Today’s bonus episode features a recording from the October 25th webinar – Safeguarding Refugee Resettlement: Navigating Policy Shifts in a Changing Political Landscape - co-hosted by The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations and Episcopal Migration Ministries.  The panel discussion explores the impact policy changes and financial constraints have on the ability of agencies to support and integrate refugees into their local communities. The panelists discuss the crucial role that faith-based organizations play in resettling refugees, welcoming them into our communities, and advocating for the continuation of this vital program.   Panelists include:   Asad Bigzad, Program Officer for Post-Arrival Quality Assurance, Episcopal Migration Ministries, and former refugee from Afghanistan   Sarah Shipman, Director, Episcopal Migration Ministries   Troy Collazo, Policy Advisor, The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations   Troy Elder, Executive Director, Interfaith Refugee & Immigrant Service (IRIS), Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles   Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram, where we are @emmrefugees.         Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to support and grow our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.        Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.

Today’s episode of Hometown features an interview with Salemu Alimasi. Salemu and his family, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, came to the U.S. as refugees in 2011 and settled in Houston. A passionate advocate for years, Salemu has worked as a grassroots community organizer with Church World Service since 2023.  We invite you to join us for a lively conversation where we learn about Salemu’s early years, his family’s experiences living in refugee camps, and the transition and adjustment to living in the U.S. Prepare to be inspired by Salemu’s passion and commitment to advocating for the rights and protections of all forced migrants.  For even more background on Salemu, we encourage you to visit the EMM blog on our website for a three-part series on Salemu’s journey - Salemu’s story, Part 1: Child of Lake Tanganyika - Episcopal Migration Ministries. Thank you for listening.  Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees.     Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to sustain and expand our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.    Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.   

In this episode, we speak with Robert Vivar, migration missioner for the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego since January 2023. Having lived on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border, Robert understands the factors driving sustained levels of global migration as well as the vulnerabilities of people forced to leave their homes. He also brings to this role a deep faith in God and long-established connections with organizations serving migrants, asylum seekers, deported veterans, and others in need on both sides of the border.     We invite you to tune in to our conversation with Robert Vivar. He offers such a fresh and genuine perspective on questions of enduring importance: Who is our neighbor? How might the notion of "courageous love" help us respond to our neighbors’ deepest needs? Where and how are we called to be the church in today’s world?  Whether borderlands are part of your current landscape or a distant reality, we think you will find this conversation with Robert as invigorating as we did. Join us in embracing "courageous love" as we welcome our newest neighbors.     Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees.         Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to support and grow our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.        Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.

NOTE: This episode has been rereleased to include a missing piece of audio. Today’s episode features a conversation with members of the Ocean Springs Remote Placement Community Partner team out of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Cynthia Ramseur, Lena Melton, and Peggy Butera share their experience of joining together as a community to welcome and support a newly arrived refugee family. Their stories highlight what is possible when we trust that we already have all we need to make someone feel welcome. Listen as they share their “aha” moment, how they invited the gifts and skills of their congregation, and the many lessons learned. Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees. Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to support and grow our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.  Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.

Today’s guest on Hometown is Karimullah Kamwar. Karim is an Afghan national who lives and works in Syracuse, New York. Karim grew up in Mazar-e-Sharif, a city in northern Afghanistan. After college and graduate school, he began working in the nonprofit sector and started a family.  However, in August 2021, when the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over, Karim and his family were in danger, due to the work he had done for many years.  Fortunately, they were able to be evacuated, first to Qatar and then to the U.S. Along with many other Afghan evacuees, they were granted humanitarian parole. After spending several weeks on a U.S. military base, Karim and his family were resettled in Syracuse. There, they received support through InterFaith Works of Central New York, which is one of Episcopal Migration Ministries’ affiliate organizations, and also from a legal organization that offers pro bono services to people in need of help applying for asylum and other immigration status changes. Karim and his family saw right away how important it was for newcomers in the U.S. to have digital skills. As soon as he could, Karim began working as the Digital Empowerment Manager with a Syracuse-based community center. For his work, Karim was recognized in 2024 as a Digital Equity Champion and Emerging Leader by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.  The story of the Kamwar family illustrates the challenges of entering the U.S. with humanitarian parole, which provides temporary permission to live in the U.S., but no guarantee of legal permanent residency. As you listen to our conversation with Karim, we invite you to imagine the hopes and the obstacles that many newcomers face, as under dire circumstances beyond their control, they seek a safe place to call home for themselves and their loved ones. We are grateful to Karim Kamwar for joining us today, and for the impact that he is already having on his new community. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees.   Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to sustain and expand our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.  Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com .

