The good news is getting out about LIRS grants for immigration-detention visitation ministries! I’m grateful to the Reporter of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) for alerting their readers to the approaching deadline for submitting grant applications.
The October 9 article in the Reporter, “LIRS Announces Grants for Immigration-Detention Visitation Ministries,” begins:
Congregations and organizations seeking to formalize, improve and/or expand their services to immigrants in detention have until Oct. 18 to apply for grants that Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) will award for those purposes.
Of course, we’re also extremely thankful for the support the LCMS has provided to make the grants themselves possible. As the article notes:
The grants will be drawn from a funding pool provided by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Wheat Ridge Ministries.
The Reporter article also gives readers a heads-up that the grants may be particularly relevant in their own communities:
Although the application process is open to all churches and organizations, preference will be given to ministries working in LIRS’ hub communities of Austin/San Antonio; Boston; Chicago; Elizabeth, N.J./New York City; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Seattle/Tacoma; and Tucson/Phoenix.
It was also great to see the article offer the words of Liz Sweet, LIRS Director for Access to Justice. She is quoted as saying:
For people in detention … the months or even years spent awaiting asylum or another solution can be extremely lonely and full of fear. The legal process is complex and emotionally draining, while the detention facilities can be dehumanizing and potentially traumatizing for people facing possible deportation.
I hope you’ll take the time to check out the Reporter article, as well as all of the publication’s excellent coverage. If you are moved by the quote above, or are already involved in this type of ministry, I hope you’ll also consider applying for a grant. You can click here to download an application form, or contact Julia Coffin at jcoffin@lirs.org for more information. Remember, the deadline is approaching fast!
Once again, many thanks to The Reporter for their coverage of these important grants, and to the dedicated men and women of faith who are visiting immigrants in detention all over America.