HALEIGH WHITNEY• Church World Service Communications and Volunteer Engagement Specialist

June 3, 2021

Editor’s Note: On the first Thursday of each month, the eNews feature article highlights the mission focus for the month. In June we’re lifting up refugees. You can find the current month’s mission focus in the Joys & Concerns section of the weekly eNews.

We are a nation of immigrants, and if not for our ancestors, where would we be as a nation today? How different the narrative would have been in each of our lives had our relatives not been permitted entry to the US. This is the situation today, as immigrants face greater and more challenging issues of entry on a daily basis. The contributions and impacts of newcomers are great. Their talents and skills contribute to our workforce in many ways, and they are significant members within our communities. Click the video above and take less than two minutes to meet some refugees and immigrants to Central Pennsylvania.

Church World Service (CWS) is a faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. CWS was formed in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II, as a response to the displacement crisis that had affected millions in Europe. Seventy-five years later, CWS continues its mission of supporting the vulnerable and the displaced, having offered resettlement services to over half a million refugees worldwide. CWS also sponsors the annual CROP WALK to raise funds for hunger relief.

Since 1987, CWS Lancaster has been committed to showing welcome to refugees, immigrants, asylum-seekers, and other uprooted people within the United States, who are seeking safety and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. CWS Lancaster expects to resettle more refugees in the coming 12-18 months than it has in the last three years combined.

To carry out this mission, we partner with caring churches, organizations, and individuals to provide hope and home to refugees and immigrants from all over the world. Our volunteers provide integral support to the families we serve—transporting them to medical appointments, offering English language learning support, and welcoming them into strong and steady community.