An Enduring Legacy

“The United States should be an asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty.” -Thomas Paine

Over the two weeks The Welcome Co-Op, along with the hundreds of organizations who work to welcome refugees to our communities, has received blow after blow of Executive Orders and policy changes directly impacting our work. While some of those changes were expected, others were not, and have left us in shock of the implications for our work and the well being of the newcomers we serve.

Of the many executive orders related to immigration from this new administration, the one titled ‘Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program’ directly impacts the work of The Welcome Co-Op. Additionally, our partners were told they needed to stop providing services to refugees who are already here, and there remains uncertainty about future federal grant programs to support vulnerable communities. 

At the time of publication of this blog post, we have welcomed the last refugee family to Georgia for the foreseeable future. Our Shop of Hope remains busy serving new families and families who have been here for several months, and we expect this work to continue. We also expect the material needs in our community to increase and we are in preparations to meet those needs. 

It’s easy to focus solely on the policy implications and large scale impact of these changes. But with over 15 years of working and volunteering in the refugee serving community, I keep thinking of the incredible people I’ve met along this journey who have shown me that the greatest Americans are new Americans. 

Americans like Vedad, who fled Bosnia as a teenager and has spent 15 years setting up apartments for refugees in Atlanta. Or Aimee, who is one of the most brilliant people I know and has dedicated her career to ensuring others get the chance she got. Or Lino, who is never without a smile, a helping hand or positive word but yet endured unspeakable things as a teen, traveling thousands of miles to find a glimmer of safety from war. There are so many others I’ve met over the years, from clients to colleagues to friends. All of them embody what I was taught was the American dream.

So it’s during this time that I’m reminded of what is truly important. I’m reminded that our values as a county can be an enduring legacy that we do not lose, if we stick together and push for what’s right. I’m also reminded that the hundreds of new Americans I’ve met over the past 15 years not only make America great, they make America better. And we stand to lose so much by closing our doors. So in the spirit of optimism and belief, we are committed to working alongside our partners to create warm welcomes for newcomers in Atlanta. We hope you’ll join us.

Get Involved:  Financial gifts are vital right now as we work to sustain our operations during an uncertain time. You can also use your voice to advocate for new Americans. Join us at the Georgia Capitol on February 13 for The New Americans Celebration. You can also volunteer at our Shop of Hope and give clothing donations.

- Emily Laney, Welcome Co-Op Executive Director