From: CWS Lancaster <sgromek@cwsglobal.org>
Date: Fri, Jul 19, 2019 at 9:44 AM
Subject: The time is now, for powerful voice and peaceful solidarity.
To: info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org <info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org>
| Our volunteers are our community ambassadors! No Images? Click here  Dear Friends and Supporters of Refugees and Immigrants, Late last evening, reports broke that administration officials have begun conversations around the FY2020 Presidential Determination for Refugee Admissions, and that some are advocating for the number of arrivals for the upcoming year to be zero. Yes, zero. While these are preliminary conversations, we cannot let this go any further. With more than 70 million refugees and displaced people in the world today, we are in the middle of the worst refugee crisis in world history. This is not the time for the United States—a world democratic leader—to back off from our promise to offer freedom and safe haven to the most vulnerable. Zeroing out refugee resettlement would have grave long-term implications devastating thousands of refugees in dangerous situations and compromising a valuable diplomatic tool that is essential to stabilizing relationships all around the world. Over the recent years, refugees and immigrants have faced unprecedented obstacles and challenges as they seek to rebuild their lives in the US. You stood tall beside them and CWS, and continued in lifting your voice of solidarity. NOW is a time unlike any other. We must respond quickly, and with a voice so powerful that it is clear-- the US is a place of welcome for those fleeing persecution. We must stand tall, to let our elected officials know that Lancaster stands, as tall as the trees, in solidarity with ALL our neighbors, and that refugees are welcome in our community. We must increase our pressure on Congress, to represent their communities with a voice of the people- not a political party. Refugees are not a political tool to be handled on a whim because an election year is coming up. They are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. They are you and me- caught in a conflict with no other hope than the hope for resettlement. CWS has shown time and time again, that we are anxiously awaiting their arrival, so that we can introduce them to this incredible place we call Lancaster. You are the reason we have been called the Refugee Capital of the Nation- because your welcome has far surpassed expectations. We are called once more, to lift our voices in show of powerful and peaceful solidarity. TODAY, and in the upcoming days and weeks ahead CWS in Lancaster will equip you with the tools and resources to demonstrate our collective support of refugees. This is a human issue. And we have every intention on demonstrating this. If you have a friend, an uncle, a brother, or a sister who is not sure about the situation, invite them to talk about it- don't shy away from a challenging conversation. In the face of discomfort, lies an opportunity for change. For today and every day this weekend, we ask you to call on your elected officials. For many of us this is Congressman Lloyd Smucker, who represents the Lancaster area. A sample script is below. CALL YOUR SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVE TODAY: Sample Script: "I'm your constituent from [CITY/TOWN], and I urge you to do everything in your power to protect the U.S. asylum system & refugee resettlement program from being decimated by the administration. After barring people from seeking asylum if they travel through another country, the administration is considering setting the refugee admissions goal for next year at ZERO. Congress must hold the administration accountable. By law, the administration must consult with Congress prior to setting the refugee admissions goal, which means you are uniquely poised to ensure that the administration fulfills its obligation to consult with Congress ahead of deciding how many refugees to welcome in FY20. Please do everything in your power to see that the administration stops its attacks on asylum seekers and commits to resettling 95,000 refugees in 2020. My community welcomes refugees, and I urge you to reflect the best of our nation by supporting refugee resettlement." *** Until a final determination on the national capacity is decided, the days and weeks ahead will be long. But regardless of the situation, CWS in Lancaster will be here, just as we have been for the past 32-years, providing hope and support to refugees and immigrants of Lancaster County. If you'd like to make a donation to further support our work locally, you can do so here. We are honored and ever grateful for your peaceful solidarity. In strength, Sheila Mastropietro, Lancaster Office Director While you're here, would you make a recurring donation? Are you thinking about planned giving or stock designation? We would be happy to talk. Are you a business owner and want to know more of how to become an event sponsor? Let's be in touch! Have questions? Let's talk! If you have a question about an opportunity to volunteer, send us an email!
CWS Lancaster 308 East King Street Lancaster, PA 17602 |
