Title: Florida, New York and Texas receive majority of 98 refugees
Date: February 25, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
99b-13
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- Florida, New York and Texas attracted the highest concentrations of refugees resettled by Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations in 1998.
Two hundred and eighteen persons relocated to Florida from other countries last year. New York and Texas resettled 129 and 127 persons respectively. Also resettling more than 100 refugees in 1998 were Oregon with 109 and Southern California with 105.
Immigrants received in these states comprised about 66 percent of the 1,212-person caseload handled by the Disciples Refugee and Immigration Ministries office in 1998. The Disciples caseload represented 15 percent of Church World Service's total number.
Of the Disciples total, Cuba (413) and Bosnia (236) were hot spots for refugees fleeing to the U.S. in the past year. In addition, more than 100 persons fled from the Ukraine in the former USSR (154) and Vietnam (148). Significant numbers also came to the U.S. from Croatia (60) and Iran (49).
Seventy-eight Disciples congregations assisted the new arrivals, with 15 serving as sponsors or cosponsors. The sponsoring congregations were: Peachtree, Atlanta; Augusta, Downey Avenue and Southport churches, Indianapolis; Central, Washington, Ind.; Douglass Boulevard, Louisville, Ky.; Carthage, Cincinnati; Southeast Scottwood, Columbus, Ohio; Saint Andrew, Dublin, Ohio; Shepherd of the Hills, Austin, Texas; Richland Hills, Fort Worth; First and Woodland churches, Houston; and Bon Air Christian Church, Richmond, Va. The remainder donated goods, funds or other resources.
Besides the congregational efforts, the Disciples' Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries program provided valuable assistance to refugees on the Texas/Mexico border. That program's work was supported by 65 congregations which sent money, volunteers and other resources.
The Refugee and Immigration Ministries program is funded by Week of Compassion, with additional financial support from Homeland Ministries.
--end--