SPOKANE, Wash. – A night of hope and music for World Relief, the region’s only resettlement organization.
President Trump’s executive order temporarily banning refugees, also drastically cut funding to world relief and now the organization needs help.
Friday night refugees and concerned neighbors packed St. John’s cathedral to support the organization, enjoying music from around the world.
Opera to original music from a refugee band, there was no shortage of entertainment tonight.
In the past 20 years, world relief has helped more than nine thousand refugees resettle in the inland northwest.
When a family arrives in Spokane, world relief staff and volunteers make sure they have food, clothing and a place to call home.
The organization even lines up jobs and enrolls kids in school.
The non-profit relies on federal funding, but the President’s recent refugee travel ban is jeopardizing those funds.
All money raised from tonight’s concert will help support refugees and world relief’s efforts in our community.
“Although this has been a really heavy and difficult time, there’s been so many really bright moments. We’ve just been really impressed with Spokane and how they’ve done their part to encourage,” said Kelly Johnson from World Relief Spokane.
Since the travel ban went into effect the agency has closed five offices across the country.
With the President expected to announce a new immigration executive order next week, World Relief staff do not expect this uncertainty of their future to end any time soon.
Read more at World Relief Spokane holds benefit.
