May Newsletter
Thank you for your generous support of Arrive Ministries and our outreach to refugees and asylum seekers in Minnesota. Hundreds each month are receiving help from our staff and wonderful volunteers in programs such as Somali Adult Literacy Training (SALT), Immigration Legal Services (ILS); Church Refugee Gardens and Refugee Life Ministries (RLM).
Did you know?
- 95% of the refugees who came last year were joining family members already in MN after years of separation
- 1,623 refugees (men, women and children) arrived in MN in 2017
- 1,147 refugees joined the workforce in 2017, many because of our Refugee Employment Service (RES) team
- Only 10,500 refugees, including about 6,700 Christians, entered the U.S. from Oct. 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018. This is about a quarter of the number who were resettled at this point in fiscal year 2017.
- Immigrants and refugees make up 7% of the MN population but are 9% of the workforce
Yet, our work is not about numbers and statistics. It is about relationships and sharing lives together. We love the story (below) from our co-worker, Amber, who helps former refugees through our Immigration Legal Services (ILS) department:
We are Immigrants – We Get It
I just completed citizenship applications with a mother and her adult son who are former refugees from Cuba. When I went out to the lobby to greet them, they handed me 10 plastic bags bursting with new toiletries, towels, and linens, saying, “We got these for the new refugees who come through your organization.” I accepted them gratefully.
As we filled out the citizenship applications, I was stunned by the mother’s work history – she has worked two or three jobs (one an overnight stocking shift) at the same time for the last five years while she supported herself and her children. Last January, she bought her first house and last August she enrolled in a local community college. When I asked what she is studying she said, “Biology. My dream is to be an ophthalmologist and this is the first step.” I was floored by this woman and her work ethic and her “no excuses” approach to chasing down her goals.
As we finished the applications I thanked them again for their generous donation to newly arrived refugees. The mother shrugged and smiled saying, “We are immigrants. We get it.” Reported by Amber Kerrigan
We value the partnership of many individual and churches who supply items for our newly-arriving refugee families. The following items are in short supply:
- Toilet brushes with holder
- Boxes of tissues
- Hand lotion
- Washcloths
- Bath towel
- Shower curtain liners & hooks
- Cutting boards
- Kitchen trash bins with lids
- Can openers
- Target gift cards
Arrive Ministries depends on the support of churches, individuals and community members. Click here to donate electronically or send your tax-deductible gift to: Arrive Ministries 1515 East 66th Street, Richfield, MN 55423.
