St. Vincent Catholic Charities affirmed its commitment to welcome the stranger through their refugee resettlement program despite actions taken by the new administration. “We are disheartened by today’s actions that severely alter the refugee resettlement process in the United States,” said Andrea Seyka, CEO of St. Vincent Catholic Charities. “The U.S. refugee resettlement program is a humanitarian and life-saving program for the world’s most vulnerable, regardless of their religion. As a Catholic agency, we resettle refugees because we adhere to the Catholic principle that every human life has value. We strive to assist those who have been exposed to atrocities that we as Americans cannot imagine.”
“We are blessed to be in such a diverse and inclusive community that has welcomed refugees for almost 40 years. Lansing has benefited economically and culturally, as they have revitalized our neighborhoods, supported our businesses, and graduated from our public schools. “Today we stand together with the over 15,000 refugees from 49 countries that we have resettled in Lansing since the inception of the program in 1979,” said Seyka. “With our coalition of community partners and volunteers, we are proud to be mid-Michigan’s refugee resettlement agency and to provide a safe, welcoming home to refugees.” About St. Vincent Catholic Charities Refugee Services St. Vincent Catholic Charities has a long history of serving children and families in crisis, and is the designated refugee resettlement agency for adults and families in Lansing and mid-Michigan.
Through a federal government program, our Refugee Services assist with the basic essentials to welcome refugees to the Lansing community and help them reach self-sufficiency. Since 1979, Refugee Services has resettled over 15,000 refugees in mid-Michigan, including secondary migrants and asylees, from over 49 countries.
For more information, visit: http://stvcc.org/services/refugee-services/