Category: Uncategorized
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Manito Pres rallies around Palouse Trails community to address food insecurity during COVID-19
A simple act of love – something akin to the generous young child who gave up his loaves and fish for the crowd – brought Manito Presbyterian Church to the residents of Palouse Trails to help combat food insecurity during the pandemic. Food insecurity has long plagued residents throughout Spokane – an estimated 20 percent…
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‘God’s answer to my empty nest’
Merilee’s faithful leap into volunteering has led to a whirlwind 30 years of friendship, challenges and God’s provision. Some of her stories are joyful, like the one time she hosted a Vietnamese celebrity and a welcoming party of fans from the Vietnamese community in Spokane showed up at her home.
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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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Friendship knows no borders: Sarah and Samire
By Meghan Long Communications Fellow Meeting Sarah and Samire, you would think they were sisters. Their contagious laughter and love for one another exudes true friendship. This unique and unbreakable bond would not have been formed if the girls hadn’t met in Spokane after resettling as refugees. Sarah is from Iraq and Samire is from…
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“Jesus Chose Us for Each Other”: Oliva and Arooj
By Elyse Herrera Digital Communications Intern When Arooj stepped into Spokane a little over two years ago, her life was “a blank page, completely.” She had so many fears about entering this new “white world.” Shortly after arriving, there came an opportunity for friendship, something Arooj embraced head-on in her relationship with a World Relief…
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Raheem and Thomas: An Unexpected Brotherhood
By Elyse Herrera Digital Communications Intern When Thomas Steiner and Raheem Abbas met two years ago, neither could have anticipated the profound impact they would have on each other’s lives today. Thomas was assigned to be Raheem’s volunteer by World Relief shortly after Raheem arrived from Iraq, and what started as a refugee/volunteer relationship quickly…
World Relief Spokane Blog 