Working with refugees, learning their names, meeting their families, hearing their stories, helping them integrate, heal, and succeed:  We and our partner agencies in the St. Louis area do this every day.  The refugees that we have proudly assisted since 2002 have fled persecution and war, already undergone a rigorous 18-24 month vetting process, and are not somehow a clear and present danger to our national security.  They are first and foremost people with nowhere else to turn, who would much rather not be refugees.  All of us, refugees maybe most of all, want this country to be safe and secure.  But fearmongering does not make us any safer; it only makes us more capable of ignoring each other’s essential humanity.

We and our ancestors who chose to come to this country, whether yesterday or hundreds of years ago, were immigrants/refugees seeking a better existence.  Our team of staff and supporters believes that when we turn our backs on this heritage, we begin denying who we are as a nation.  

Make your voice heard and get involved.  We will keep posting opportunities for involvement and advocacy.