Siblings in Christ of the Metropolitan New York Synod,
For many of us, the past year represented a moment of hope. After the darkness and isolation of the pandemic, life has begun to return to normal—offering new opportunities for connection and a renewed commitment to serving our neighbor.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has embraced this moment; in the past year, we have grown exponentially in both size and scale, expanding our capacity to welcome immigrants and refugees.
With the help of people of faith and communities like yours, we were able to...
- Help 16,690 children reunify with their families or find safe, loving foster homes
- Resettle nearly 12,000 Afghans forced to flee after Afghanistan fell under Taliban control
- Welcome 3,169 refugees from countries across the world
- Assist 18,262 people seeking safety from Central America and beyond
We continue to expand our slate of innovative programming beyond traditional resettlement and toward self-empowerment that promotes not just surviving but thriving. A crucial example of LIRS's expansion is the work taking place within the Metropolitan New York Synod, where, through a partnership with
Lutheran Social Services New York, asylum seekers and humanitarian parolees are receiving protection-centered and trauma-informed case management services through
LIRS’s Welcome Center initiative.
All our work reaches, too, into our media and advocacy footprint. You may have seen LIRS President and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah on national news programs, such as PBS Newshour, MSNBC, NPR, the BBC, and others, advocating on behalf of our immigrant and refugee neighbors from Ukraine to Venezuela.
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
It remains a priority of ours in 2023 to combat the divisive, xenophobic rhetoric surrounding immigration and instead promote kindness, compassion, and inherent human dignity. We invite you to join us in that work! This year, we will continue to offer opportunities to get involved in the work of welcome, including:
Together, we can realize Jesus’s ministry of compassion and welcome. We’re so grateful for your support and look forward to working alongside you in the coming months.
In peace,
Chelsey Johnson, LIRS Mobilization and Faith Relations