Greeting Refugees With Compassion and Care

World Relief is an international Christian humanitarian organization that addresses global crises in partnership with local churches and communities. Established in 1989 in High Point and expanded to Winston-Salem in 2015, World Relief Triad has been resettling refugees and providing vital services to immigrant families for more than three decades.

The refugee resettlement process handled by World Relief Triad is comprehensive and compassionate. This journey of refugee resettlement is far from easy or expeditious. Not only are these families displaced from their homes, but they may wait, on average, a total of 10 years before being granted permission to come to the U.S. According to international law, refugees are individuals who are forced to flee their home country due to persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. “All refugees arrive on an airplane and pay their own way, by way of a travel loan that they pay back after they’re settled,” explained Jon Musser, director of church and community engagement. “Once a refugee family arrives, we help them get set up with everything they need, from housing to community support.”

World Relief Triad offers various programs to support refugees. These include a 3–8 month resettlement program that intensively cares for families, helping them secure jobs, enroll in school, and access necessary services like food assistance and employment authorization. “Our employment program helps people find jobs, overcoming challenges with transportation, language barriers, and childcare. We also provide legal services to help refugees move toward citizenship, which they’re eligible to do after 5 years,” Jon said.

Community support and engagement are critical to World Relief Triad’s mission. Grant support from the Foundation has played a significant role in expanding the organization’s bandwidth to raise funds and engage the community. “Foundation grant support has been crucial. We’re grateful for the ease of the grant application process so we can spend more time serving our community,” Jon explained.

“There’s so much cultural richness in our communities when we expand our social circles. Immigrants bring immense cultural, relational, and economic gifts that benefit us all."

World Relief Triad also works to change misconceptions about refugees and emphasizes the importance of viewing all immigrants with dignity. “There’s so much cultural richness in our communities when we expand our social circles. Immigrants bring immense cultural, relational, and economic gifts that benefit us all."