Stay informed about EMM's work and the Episcopal Church’s responses to current refugee and resettlement concerns by reading the stories posted below.

 

Presiding Bishop meets with refugees in Buffalo, is "grateful" for their presence in U.S.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, had another chance to see the Church’s refugee resettlement program in action when she visited Journey’s End Refugee Services, an Episcopal Migration Ministries affiliate in Buffalo, New York, in October. The Presiding Bishop met with several refugee families and representatives from the local parishes that have assisted them through their first months in the United States.

Iraqi physician finds security, new start in Michigan
In 2008, Gheith Yousif and his family arrived in Detroit after fleeing their homeland of Iraq and settling temporarily in Jordan. It was a defining moment for Yousif; an opportunity to live in security and assert control over his own future. “In Michigan, we love it. We love the U.S.,” Yousif said. “The life in Iraq, four years in Jordan: this period you can describe as ‘zero period.’ I am here for two years, so I am now two years old. The previous life was zero.”

Ohio youth group welcomes Somali family to community
A youth group in Ohio has taken on the important challenge of assisting a family of Somali refugees. The young people -- members at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Columbus -- have worked with EMM affiliate CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigration Services) to provide a variety of forms of support to the family, and they've learned a great deal themselves in the process.

Connecticut Church finds "new friendships, different perspective" in service to refugees
The Episcopal Church of the Holy Advent in Clinton, Connecticut have been assisting a refugee family from Iraq for the past year. The partnership -- arranged through EMM affiliate Integrate Refugee and Immigration Services -- has provided the family with housing and transportation through their first critical months in the U.S. while also supporting their job search efforts and education.

Optimism, resilience help refugee achieve new start in Columbus
Abiyu Getahun arrived in Ohio in February, 2010 as Episcopal Migration Ministries first client through Community Refugee and Immigration Services. His journey from Ethiopia to Columbus was fraught with challenges and many dark days, but he's facing the future with courage and hope.

Presiding Bishop marks 30th anniversary of refugee act
Three decades after landmark legislation established the U.S. Refugee Program on March 17, 1980, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, expresses a renewed commitment to the Church's resettlement arm, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and urges reforms that extend and expand the nation's response to the uprooted.