The U.S. Refugee Admission Program has been shut down since Jan. 20, meaning long-standing contracts with resettlement agencies across the nation, including World Relief here in the Inland Northwest, have been canceled for the foreseeable future.
In response, several regional organizations on March 15 — Feast World Kitchen, Global Neighborhood, International Rescue Committee (Spokane), Manzanita House, Refugee and Immigrant Connections, and Thrive International — have formed the Eastern Washington Refugee Coalition to ensure that refugees still get the support they need.
"The impact is dire for people who have arrived here in our region in recent months/years and need support navigating things like job skills development, housing stability, basic needs and community resources, English language development, and much more," reads a March 19 newsletter from Feast World Kitchen.
To help raise funds for the coalition, Feast held the "World's Most Expensive Bake Sale" on March 20. The first $25,000 raised is being matched by Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund ($15,000) and First Presbyterian Church of Spokane ($10,000).
As of early April, Feast's cofounder and co-executive director, Ross Carper, says nearly $15,000 has been raised, and he hopes to hit the matching amount's target soon. Donations can be made at tinyurl.com/587xk44j.
Carper says 20% of funds raised will be used to raise awareness and support the coalition's advocacy efforts. The remaining 80% will be divided equally among its member organizations.
"I think all of us, as a coalition, we all want to just come together and do what we can to make sure that people who have come to our community as refugees, having fled horrific war and violence and genocide in different situations, that they have the best shot possible at having a flourishing life here in the U.S. and in Spokane," Carper says.
