HomeTown

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...

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 abo...

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 connect...

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...

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...

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...

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 addit...

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 Im...

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 h...

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 res...

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....

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 th...

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 C...

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...

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 themsel...

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 churche...

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/neighbortoneigh...

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 res...

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 voi...

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...

Today's episode features a recording of the June 1 webinar hosted by Episcopal Migration Ministries and The Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations - Welcoming our Newest Neighbors: How Americans and the Episcopal Church Integrate Refugees into Their Communities. The event featured the following experts: • Jessica Darrow, Assistant Instructional Professor, the Crown Family School of Soci...

Today's episode features the recording of Reflecting on The Geneva Convention: The State of Global Refugee Trends and Refugee Policy Today, a webinar from Episcopal Migration Ministries and The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations. In addition to the Church’s migration ministry and policy staff, the event featured the following experts: • David FitzGerald, Professor, Gildred Chair in...

Today’s reflection comes from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, the 27th and current presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. Follow us on FB, Twitter, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees. In this season of giving we invite you to make a gift to support the refugee and immigration ministries of The Episcopal Church through the work of Episcopal Migration Ministries.. Visit episcopalm...

Today’s episode features a reflection from Ana Reza, Bridge Chaplain at the Diocese of the Rio Grande, living in El Paso, Tx and working in Juarez, Mx. Ana works within one of the asylum shelters in Juarez, MX. Ana provides pastoral care and seeks and trains volunteers to go to the shelters and do a variety of activities from teaching to prayer. During COVID she is involved with EMM in building so...

Today’s episode is part of EMM’s weekly Advent reflections from our supporters and friends. Our reflection author is Thomas Diaz, a 5th generation Angeleno. Thomas is from the diocese of Los Angeles and his home parish is All Saints Church, Pasadena. Follow us on FB, Twitter, and Instagram where we are emmrefugees. In this season of giving we invite you to make a gift to support the refugee and im...