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Here you will find the latest updates from the Minnesota Council of Churches

How do we respond to the global refugee crisis?

June 10, 2020

In this Issue

Minneapolis, MN – Rev. Dr. Curtiss Paul DeYoung, CEO of the Minnesota Council of Churches, issued this statement:

 

Pastor Richards closed his sermon with a question: "How do we respond to the global refugee crisis?

It’s pretty incredible that in one generation, Raahmo has the kind of small-world Minnesota stories that weave together her life, family, and career.

Our LVC volunteer Emily shared this story about a family she met last summer:

Miriam’s varied life experiences have come together in a unique way to equip her for her new role as a Refugee Employment Counselor with MCC Refugee Services.

MCC Refugee Services in Mankato recently agreed to partner with an initiative of the Minneapolis Synod ELCA working to combat predatory payday lending in Minnesota communities.

Ta may be one of the newest faces in the MCC Refugee Services office, but she’s not really new to Refugee Services. 

Members of the Delta Phi Omega Chapter in the Twin Cities made a generous donation of grocery gift cards for particularly vulnerable families who arrived with refugee status this year.

Jami joins the MCC Refugee Services team in a newly-created role coordinating cultural orientation classes for new refugees arriving in the Twin Cities.

The name of the innkeeper who made room in his stable for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus doesn't appear in the Bible, but I bet that Mary and Joseph never forgot, and that he never forgot the miracle that occurred that night in his barn.

We all know the familiar story of Christmas--Mary and Joseph, wandering from inn to inn on the verge of giving birth, finding every door barred to them.

Each year, we have the opportunity to host Social Work interns from local universities, sometimes at the Bachelor’s level, and sometimes at the Master’s level.

Brian, MCC’s new Health Case Manager, joins the Refugee Services team with a wide variety of experience. 

Moving to the Twin Cities to accept a Lutheran Volunteer Corps position at MCC Refugee Services represents a kind of homecoming for Emily, who grew up outside St. Paul before heading to Luther College in Iowa. 

When the opportunity to lobby for refugees in Washington D.C. arose, Habiba Rashid jumped at the chance. MCC’s former Executive Director, Peg Chemberlin, was collaborating with Oxfam on a World Refugee Day advocacy day, and turned to MCC Refugee Services to see if any former refugees on our staff would be willing to travel to D.C. and share their story on the Hill.

After two and a half years with Mankato Refugee Services, our Program Director, Margo, will be stepping down from her position.

This January, Mohamed Ibrahim, MCC’s  former Community Health Worker, visited Mariam and her family to talk about her son’s asthma. While there, he noticed that Said (age 6) was hiding his hands behind his back.

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