Friends General Conference

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Refugee Resettlement Update

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The West Chester Area Refugee Resettlement committee, which is made up of representatives from seven Quaker meetings, three churches, the Unitarian Congregation of West Chester, and the Islamic Society of Chester County, was disappointed to learn that the young Congolese refugee couple who were scheduled to arrive in West Chester on March 23 will not be resettled in our area. Lutheran Children and Family Service in Pennsylvania, the refugee resettlement agency with which the committee was working, is closing, and its cases have been transferred to Lutheran agencies in other parts of the country. 

LCFS is exploring the possibility of Bethany Christian Services taking over its refugee resettlement role in our region, in which case the WCARR committee might co-sponsor another family with that organization.  It's also possible that WCARR might work with HIAS (Hebrew Immigration Aid Society) or NSC (Nationalities Service Center), the other two refugee resettlement agencies in our region, to co-sponsor a family. 

This is a disappointing development. We will continue to hold all refugees in the Light and prayerfully wait to see how way opens.

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