FAQ

A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

The federal government oversees immigration via refugee placement, in partnership with agencies that serve to offer resettlement services. Nation-wide, the majority of refugees are arriving from

• The Democratic Republic of Congo

• Myanmar

• Afghanistan

• Syria

• Ukraine

• Iraq

• Somalia

• Eritrea

• Honduras

• El Salvador

• Venezuela

Refugee resettlement in the state of Florida provides faith communities a unique opportunity to serve a broad spectrum of humanity. In Florida, our refugee resettlement programs mainly receive individuals from

• Afghanistan

• Syria

• Haiti

• Venezuela

• Cuba

• Iraq

• Sudan

• The Democratic Republic of Congo

• and more

The work of checking legal status belongs to the federal and state government. FORA has no role or position in overseeing these policies or processes.

Muslims make up one of the largest cultural blocs among global refugee populations. As such, they make up a very high proportion of incoming refugees to Tampa, as well as many other American communities. But there is another reason as well. For decades, tensions, fear, and misunderstanding have characterized relationships between Muslim and Christian communities. FORA seeks to help followers of Jesus take steps towards our Muslim neighbors, so that we can engage with love, not fear; treating people with dignity, not contempt. To this end, we want our communications to reflect the humanity of these communities which have too often been 'othered.'

FORA, in partnership with key members like A New Life Warehouse, serves a broad demographic of refugees. We are seeking to make our foundational programs (including Friendship Families, Homework Help clubs, and ESL classes) available to all refugees who arrive.

There are many ways to be involved that don't require training. You can donate needed items, help with a move-in, or serve in one of the NGO's in partnership with FOR Alliance, distributing groceries or fixing bikes. The areas of service that do require training include: The Friendship Family program, Homework Help clubs, and serving in ESL (English as a Second Language.) Contact us for more information about the length of the training and sites for upcoming seminars, at info@foralliance.org.

FORA is a nonpartisan coalition. Our identity is rooted in being citizens of Heaven, serving to advance the Kingdom of God, with Christ as our Prince of Peace (Philippians 3:20, Matthew 6:33, John 18:36, Isaiah 9:6). While we recognize that following Jesus can also include civic engagement, our role in FORA is free of political affiliation.

We would love to talk with you! Send in a little information on the form under the "Join" tab. Click on "Pastor", and tell us about yourself and your church. A member of our team will be in touch with you soon!

As a Christ-centered initiative, we uphold the gospel of Jesus as true: a message of grace that is for people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. We are honored to share this message with anyone we relate to who is interested to hear what we believe. FOR Alliance recognizes that many refugees come from places in the world where conversations about belief can be dangerous or even illegal. We recognize the relief that many refugee communities feel in finally being able to speak openly, without fear of violence or repercussions. We also recognize the deep loneliness that many immigrant communities feel, and the longing to talk about life, including topics that intersect with faith.

We love our refugee neighbors and uphold their rights to communicate with whoever they would like to communicate with, about whatever they want to communicate with. We recognize that some efforts to show respect are ultimately experienced as infantilizing, as policies are made on others' behalf determining what they can and can't talk about, and with whom: choices that often introduce a confusing measure of distance or marginalization in someone's life. We uphold the autonomy of our refugee neighbors to make their own choices, showing respect for their boundaries and decisions, with awareness of cultural distinctions of how those boundaries may be conveyed. We are thankful for every person who has allowed us the proximity to their own lives. The world is too full of misunderstanding and fear: Let's continue to move towards knowing each other, and being known.

We would love to talk with you! Contact us at info@foralliance.org A member of FORA will be in touch with you as soon as possible.