U.S. faith communities are leading the charge to welcome refugees displaced by the war in Ukraine
But even before such refugee resettlements begin, faith-based groups have already been helping Ukrainians who have made their way to the United States. Some arrived directly on travel visas. Others traveled to Mexico and then to the U.S. border to claim asylum, enabling them to stay in the U.S. while their cases are processed.
“Refugees have a lot of needs — homes, jobs, English classes, financial assistance, schools and translators who will help them navigate all of that. That’s too much even for a large organization,” Nawyn said. “While getting more people of faith to help is great, not having enough resources or case managers is still going to be a problem.”
“Not because it’s the most important but because it’s the easiest one to forget or ignore — to love the stranger as yourself,” Hetfield said. Buddhism teaches its adherents to be aware of “the interdependence of all beings,” DeChant said, and “the teaching is to not see ourselves as separate from others: Acting compassionately to help others is a core value in all Buddhist traditions.”
Matthew Soerens, the U.S. director of church mobilization and advocacy at World Relief, said his organization is eager to welcome more Ukrainians and he has been busy fielding queries from churches about ways to help: Can they host a family? Can they be involved with English tutoring? Bogdan Kipko, pastor at Forward Church, a Baptist congregation in Irvine, California, has been working with churches such as Calvary as well as one Russian church in the San Diego area. Volunteers have been taking refugees to nearby hotels or hosting them in their own homes; after a short stay, those with relatives in the country typically then travel by bus, car or plane to places like Sacramento, where there is a large Ukrainian community.
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