Four Practical Ways you can help refugees
by Kristen Maxwell, Associate Director Mission Adelante
About a month ago, our world at Mission Adelante shifted on its axis. With some of the executive orders implemented, we experienced what felt like an earthquake. Overnight, programs we had built over the last year crumbled. This was no fault of our own, but we were left with rubble to clean up.
Due to the funding and program cuts and freezes the first shock was to acknowledge that employing our refugee services team no longer was viable. We continue to mourn having to let our staff go and grieve the hole they left on our team, in our community and our office.
We didn’t have much time to mourn, though, because we had to tend to the wounded. In this situation, the wounded are our clients. The new land they had just begun to get to know had already changed. The sherpas, our staff that were guiding them through the mountain pass of their new lives, were gone, and they were left without guides. We’ve spent the past few weeks helping to reorient them to the new landscape, point them in the right direction, and bandage their wounds.
We have heard the refrain from our neighbors, loud and clear, “What can we do?” and “We want to help!” and we are so grateful for your support. Your generous contributions towards the “Love Mercy” campaign allowed us to provide severance for our staff and enabled us to pay for rent and basic needs for refugees as they adjust to life in the US. To date over $110,00 has been given towards the Love Mercy campaign, exceeding our goal by $40,000.
Much like the aftermath of a natural disaster, the aftershocks of these shifts have left us disoriented and wondering about our next steps forward. The landscape around us has dramatically changed in a short time. As the dust begins to settle, and the aftershocks are getting fewer, we are grateful to see that the core of Mission Adelante is still standing firm. Our mission to love people from all places is unchanged, and we are here to serve, share life, and share Jesus.
As we continue the cleanup, the best ways you can help are to pray, give, and serve with us. We ask you to consider how you might join us in one of the following ways:
Pray: Pray for those we are serving, our staff, and our community. We are grieving the loss of our resettlement staff and program and praying for people to step into volunteering in areas to help with our refugee families.
Give: Financial partners are more crucial now than ever. We are currently seeking to add 50 people to give $100/month to grow our monthly support team to an additional $5,000/month. Your ongoing support allows us to respond to the needs of our neighbors. Would you consider beginning to give or increasing your monthly support?
Come and See: Join us for “Come and See” night next week, and learn how you might join us in loving and serving our refugee neighbors through ongoing relational partnership.
Come and See Next Week!
Your involvement with Mission Adelante is essential to the support of refugees and immigrants in our community. Join us next week, March 3-6th at a Come and See night to learn more!
Serve: Serve at Adelante Thrift. The more volunteers we have, the more we can sell, and the more money that is made directly supports the work the Lord is doing at Mission Adelante! Spring break is coming up and this is a great way for students to serve locally. Contact Lori at: volunteer@adelantethrift.com to sign up.
We know many of you are grieving with us and trying to make a positive difference in our community. Thank you for standing with us to love like Jesus.