“On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 6PM Bob Bartles of World Relief will be at First Presbyterian Church of Mount Pleasant to discuss ways to assist Ukrainian refugee resettlement in SE Iowa.
Families from Ukraine have a special refugee status called humanitarian parole. Once the family acquires a sponsor and has been vetted by the government, they can come to the US and seek employment immediately.
This meeting will inform those interested in supporting these very deserving families how to get involved—including the option of sponsorship.
Find out more about how you can help on Wednesday, June 21st, at 6PM at First Presbyterian Church of Mount Pleasant (902 S Walnut St).”
Over 20 million Ukrainian Refugees have fled their homeland and searched for shelter in other countries since February 24th, 2022. It was on this day that Russia invaded and occupied parts of Ukraine, a move that saw the Russo-Ukraine (2014) war escalate. This, in turn, has caused Europe to face its’ largest refugee crisis since World War II. While 8 million have fled to neighboring countries, an estimated 5-6 million Ukrainians are currently internally displaced.
Although Iowa is relatively small, the state could play a large role in this crisis. Potential sponsors need to prove that they can financially support them during their stay.
“The first step in the Uniting for Ukraine process is for the U.S.-based supporter to file a I-134A, Online Request to be a Supporter and Declaration of Financial Support, with USCIS. The U.S. government will then vet the supporter to ensure that they are able to financially support the individual whom they agree to support.
For more information on Uniting for Ukraine, see the DHS webpage.”
According to multiple sources, over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to the United States since February 2022. Most refugees are granted a two-year period of shelter through humanitarian parole before needing to renew.
Through the World Relief organization, Bob Bartles, along with his wife, became sponsors of a Ukrainian family. You now have the chance to meet Bob, who is the leader of the refugee resettlement agency (World Relief) and learn more about this program on June 21st, 6pm, at the First Presbyterian Church of Mount pleasant.
https://hhs.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/BRS_Uniting_For_Ukraine_web.pdf
Uniting For Ukraine - April 2022