KSL: To The Rescue
How a call ‘to the rescue’ inspired Utahns in a year’s worth of service to refugees
By Candice Madsen | Published on KSL.com on April 2nd, 2017
Reposted by TSOS, April 8, 2017 (Original post)
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s been one year since members of the LDS Church were called upon to reach out to refugees. See how this call to service has inspired many people to step outside their comfort zones to help those most in need.
A young woman, drawn to help in whatever way she could, set up a successful nonprofit organization that now provides thousands of pounds of needed items to those fleeing their dangerous homelands.
Some members have traveled to refugee camps to show compassionate care, while others serve closer to home helping in their own communities. It’s a movement that is gaining momentum — it’s a desire to help those who cannot help themselves.
Official Statement on the Detention of Refugees and Ongoing Community Violence
With another death in Minnesota and continued violence toward individuals and groups standing up for their communities, we acknowledge the profound fear and uncertainty people are feeling--not just locally, but across the country.
On top of this, there are reports that refugees invited and admitted to our country through the U.S. Refugee Admission Program are now being detained, meaning that our new friends and neighbors feel that fear most acutely.
Refugees have already fled violence and persecution once. They came here legally, seeking safety. In moments like these, we reaffirm our commitment to building communities where refugees and immigrants can live without fear. Where they can go to work, send their children to school, and build lives of dignity and belonging.
We call for due process, accountability, and humanity in all immigration enforcement operations. We call upon our leaders to demand the demilitarization of our neighborhoods and cities. And we call on all of us to continue the work of welcoming and protecting those who have been forcibly displaced from their homes.