Today’s episode features a recording from the April 26th webinar, Part 1: LGBTQIA2S+ Migrants, from The Office of Government Relations (OGR) of The Episcopal Church and Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM). The first of three installments of “A Closer Look” Immigration Series, this session features LGBTQIA2S+ migration expert Craig Mortley, M.Sc., who provides a deeper understanding of the unique challenges and legal hurdles faced by this community as they navigate the complexities of migration. Through personal stories and expert insights, we explore the intersections of sexual orientation, gender identity, and the immigrant experience. You’ll gain valuable knowledge on the barriers LGBTQIA2S+ migrants encounter, from accessing essential services to securing legal status. Additionally, we discuss effective ways to advocate for the rights and well-being of this marginalized group, empowering you to become a stronger ally and advocate for positive change.   *The acronym "LGBTQIA2S+" stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and the "+" symbol represents the many other sexual orientations and gender identities that are not explicitly included in the acronym. This inclusive term acknowledges the diverse and expansive spectrum of human sexuality and gender expression.  Take action: Support LGBTQIA2S+ action alert: https://www.votervoice.net/EPISCOPAL/Campaigns/115033/Respond  Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees.   Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to support and grow our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com .

Today’s episode features a conversation with Mariti Zirarusha (also known as Martin), who with his parents and six siblings were resettled in Tucson, Arizona, as refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Martin shares about his time living in the Kyangwali Refugee Camp in Uganda, the journey to become acclimated to life in a new community in the U.S., and the joy of feeling at home. In addition to attending high school, Martin participates in the Refugee Youth Mentorship Program (RYMP), led by Melissa Benvegno-Bryant of LSS-SW-Tucson. Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees.  Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to sustain and expand our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.

Today’s episode features a conversation with Nasratullah Khalil. Khalil, as he prefers to be called, is an Afghan national who now lives and works in Syracuse, New York. In August 2021, Khalil and his family were forced into hiding after the U.S. abruptly withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. Since Khalil had worked for a U.S. military subcontractor, he was eligible for a Special Immigrant Visa. However, at the time that U.S. troops withdrew, his visa had not yet been granted, and thus he and his family, including four children under the age of 10, were in danger.  Our discussion highlighted the pleasures of living in Afghanistan before the civil war broke out, the challenges of getting an education and being an adult during war, and the perils and obstacles Khalil and his family faced once they were no longer safe in Afghanistan. Khalil also underscored his children’s efforts to make sense of their fate, as the family fled their homeland, saw their savings and options dwindle, and wondered if they would be forced, for lack of options, to return to Afghanistan. At the last possible minute, Khalil’s SIV was granted, and the family made their way to the U.S. and settled in Syracuse. Khalil now works with Interfaith Works of Central New York, helping to pave the way for other newcomers.  Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees.   Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to support and grow our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.  Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.

Today’s episode features Rebecca Hamlin, a professor of political science and legal studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Professor Hamlin’s research and teaching interests center on law and immigration, with a special interest in understanding how people who cross borders are categorized under the law and in public discourse.  In our discussion with Professor Hamlin, she explained her approach to teaching about global migration and underscored the legacy of colonialism and wealth inequality in much of global migration today. Drawing on her research, Rebecca Hamlin highlighted the variability of different countries’ systems for deciding who should receive asylum; key turning points in the history of immigration in the U.S.; and factors that drive global migration.   Her most recent book, Crossing, focuses on ways in which terms such as “refugee” and “migrant” are used in public discourse, as organizations and individuals endeavor to build support for specific policies and practices. In brief, her work provides much food for thought about the deeper questions that all societies must face as they determine who is deserving of safe haven, assistance, and access to essential resources. For those interested in learning more, we highly recommend these publications by Rebecca Hamlin:  ‘Migrants?’ ‘Refugees?’ Terminology is Powerful, Contested, and Evolving. Migration Policy Institute, 2022. Accessible here.  Crossing: How We Label and React to People on the Move. Palo Alto, CA:  Stanford University Press, 2021.   Let Me Be a Refugee: Administrative Justice and the Politics of Asylum in the United States, Canada, and Australia. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2014.    As well as these related resources:  E. Tendayi Achiume. “Re-Imagining International Law for Global Migration: Migration as Decolonization?” American Journal of International Law 111: 142-146. 2017.  Eoin Colfer & Andrew Donkin. Illegal: A graphic novel telling one boy's epic journey to Europe. Illustrated by Giovanni Rigano. Hodder Children’s Books, 2018.  Suketu Mehta. This Land is Our Land: An Immigrant’s Manifesto. New York: Penguin Random House, 2019.  “The Left to Die Boat” (podcast). BBC World Service Documentary (2012) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0101r27 (53 Minutes)      Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees.   Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to sustain and expand our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999.    Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com .

