by Alyssa Sonn

Bethany Christian Services is a global organization that began in 1944.  They have worked to bring and keep families together through their services in different countries.  These services include refugee sponsorship, foster care, family support, and adoption.

Bethany Christian Services partners with local churches and community agencies to welcome refugee and immigrant families, helps them adjust to a new life in the United States and other countries, and typically welcomes about 500 refugees to their organization annually.

Bethany Christian Services work with refugee families for the first six months they are in the country, doing everything from meeting them at the airport upon arrival, providing a place to live, bringing them to doctor’s appointments, providing language training, and helping refugees secure a job in order to support their families.  Their goal is to provide a “safe, new community for refugee and immigrant families where they will be able to thrive as self-sufficient, contributing members of society.”

Each year in the United States, the President, in consultation with Congress, determines the numerical ceiling for refugee admissions.  For the 2016 Fiscal Year, ending in October 2017, the proposed ceiling is 85,000.

Early this year, President Trump signed an executive order banning any refugee entrance into the United States for 120 days.  Though President Trump’s executive order has temporarily halted the entrance of refugees, Bethany Christian Services still remains committed to working with government officials to ensure that this tradition of welcoming refugees and immigrant families continues.

“President Trump’s executive order has greatly affected us as an organization,” Todd Miller Assistant Program Director for Bethany Services of Greater Delaware Valley said. “We had to reduce our staff and learn to work with recent budget cuts.  For the rest of this Fiscal Year, we are only accepting about 10,000 refugees into the United States, when we are usually accepting over 85,000.”

Miller, dedicates his time to advocating and helping resettle foreign refugees.

Due to the recent budget cuts, Miller is working diligently with his team to help fundraise in order to keep the organization strong.  With only two other organizations in Philadelphia dedicated to helping refugee resettlement, it is crucial that Bethany Christian Services is able to maintain their organization.

Bethany Christian Services is an organization funded by the government.  The government pays two dollars for every one dollar that the organization matches.  They are given money based on the number of refugees coming through their organization.  However, due to the recent halt of refugees coming to the United States, the organization is looking to other ways to remain active, such as fundraising.

Miller is currently hosting a fundraising event, Refugee Camp out, which will invite individuals, families, students on college campuses, and youth groups to campout on the fourth Friday of every month, in a show of solidarity to those who have fled their homelands and are living in tents around the world.

Bethany Christian Services states on their website, “It is our privilege and duty as God’s people to follow His example in loving and welcoming strangers.  Our resettlement program within the United States works in collaboration with local churches, volunteers, and service providers to ensure refugee families a safe and smooth transition into their new homes.”

Bethany Christian Services welcomes volunteers, sponsorships, and donations to improve their cause.  They also provide the experience to become a refugee foster parent, which is an extremely powerful movement.

Please visit, Bethany.org to find our more information and how you can help today.