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Faith Groups Take Lead On Refugee Resettlement Talks

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist is pictured in December at St Luke’s Episcopal Church. Sundquist said a coalition of faith leaders and community members have taken the lead on the proposal. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

A proposal to resettle refugees in the city of Jamestown has taken its next steps through a coalition of faith leaders and community members.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said the city started the conversation regarding refugees coming to the area, but the community and faith-based groups have taken over the idea and have begun the process.

“The city kicked off a conversation with various organizations in regards to the possibility of refugee resettlement in the city of Jamestown,” Sundquist said. “As part of that discussion, we had several faith-based groups and interfaith groups that came together and said, ‘Hey, we want to take the lead on this.”

Sundquist said city officials are excited to have the faith-based groups take on the proposal.

“Immigration, in many cases, has been taken up by faith-based groups in many different places,” he said. “The city continues to be a part of that, along with the school and others, but we’re excited to see the community coming together to take up that torch which we think is going to have a huge impact on the city. I’m very excited to see the possibility of us bringing refugees to resettle in the city. It not only helps broaden the depth of our community and our diversity, but it brings about a new workforce and talents.”

The Rev. Luke Fodor of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown is one of the faith leaders who have taken a lead role in the refugee resettlement process. Fodor said he is involved organizationally, helping to facilitate creating a group to move the process forward. Currently, the group is working with the refugee resettlement organization Journey’s End.

“They’re right in Buffalo and they’re able to work within 100 miles of their main office,” Fodor said. “It’s a church-based entity, but it’s not about Sunday services or evangelism or proselytizing. It’s about how does the church’s network do its primary call to care for the stranger as it is enshrined in both the words of Jesus but also in the words of the Prophets in the Hebrew Bible. It’s that work that’s been the church’s core mission – welcoming hospitality and connecting with those who are on the margins of society.”

Fodor said the idea of community members and members of the faith community taking part in this effort is to make sure it continues and is done right. One of the first things the group did when they began meeting in the middle of January was to create a list of reasons why they wanted to work on this issue and why refugees might consider residing in the Jamestown area. Those reasons include:

¯ diversity

¯ refugees strengthen and build up our community

¯ life-changing relationships and different perspective

¯ learning and sharing the experience of resiliency

¯ preparing children to live in a global world

¯ population decline

¯ new energy, hustle and motivation

¯ break down stereotypes to live beyond fear

¯ human rights

¯ revitalization

“We want to make sure we do this right if we’re going to proceed,” he said. “If it were to continue, it needed to be a community effort not fully run by the city. It’s outside their prerogative.”

Currently, the refugees in question are located on military bases inside or outside of the country. The refugees have been thoroughly vetted and given a special status by the United States government. Refugees by definition are people who have been forced to leave their home country due to war, persecution or natural disaster.

At this time, Fodor said the group is working with Journey’s End and coming up with a feasible plan to bring refugees into the area. The idea would be to start small and bring a few families into the city.

“It’s really important that this is a community effort because I really think it’s the community that will keep them safe – not the government and not the police – we have to do this work,” Fodor said. “It basically goes back to the fact that diversity makes us stronger – not weaker. I think refugees are here to build – not take. There may be some sort of initial phase when they get started they need a little bit of resources to get themselves launched. But by and large, they’re here to build.”

Elizabeth Litton, a member of the refugee resettlement group, said the group has been working to identify local resources and create a plan to welcome refugee families to the community. She said refugee resettlement is an important issue Jamestown cannot allow to pass by.

“Refugee resettlement matters,” Litton said. “The refugees I’ve met share many of our values. They love their families, work hard, and give back to their communities. Even though they have been forced to flee their homelands because of persecution, they are some of the most kind and resilient people you will ever meet. They are our neighbors, and it is our responsibility to welcome them as we ourselves would want to be welcomed.”

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