Welcoming Our New Neighbors

Message from Rev. Mansfield (Kasey) Kaseman, Montgomery County Interfaith Liaison:

Our world is facing an unprecedented humanitarian challenge in addressing the plight of millions of refugees fleeing war and persecution. Scripture and the heart of every faith tradition calls us to be compassionate, to welcome the stranger and to treat one another as we would want them to treat us.

In this July 17, 2014 photo, Kevin Torres, 7, plays on the front porch of his apartment building in Huntington Station, N.Y. Since arriving from El Salvador in May 2014, Torres lives with his mother in a two-story colonial divided into four different units. The house is rented by different immigrant families from different Central American countries. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig) — In this July 17, 2014 photo, Kevin Torres, 7, plays on the front porch of his apartment building in Huntington Station, N.Y. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

You will find many opportunities and resources on this page for individuals, families and faith communities to live out our faith in terms that will prove to be a blessing to us all. Working together across the lines of faith, ethnicity, race and age adds depth to our lives and hope for a better future.

See the Resource Guide “How Faith Communities in Montgomery County Can Welcome Our New Neighbors” for ways your community can get involved. (Published, June 2016 by the Faith Community Advisory Council). Click on the links below for information and resources.

Here is a video describing our work from the “Welcoming Our New Neighbors: Sharing Resources Meeting” held on Jan. 31, 2017. The meeting was attended by over 120 people from over 40 faith communities.

Welcoming Our New Neighbors

The Need

8 Ways Faith Communities Can Help

Partnering with a Resettlement Refugee Agency

Information & Resources for Assisting Newcomers

More Resources for Supporting Refugees