Today’s episode features a conversation with Mohammad Jawad, a refugee from Syria, who was resettled in Syracuse, N.Y., with his wife and children. Mohammad shares memories of his youth in Syria before the civil war, the obstacles he and his family faced as they fled their homeland and lived for ten years in a refugee camp in Jordan, and the opportunities they found when they were selected for resettlement in the U.S.  Using the skills in information technology that he honed against all odds during their years in limbo in Jordan, Mohammad now works for InterFaith Works of Central New York, one of EMM’s affiliate organizations in Syracuse. To hear his story is to be amazed at the power of human resilience and determination in the pursuit of one’s dreams. Follow us on FB, LinkedIn, and Instagram, where we are @emmrefugees. Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to sustain and expand our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com.

On this episode, we speak with Rev. Chris McNabb, the Program Officer for Recruitment & Engagement of Neighbor to Neighbor. We explore the experience, evolution, and expansion of this program since its inception around August 2021, as well as some continued challenges around funding, and the call to respond to issues of forced-displacement as a result of environmental changes and gender identity. Fr. Chris McNabb is an Episcopal Priest who has been called to the work as Program Officer for Recruitment & Engagement of Neighbor to Neighbor, a program of Episcopal Migration Ministries. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Masters in Divinity, and earned his diploma in Anglican Studies from The General Theological Seminary. Prior to his role with EMM, Fr. McNabb served as the Curate for "Caritas, Justice, and Healing" at Trinity Church in Princeton, NJ and was the Priest in Charge of St. Francis Episcopal Church, on the south shore of Long Island. When not working, Chris enjoys hiking, camping, and hanging out with his dog Lucky. Neighbor to Neighbor trains community groups to welcome newcomers into their communities. You can play a critical role in this ministry. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google play, or SoundCloud. To support the ministry of welcome, make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

On this episode of HomeTown, we speak with members of Neighbor to Neighbor's own St. John's Norwood Sponsor Circle team, doing the critical work of welcome with individuals arriving in their communities. We speak with the Rev. Anne Derse, Deacon and St. John’s Minister for Community Engagement, as well as St. John's parishioners Melanie Folstad and Rick McCumber, husband and wife team-leads for the St. John's Norwood Neighbor to Neighbor Sponsor Circle team. Our Neighbor to Neighbor program trains community groups to welcome newcomers into their communities. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google play, or SoundCloud. To support the ministry of welcome, make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

In this episode of HomeTown, we speak with members of Neighbor to Neighbor's own Tri-Parish Sponsor Circle team. This Sponsor Circle consists of three Episcopal parishes who have teamed up together with EMM's Neighbor to Neighbor program to do the critical work of welcome with individuals arriving in their communities. I speak with Embry Howell and Rev. Julianne Buenting from All Souls Episcopal Church in Washington D.C., Jess Sanchez and Lacy Broemel from St. John's Episcopal Church in Lafayette Square, Washington D.C., and Dana Martin from St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA about their process, experience, and call to this critical work of welcome. Our Neighbor to Neighbor program is an official Sponsor Circle Umbrella under the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans! **We are in urgent need of sponsor circles to support the move of Afghan newcomers into welcoming communities. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or SoundCloud. To support the ministry of welcome, you can make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

On this episode of HomeTown, we are joined by some of our very own Episcopal Migration Ministries team members, Allison Duvall and Zoë Bayer, who will help us break down the different types of sponsorship and how community groups can get involved. Many efforts to welcome our newest neighbors are happening in the form of co-sponsorship, community sponsorship, and Sponsor Circles-- but as folks who are called to this work, we want to know: what exactly is the difference between them all? Join us for this illuminating breakdown of sponsorship. Our Neighbor to Neighbor program is an official Sponsor Circle Umbrella under the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans! **We are in urgent need of sponsor circles to support the move of Afghan newcomers into welcoming communities. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or SoundCloud. To support the ministry of welcome, you can make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

In this episode recorded on International Women's Day, we spoke with some special guests from Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston about their Women Refugee Art Program (WRAP), and the Women's Empowerment Group (WEG). We spoke with Narelle Sissons, a visual artist, theatre designer, professor, and art instructor who teaches and empowers the women of WRAP to use art concepts to express themselves and their stories. We also spoke with Chloe Krane, a former TV producer for Associated Press, Al Jazeera, and BBC, who is now the Interfaith Ministries' Women’s Empowerment Liaison and leader of the Women's Empowerment Group, and Sucre Woodley, Director of Marketing & Communications at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. We explore the complex, and often traumatic journeys of rebuilding one's life in a new place, and how creating safe places and brave spaces for expression and education are crucial, liberating opportunities for women refugees, asylees, and parolees as they go through resettlement processes. Our Neighbor to Neighbor program is an official Sponsor Circle Umbrella under the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans! **We are in urgent need of sponsor circles to support the move of Afghan newcomers into welcoming communities. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google play, or SoundCloud. To support the ministry of welcome, make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

