Refugee Ministry

January/February 2010

"UMCOR in Haiti"

Click here to read more about UMCOR's emergency response in Haiti. Click here to read more about Sam Dixon, Deputy General Secretary of UMCOR, who lost his life in the earthquake in Haiti."

“Welcoming Refugees, in ‘Clusters’”

Refugee Immigration Ministry (RIM) is an Interfaith, community-based organization in Eastern Massachusetts, founded in 1986. RIM’s mission is “building community with uprooted people to serve the common good.” This mission is designed to emphasize working in partnership with clients as they reestablish roots in a new community. RIM’s goal is to address the diverse needs of refugees and asylum seekers. Their programs range from community-based resettlement, to job preparation through English and computer classes, to spiritual care chaplaincy services to immigrant detainees.

One of RIM’s innovative resettlement programs is known as the “Cluster Community Outreach Program,” which supports approximately 50 people each year. According to RIM Executive Director Ruth Bersin, this program involves “recruiting several congregations to combine resources, time, and hearts to offer safe haven, community support, and material support to highly traumatized persons.” Starting a Cluster begins with local clergy and lay leaders (across faith lines) meeting to learn about the challenge of supporting asylum seekers and refugees. Those interested in joining the program form a steering committee, and prepare to support clients.

One of the Clusters, called “The North Shore Cluster,” serves the Amesbury area of Massachusetts. The steering committee is made up of representatives from five denominations, and includes two United Methodist congregations: Holy Trinity UMC and First United UMC–Amesbury. The Cluster is currently sponsoring five families: two of them are asylum seekers, two are refugees, and one is an SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) case. In addition to contributing time and resources to help these families, they have also built a strong sense of community among themselves. As Ruth puts it, “Churches often say things to me like, ‘We started out building community for them, but we ended up building community for ourselves.’”

When a client is placed in a Cluster, the Cluster is responsible for many things: suitable housing, transportation, English tutoring, and other resources. Cluster volunteers receive training from RIM staff on cultural adaptation, housing, transportation, education, medicine, law, and mental health. Cluster volunteers are encouraged to understand a range of issues, including issues faced by clients, issues in the sending countries, the failure of some of the support systems in the United States, and the need for advocacy.

Holy Trinity UMC

Clusters also assist their clients in finding volunteer work, which helps them to prepare for the job market and build a resume. Once clients receive work authorization, the Cluster members assist them in finding employment. Each Cluster raises about $10,000 per year in support of their clients by contributions from participating congregations and individuals. In addition, the Cluster generally receives donations of clothing, household goods, furniture, and automobiles, which average $10,000 per Cluster.

Relationships between RIM’s former clients and their sponsors continue long after they have become independent. Many clients have talked about wanting to come back and work on the “helping side” of RIM. Many are also active in their congregations, in immigrant organizations, and in their communities. Many have expressed their surprise in finding "perfect strangers" who welcomed them. In a recent article published in RIM’s newsletter, Ruth writes, “In this shared reach, across many miles of cultural disparity, we have found hope, and we have discovered new ideas, creative solutions, and a new vision of the Kingdom of God.”

For more information on Refugee Immigration Ministry (RIM) please visit their website.

Beyond Resettlement: UMCOR Refugee Ministry Abroad

Beginning in 2003, and every year since, hundreds of Christians (clergy, lay leaders, and faith-based advocates) have gathered for a long weekend in Washington, DC called Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD). This gathering serves many purposes: worship, study, fellowship, and an opportunity to select one ‘peace and justice’ issue, both urgent and relevant, and lobby our elected representatives for support. The following is taken from the EAD website:

“Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Our goal. . .is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues.”

This year EAD has chosen an issue very close to our hearts here in the UMCOR Refugee Ministry office and that is ‘comprehensive immigration reform.’ The goal for EAD 2010 is to put pressure on the Congress and Senate to pass legislation that will welcome immigrants, protect refugees, and prevent displacement of millions. The 2010 conference will be held March 19 – 22 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Crystal City, Virginia just outside Washington, DC.

We strongly encourage you to consider participating in this weekend of advocacy. Registration is already in progress and the organizers of the conference are ready to work with you to attend. For more information please visit www.advocacydays.org on the web, or give us a call at UMCOR, 212-870-3888.

Happy New Year from UMCOR's Refugee Ministry Office! Although it’s a new year, our goal remains the same, and that is to connect and support UMC congregations engaged with refugees. As usual we want this section to be as interactive as possible, so the more we hear back from you, the better.

We would like to use this time to solicit your feedback about what you would like to see in our newsletter for this year. We produce one issue every other month and we are looking for suggestions. Is there specific information that you would like to read about? Is there a particular theme, subject, story, or topic with regard to refugees that interests you? Please send along your ideas to the contact info listed below.

We would also like to remind (and strongly encourage) you to join our Facebook group, titled “UMCOR Refugee Ministry Office.” If you are already a member of Facebook you can just log in and search for us and join. If you are not on Facebook, you can join in a matter of seconds (it’s that easy!). The Facebook Group will provide a way to live up to the mission of The United Methodist Church as a connectional church. It is an easy way to share information, but most importantly, allows us to dialogue directly with one another. Thanks to all who have already joined!

As always we want your feedback, so feel free to email with any comments, questions, or suggestions: UMCORRefugee@gbgm-umc.org or 212-870-3888.

