Nurul: LSG has helped us with everything! They have helped us find a new home and find a job. We have learned so much from LSG, and they have helped us in so many ways, to get food and to go to a doctor. We thank LSG a lot for everything they have done for us.

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Amelia: Where do you work?

Noor & Nurul: A local concrete company

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Amelia: What problems have you faced since moving here?

Noor & Nurul: No problems at all! We are very happy living in the U.S. We are not afraid of living in America. We are afraid of the Burmese government, but not the U.S. Government. Everything in America is freedom. When we first moved here, LSG helped us with food and rent and we did not have to worry. And we quickly found a job and were able to make money, so we are now able to take care of ourselves.

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Amelia: What is your favorite thing about living in Savannah?

Noor & Nurul: We like all of America! We like the old city feeling about Savannah. The people are very nice and everyone has been so good to us. We have not found any bad people. It is also not too cold in Savannah and we like the heat.

*****

Amelia: What are your favorite things to do for fun?

Noor & Nurul: Speak with friends, study English, ride our bikes, and homework

*****

Amelia: What are your dreams for the future?

Noor & Nurul: Our main dreams for the future are to be good people. We want to go to school, we want to study English and improve our English. Right now we do not have any specific ideas on what our dreams for the future are. Maybe to own our own business and start a family.

*****

Amelia: What would you like people in Savannah to know about being a refugee?

Noor & Nurul: People should know that our past lives were full of fear and problems; we could not live in freedom. But now that we are in the U.S., we have freedom, and we do not have fear like we did in Burma. When refugees come to America, they have much more hope for a better future.

Noor: I do have one thing to ask. I appreciate the U.S. government helping me and my friends get to America from Sri Lanka. But I would like to appeal to the U.S. government and UNHCR to please help the other Rohingya who have no place to sleep and live. Please help them, they have nothing. The U.S. government is the leader, and they can help.

*****

Amelia: We are happy that your friend is coming to Savannah. What reasons did you tell him to move here for?

Nurul: I wanted our friend to move to Savannah because we like it so much, and we just knew that he would also like it. He can get help with finding a job, and even work with us. We know that we can help him learn about life in Savannah so that he will be happy!

LSG thanks Noor & Nurul for sharing their story. To learn more about refugees in Burma/Myanmar, click here. Contact support Lauren Cruickshank (Savannah) at lcruickshank@lsga.org or Melanie Johnson (Atlanta) at mjohnson@lsga.org to learn how you can support refugees in the U.S.

World Refugee Day

By Emily Laney, Atlanta Program Manager for Refugee Services

Saturday, June 20th, is World Refugee Day

All around the world, there will be events, festivals, awareness campaigns, celebrations, and times of contemplation. World Refugee Day is a time to celebrate refugees and to reflect on the difficulties they face. It's a day to advocate for peace to end the violence and persecution that so many people experience.

Working with refugees is one of the most rewarding and challenging things I've done in my human services career. It is challenging to work with and serve people who have been through so many trials. The fabric of our clients' life stories are woven with tragedy and loss. The sheer magnitude of fully understanding the experiences of refugees can feel overwhelming.

But it is so worth it.

A couple months ago, I was reminded why I enjoy working with refugees. LSG hosted a StoryCorps listening session. Five of our clients recorded short segments of their migration stories and experiences in their home countries. A few weeks after the recordings concluded, Atlanta staff came together to hear some of their stories. Many of us found our eyes brimming with tears listened to the stories of clients from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Burma. The hope and determination of these incredible people was humbling and inspiring. As I sat there in a room of LSG staff, I was reminded once again why we in Refugee and Immigration Services do what we do. We do it for new beginnings and the promise of a bright future. We do it for refugees.

Refugees matter. They comprise a small percentage of our immigrant population in the U.S. but it would benefit all of us to seek them out and form friendships with them. They work long hours at incredibly difficult jobs just to make ends meet. They are patriotic and proud to live in the U.S. They pay taxes and save money to open businesses in their community. They remind me of my own ancestors in many ways. My family is an eclectic mix of many different nationalities, most of whom immigrated to the U.S. to build a better life for their families. Some fled persecution, famine, or other difficulties. They worked hard to start fresh and to create their own 'American Dream.

We are a nation of immigrants, and refugees are a beautiful picture of what makes our country great. Amidst the busyness of life, the stacks of paperwork and the struggles that come from walking the journey with refugees during their first days in America, I am reminded of this picture. Refugees matter. They are an important part of our country, and I am so proud, humbled, and honored to know many of them.

If you'd like to get to know a refugee family, please contact me at elaney@lsga.org. LSG has multiple opportunities to support and learn from refugees. We'd love to have you join us in welcome.