Refugee Ministry

Warner Memorial is a charter member of the presbytery's Refugee Ministry Network. We have hosted speakers to educate our congregation and community on stories of refugees experiences, the resettlement process, and gaps in state services being addressed by churches and nonprofit organizations. Past speakers included Rev. Dr. Nancy Fox, Parish Associate at National Presbyterian Church, who did her doctoral research on church refugee resettlement ministry, and Merritt Groeschel, the Founder and Director of Solutions in Hometown Connections.

In our most recent roundtable event, Warner members learned about the limited number of landlords/apartment buildings that are willing and able to provide refugees with accommodations that include the requisite state-mandated furnishings but without the usual requisite personal information like credit history, etc. We are concerned about the physical isolation these families may experience, as well as their emotional well-being and economic stability, particularly after the brief period of active case worker support they receive.

Some ideas for helping with this important ministry -

-Serve as "Conversation Partners" through Solutions in Hometown Connections
-Volunteer in citizenship preparation classes
-Increase participation in our existing ministry partnerships to serve refugees
-Disseminate relevant information to the wider community
-Communicate the need for donations of furniture/beds and facilitate their transportation to appropriate non-profits.

We encourage you to visit the sites below to learn more ways to be more involved in this ministry.

Warner Memorial's Commission to the Community

http://warnermemorial.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=140442

Solutions in Hometown Connections

https://www.shconnections.org/