Computer scientist starts new life in Spokane

Over the next few years, Idris and his entire family were continually targeted. He received threatening calls and menacing notes on the door of his home. One Friday in 2014, Idris was enjoying a day at the park with his friends. His cell phone rang and he answered. A voice on the other end told him he could see…

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Spokane man crafts 300 cutting boards for refugee families

Ron Johnson delivered a new batch of his custom-made maple & walnut cutting boards in July. Each of his one-of-a-kind boards will be given to newly arrived refugees as they start their lives in Spokane.   Ron started making cutting boards four years ago. Since then, he’s crafted more than 300 of them, and now…

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Asylum FAQs

What is asylum?Asylum is a legal protection given to people who arrive in the U.S. and cannot return to their home countries due to past persecution or a fear of future persecution due to race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Asylum is only given once someone has arrived in the U.S. or at a…

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Coffee with a Dreamer

JULY 20, 2020 by Katherine BellCommunication Coordinator Last week, we sat down with Denisse Lopez-Arce, a local CNA, medical interpreter and COVID-19 front-line hero working at Sacred Heart Medical Center. She’s also a Dreamer. Denisse arrived in the U.S. with her parents when she was just a year old. Since then, she has committed to…

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FAQs about DACA

What is DACA?Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a policy implemented by the Obama administration in 2012. It is one protection for qualifying young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. DACA temporarily shielding them from deportation and provides work authorization with possible renewal every two years.  Who is a “Dreamer?”A Dreamer…

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Still Good: Reflections on Good Friday in a Pandemic

by Mark Finney, director Two years ago I was visiting a refugee camp on Good Friday.  It was my fourth and final day hiking the trails that connected dusty ridges and sandy ravines. The way was lined with unending rows of square bamboo and tarp huts.  I had asked questions, listened to stories, taken photos,…

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#LookForTheHelpers: Rebecca

On Monday, Rebecca* got a call from Pingala, one of our Employment Specialists. They talked about the challenges we are all facing as a result of COVID-19, and Rebecca was able to share some of her own concerns and fears. Pingala came as a refugee, too, and was able to connect With Rebecca about missing…

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#LookForTheHelpers: Mara

On Wednesday we called Mara* to check in. She told us she lost her retail job this week because of the COVID-19 crisis. Like many of us, she’s now at home with her young son and is worried about being able to pay rent and other bills. Like the rest of us, she has anxiety…

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‘God is a God of Mercy’

How Justin Kalumuna survived a military attack, brought his family to safety and rebuilt his life in the U.S. FEBRUARY 2020By Katherine Bell Part I: Escaping Violence in the DRC When Justin Kalumuna left for work one morning in 2011, he wasn’t expecting that day to be the first in his 7-year journey as a…

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Spokane dance teacher discovers family photos in small-town Slovenia

By Katherine BellCommunications Coordinator The stories of our forefathers can be powerful, identity-shaping narratives—especially as Americans. It’s the reason why more than 26 million people mail cotton swabs full of DNA to commercial databases, join heritage societies and pass down family recipes. For local dance teacher Judy Mandeville, a recent trip to Europe brought her lineage to life in an extraordinary…

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Love Your Neighbor

I crossed the southern border into Mexico last month and I met Jesus. Here was the surprise: he wasn’t anything like I expected. He had brown skin, sad eyes, a lanky build, and he spoke softly a language I didn’t understand. He even pronounced his name differently than I’ve been saying it all my life: “Yesus.”

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