Refugee Initiative


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Epiphany Family Partners Ministry

“’Come, you who are blessed by my Father…. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’”

Matt 25:34-36

The goal of this ministry is to act as friends and cultural brokers to the refugee families in our parish. By doing this, we obey Christ’s direct command to us – love your neighbors as yourselves. Our goal is to have at least two or three American families committed to each refugee family.

Fundamentally, this is a commitment to be available to our refugee families. Some needs that you might fill:

  • Help the family communicate with their case worker, alert the case worker to specific needs, follow up with the case worker to ensure that the problem has been resolved
  • Provide transportation for the family on Sunday mornings or to specific medical or case worker appointments
  • Take the family on field trips. This might include taking them to a new store they didn’t know about, going to a school band concert together, or taking the kids to play in a park on a Sunday afternoon.
  • Help them organize their important documents or understand something that has come in the mail.
  • Help them open or understand their bank account
  • Help them navigate our complex medical system and make sure that they are receiving appropriate social benefits
  • Help them create a resume, find an opportunity for job training, or go with them to an interview to boost confidence
  • Make contact with the children’s teachers to act as a liaison between the school and the family as appropriate.

While we recognize that this is a serious commitment, we strongly discourage any gifts or support that would be unsustainable. Gifts of money, paying bills, or setting a precedent for a level of help that you cannot continue could be harmful activities. We would encourage you to direct gifts of money, furniture, etc. to the parish for distribution. These are strong, proud people and they are not looking for handouts, just for help navigating a very new and complicated world.

Please prayerfully consider this commitment to act as the hands and feet of Christ in our own parish.

Epiphany Experts

“’Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’”

Matt 25:34-36

We are looking for individuals in our parish to commit to learning about social programs and options for our refugee families so that we can help them help themselves with fundamental needs.

We would ask you to be a contact for the entire parish, whether our refugee families themselves or their partner families.

  • Public Transportation
  • Public school programs
      • Discounted meals
      • Health services available at school
      • Tutoring services
      • School based summer day camp programs
      • Summer meal programs
  • Medicaid/Medicare
  • Food Stamps and related food benefit programs
  • The Women, Infants, and Children program
  • Job placement / Resume assistance
  • Social Security income
  • Adult Education - GED and professional certification
  • Motor Vehicle Department issues – Driver’s licenses and Cars
  • Income Taxes
  • A techie person to maintain a part of Epiphany’s website or a yahoo group to post Epiphany Experts / Epiphany partners information.

Please contact Louise Wood if you would be willing to be on our list as a contact for any of the above categories. 720-470-7676