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The Power of a Story
The numbers and headlines can stack up in a way that feels overwhelming. Conflict in the Congo. Devastation in Syria. Renewed sectarian violence in Iraq. The crises and dangers that suddenly turn ordinary people into refugees can feel like an abstraction from afar.
But stories have a way of bridging the distance from the unimaginable to the relatable, turning indistinct and often dismissible masses into singular, compelling individuals. Every refugee we welcome into U.S. communities through Episcopal Migration Ministries’ resettlement ministry brings a story powerful enough to transform the lives of those who will listen to it. Stories of loss, but also of resiliency and renewal.
In this edition of our newsletter, we invite you to experience the deeply personal accounts of two refugees, including links to two new video resources that share their unique and compelling stories in detail. We hope you’ll find these stories make the tragedies and achievements that mark the lives of refugees a little more real.
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New EMM Videos Show Resettlement From Refugee Perspective
It's difficult to imagine how it feels to be a refugee.
To make this feeling real for viewers, Episcopal Migration Ministries has produced new videos about two families who – while different in many ways – both survived the experience of losing their homes to war.
And both also found a new start and a path to their dreams through resettlement to the United States.
Assisted upon arrival in the United States by our local partners, Bridge Refugee Services of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sergio Plecas and Abdulwahab Alabid came to the U.S. 10 years apart.
Yet their stories of survival, optimism, and perseverance share many commonalities. Today, both of these gentlemen are working hard to make their dreams a reality while adding greatly to the community of new neighbors around them. We hope you enjoy and find inspiration in their stories.
You can watch Sergio's story here. Wahab's is available here. And you can find both pieces, along with a number of other videos, in the Episcopal Migration Ministries video channel.
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Teacher, Mother Reflects on Success 18 Years in U.S.
When Nevena Peluga arrived in North Carolina in 1995, she spoke almost no English and was forced to enter a new culture and quickly find work, all while supporting her two sons. Her lost career as an attorney was not among her most pressing concerns.
After five years of living as a refugee during the Yugoslav Civil War, the challenge of starting over was daunting. And the professional success she’d enjoyed in Bosnia felt difficult to replicate in the United States. But in 18 years since coming to America, Nevena has seen her young boys blossom into successful adults and enjoyed a career revival all the more inspiring for the challenges along the way.
Read more...
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Episcopal Church Offers New Immigration Reform Toolkit
Earlier this summer, the U.S. Senate passed a bill that would overhaul the country’s immigration system, leading to many important reforms for immigrants and refugees.
Now, it’s the House’s turn to tackle Comprehensive Immigration Reform. To prep advocates around the church for the effort ahead, our colleagues in the Office of Government Relations have released a fantastic new advocacy toolkit.
The resource arms advocates with a wide array of messages, theological reflection prompts, and a message from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
Read more...
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EMM in the Press
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September, 2013
 
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Refugee Arrivals Summary
Between the start of a new fiscal year on October 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013, EMM welcomed 3,920 refugees from 30 countries with the help of affiliate partners, churches, dioceses and other community supporters.
Those individuals came from the following regions:
Europe and Central Asia: 23 Refugees
Africa: 922 Refugees
Near East: 1,169 Refugees
South Asia: 636 Refugees
East Asia: 945 Refugees
Latin America: 225 Refugees
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Acknowledgments
EMM's work is supported by grants from the U.S. Dept. of State, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, and by contributions from The Episcopal Church, parishes and community groups around the country.
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