Today's episode features a conversation with with some members of the St. Matthew's & St. Andrews Pentecost Partnership Committee, a joint effort between two parishes in Evanston, IL, who are working with RefugeeOne to do the critical work of welcome within their community. We speak with Cynthia Doucet, Marta Humphreys, & the Rev. Terri J. Morrisey, who are parishioners & clergy of the two churches in Evanston, along with Kelli Wendt, the Community Engagement Coordinator at RefugeeOne. This episode highlights what it looks like for organizations to get involved in this critical work of "welcoming all in community, joyfully doing God's work in the world." episcopalmigrationministries.org/neighbortoneighbor Our Neighbor to Neighbor program is an official Sponsor Circle Umbrella under the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans! **We are in urgent need of sponsor circles to support the move of Afghan newcomers off of bases and into welcoming communities in the coming weeks. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google Play, or SoundCloud. To continue to support the ministry of welcome, you can make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

Today's episode features a conversation with Fr. Chris McNabb, the Program Manager of EMM's new Neighbor to Neighbor program initiative, to discuss the beginnings of this program, and also how it brings communities together in a ministry of welcome, inviting faith communities to join together in community sponsorship to welcome our newest neighbors. episcopalmigrationministries.org/neighbortoneighbor Our Neighbor to Neighbor program is now an official Sponsor Circle Umbrella under the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans! **We are in urgent need of sponsor circles to support the move of Afghan newcomers off of bases and into welcoming communities in the coming weeks. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google play, or SoundCloud. To continue to support the ministry of welcome, you can make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

Today's episode features a recording from the Thursday, Jan. 20th webinar hosted by EMM called: "Welcoming Afghans: EMM's Neighbor to Neighbor Program", where we join with Fr. Chris McNabb, Program Manager of our new Neighbor to Neighbor program, along with Beth Frank, program director of the Community Sponsorship Hub's Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans, and Brian Dyck, national migration and resettlement program director, from the Mennonite Central Committee Canada to discuss this monumental joining of efforts to create communities of welcome through sponsorship for our newest Afghan neighbors, and to introduce EMM's new Neighbor to Neighbor initiative. episcopalmigrationministries.org/neighbortoneighbor Our Neighbor to Neighbor program is now an official Sponsor Circle Umbrella under the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans! **We are in urgent need of sponsor circles to support the move of Afghan newcomers off of bases and into welcoming communities in the coming weeks. You can play a critical role. To learn how you can be a community sponsor, visit https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google play, or SoundCloud. To continue to support the ministry of welcome, you can make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

Join us this spring and summer for Season 6 of Hometown, where we zoom in on EMM's newest ministry of welcome program, called Neighbor to Neighbor. We'll hear the voices who are directly involved in this emerging ministry of welcome, such as our Neighbor to Neighbor Missioner, Fr. Chris McNabb, as well as congregations who are stepping up and doing this vital ministry. We will also feature the voices of individuals positively impacted by this new, monumental program, and voices of leaders who are on the ground spearheading this ecumenical initiative. To learn how you can get involved in community sponsorship, visit: https://dfms.formstack.com/forms/initial_congregation_interest_form Be sure to follow us on FB, twitter, and Instagram where we are @emmrefugees. To stay up to date on all new episodes, make sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts on Spotify, iTunes, stitcher, Google play, or SoundCloud. To continue to support the ministry of welcome, you can make a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. With your help, we will continue to welcome and resettle refugees in communities across the country, offer support to asylum seekers, and create beloved community for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.or/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at https://abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com

Today’s episode features a recording from the June 10 panel discussion hosted by EMM. The discussion highlighted the work to rebuild the refugee resettlement program, perspectives from different faith traditions and practitioners, and the role of community support in providing welcome and integration to newly arrived refugees. The 90-minute event included a moderated panel discussion, followed by a question and answer session, with the following guests: - The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church - Demetrio Alvero , Director of Operations for Episcopal Migration Ministries - Dr. Heval Kelli, Cardiologist, co-founder and president of the Kurdish American Medical Association, and former refugee - Larry Bartlett, Director of the Office of Refugee Admissions, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State Follow us on FB, Twitter, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees. Join in the ministry of welcome by making a gift to Episcopal Migration Ministries. No gift is too small, and all gifts are used to support and grow our work resettling refugees, supporting asylum seekers, and creating welcoming communities for all of our immigrant siblings. Visit episcopalmigrationministries.org/give or text HOMETOWN to 91999. Our theme song composer is Abraham Mwinda Ikando. Find his music at abrahammwinda.bandcamp.com