NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 25, 2025
MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Rev. Jerad Morey
Director of Strategic Relationships
Minnesota Council of Churches
Due to federal policy changes related to the Reception & Placement program, which was the basis of the Consortium meetings, the decision was announced on 3/20/25 that the meetings will be paused indefinitely.
In March we welcomed Farah Del to MCC’s employment team! Already an experienced employment counselor, Farah has hit the ground running, helping connect newcomers to their first jobs in the United States.
Please join us in welcoming Mikyla to MCC Refugee Services as an Immigration Specialist!
We’re excited to welcome Emily Titus, our new specialist in the Intensive Case Management program. Her role involves coming alongside refugees who have a particular vulnerability to develop a plan for self-sufficiency and supporting them in that goal. By the time they exit the program, they can manage their vulnerability— whether that is a medical or mental health need, or something else.
We're excited to have Nou Vang with us this summer as a MSW intern. Nou is helping with our case management and resettlement services. Outside of work, you'll find Nou busy with her daughters who are doing distance learning and her graduate work.
We’re excited to introduce you to the newest member of our team, John Lamont! John joins us having just graduated with a history degree from Williams College in Massachusetts. He has a strong interest in immigration and environmental law, and the prevalence of immigrant and refugee stories in political news over the past few years has really raised his awareness. John also feels a personal connection to refugee resettlement through his grandfather, who came to the United States as a refugee from Lithuania in the 1950s.
It’s pretty incredible that in one generation, Raahmo has the kind of small-world Minnesota stories that weave together her life, family, and career. One of 11 children, she came to Minnesota with her family as a 12 year old. She completed her schooling in Mankato, and then completed a Medical Assistant program and worked in clinics. Throughout school and her work as a medical assistant, she did a lot of interpreting for family, friends, and patients that went beyond translating words to providing a nuanced cultural translation that helped make sense of the context.
Our LVC volunteer Emily shared this story about a family she met last summer:
Refugee families arrive in Minnesota with very few belongings and limited financial resources. Your donated household and other items (new or nearly new) provide the gifts of welcome and hospitality to our newest neighbors and help ease the financial strain of resettlement. Click here to make a financial donation.
Interested in donating essential household items? Please refer to our list of accepted items below, select from our online registry, or build a Welcome Kit!