You’re the experts – we need to hear from you!

"UMCOR in Haiti: Click here to read more about UMCOR's emergency response in Haiti. Click here to read more about Sam Dixon, Deputy General Secretary of UMCOR, who lost his life in the earthquake in Haiti."

Our Work

Refugee Ministry Newsletter Archives
2009/2010

Christ Community United Methodist Church

by Pam Suddaby, R.N. and Refugee Resettlement Volunteer

In the summer of 2008, our church, Christ Community United Methodist Church (CCUMC) in Baldwinsville, New York sponsored a Karen family from Burma through the local Church World Service refugee resettlement office, Interfaith Works. As we set up the apartment for our new refugee family, nearby refugee children popped out of their apartments to help. That was the first time we began to sense our mission growing. We soon found out that the head of our Karen family was an elderly Baptist pastor, a spiritual leader and friend in the Karen community. By that fall, his extended family of 30 had arrived. The reaches of our mission field expanded into much of the Northside neighborhood of Syracuse.

Wayne Suddaby giving a bike that was adapted for a Refugee amputee.

Initially, our church stayed focused on the immediate needs of the family, offering friendship and practical help. Refugees were provided a clean, furnished apartment, food, and clothing. We learned that our new Burmese families escaped persecution and violence and then spent years in a Thailand refugee camp. The Karen, Karenni, and Chin come from an agricultural and less literate culture, so their adjustment can be especially challenging. We are thankful that Interfaith Works was able to offer us their expertise and support.

Over the past year I have witnessed the generosity and mercy of our missions committee, our pastor, Rev. B.J. Norrix, and our church. Calls for help came at all hours. God did not say it would be easy, only to remain faithful. Church members offered support at doctor’s appointments and numerous ER visits, read mail, built cribs, replaced batteries in smoke detectors, and brought pain reliever to sick children. We helped with job searches, applications, and gladly became references. This year, Christmas gifts were delivered to 60 beautiful children and a dozen youth.

What began with sponsorship of one family from Burma grew into a wonderful commitment from CCUMC to Refugee Resettlement on the Northside of Syracuse. Throughout the year we collected donations of household items, clothing, and backpacks. Bedding and necessities began arriving at our church, and we distributed them to needy families. We found unique ways to include any willing church members in refugee resettlement: some fixed bikes, while others knitted blankets. We tuned up and delivered 50 bicycles for both adults and kids. Bikes are critical for new arrivals to get jobs around the city.

As a volunteer now at Interfaith Works, I have met refugees from all over the world. I am so grateful that I was able to connect a Sudanese refugee with a high school Social Studies class that helped him raise funds for his African village. In addition to the Burmese families, members of our church have also forged strong bonds with the Nepalese and Ethiopian refugees. Refugees teach us about gratitude, resilience, and flexibility. In a world of competitiveness, distractions, and materialism it is wonderful to be in God’s presence working with those in need.

Some of the simplest acts have been God moments. I am proud to be called Grandma in five languages and to call over 100 refugee friends by name. I’ve been privileged to witness the birth of a child and share at a Karen funeral. I’ve been a guest at a Karen wedding, and a prayerful thanksgiving service. Without a passport or vaccinations, we travel to the mission fields of eight countries in a matter of minutes. It has been a joyous year. There is a transforming gift in mission work. You will never be the same. You will always be better.

Rim Corner

Dawn McMullan, North Texas Conference

The email from UMCOR’S Refugee office in New York seemed innocent enough. A woman named Prosper had fled Zimbabwe, was in the Dallas area, and needed help. I was brand new to this whole RIM coordinator business and didn’t have a clue. Could I give her a call to see how we might help? Sure. How much time could that take?

Dawn (North Texan Conference RIMcor) and Prosper.

Two years and eight months later, I’m happy to report I’m not yet done. Prosper turned out to be a man (lesson one in refugee assistance: sometimes gender isn’t obvious by someone’s name!) who had fled his home country after being arrested and tortured by a corrupt government. He left his wife and two young sons in a church safe house.

Last fall, his sweet family shared Thanksgiving dinner with my extended family. It started out quite easily — a call to check on him, encouraging emails, money raised for a plane ticket, and a hotel room in Houston to fight for asylum. Sometimes months would go by without our talking, sometimes he came over for dinner and my kids taught him how to play American board games. Finally, when he was granted asylee status for his whole family, I helped him get the rest of the money he needed for plane tickets. A Facebook post with pictures of his children raised the money within 24 hours.

Last summer, my family greeted his wife and two sons — more than two years after he’d left Zimbabwe — at the same airport where he’d arrived knowing not one person in America. My friend Prosper is the most personal connection I’ve made as RIM coordinator for the North Texas Conference of The UMC. But that personal connection has led me to email every mission director and pastor in our conference to get urgent rental assistance, furniture, and Christmas gifts for those being served by Refugee Services of Texas; to help organize a seminar on immigration reform; and, when another call came from the office in New York City, to help a local Congolese woman get a grant from the Refugee Ministry office for her orphanage in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Burmese refugee kids in Syracuse.

You never know who your Prosper may be. But if you answer that email or poke around to find the need, he’ll turn up. And, in the meantime, you’ll change the lives of so many looking for a new start in the United States.