From Church World Service (http://www.churchworldservice.org):
Thursday, June 20th ─ and the entire month of June ─ we come together to celebrate the courage and resilience of refugees and their contributions to U.S. communities. We also raise our voices in opposition to the U.S. government’s decision to turn its back on refugees, through reducing resettlement in the United States and expanding policies that keep families apart.
For the World Refugee Day Theme Toolkit with special content week-by-week, please click here: bit.ly/2019WRDToolkit. For RCUSA’s 2019 World Refugee Day Toolkit, please visit: bit.ly/WorldRefugeeDay2019.
Here are the top 4 ways to take action:
Start by Sharing the Message on Social Media: Starting June 1 and every day thereafter, send a message of support on social media. Sample tweets available here. Sample graphics are available here: bit.ly/WRDGraphics2019. Sample videos on welcoming refugees are linked, as well as a longer form video for screening at events. Follow @RCUSA_DC on Twitter and “like” Refugee Council USA on Facebook for more. Use #WRD2019 in all postings. Twitter handles for PA Members of Congress below.
Host or Attend a Local World Refugee Day Event: Even small events, multiplied across the country, send a powerful message to the Trump administration and Congress that welcoming refugees and immigrants is a moral issue. Host a local World Refugee Day event, such as a Journey Sabbath to dedicate a worship service to refugees, or attend an event already being planned. We Are All America has a map where you can register your event, or find out what is going on in your area. You can also link up with I Am An Immigrant actions. More resources are available here.
Call Congress – National Call-in Day June 20th: Click here for information on calling Congress, and share with your networks for our massive call-in day June 20th, World Refugee Day. Sample script and click-to-call tool available here. Alternatively, you can call directly–find contact information:
- Senator Robert Casey: http://casey.senate.gov
- Senator Pat Toomey: http://toomey.senate.gov
- Your Representative: http://www.house.gov
Support Local Refugees Welcome Resolutions: Ask your state & local policymakers to pass Refugees Welcome resolutions in June. Click here for a sample resolution. Visit contactingcongress.org/local and usa.gov/elected-officials for contact information. Tweet at your governor and state legislators. Don’t forget #WRD2019!
Immigrant Heritage Month: Community, Family, Food, and Love & Support
June is also Immigrant Heritage Month! Each week, we will lift up refugee stories and ways to take action to restore refugee protection, corresponding to a particular theme for that week. This week, we invite everyone to:
Organize a Journey Sabbath! Stand in solidarity with refugees by organizing a Journey Sabbath, which can be dedicating time during a regular weekly worship service to having refugees share their stories and asking congregants to take action in support of refugee protection and resettlement. Here are general worship planning resources and many denominations have their own resources as well. A prayer for the uprooted is available here. You can also invite congregations to send a Refugees Welcome postcard or We Choose Welcome postcard to your national, state, and local leaders. You can find more planning resources for your celebration here. More information on how to organize a journey sabbath can be found here.
For more resources about Immigrant Heritage Month, please check out the Community Theme Social Media Toolkit & Digital Day of Action Toolkit.
PA Twitter Handles
- Bob Casey: @SenBobCasey
- Pat Toomey: @SenToomey
- Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1): @RepBrianFitz
- Brendan Boyle (PA-2): @CongBoyle
- Dwight Evans (PA-3): @RepDwightEvans
- Madeleine Dean (PA-4): @RepDean
- Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5): @RepMGS
- Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6): @RepHoulahan
- Susan Wild (PA-7): @RepSusanWild
- Matt Cartwright (PA-8): @RepCartwright
- Dan Meuser (PA-9): @RepMeuser
- Scott Perry (PA-10): @RepScottPerry
- Lloyd Smucker (PA-11): @RepSmucker
- Fred Keller (PA-12): @VoteFredKeller
- John Joyce (PA-13): @RepJohnJoyce
- Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14): @GReschenthaler
- Glenn Thompson (PA-15): @CongressmanGT
- Mike Kelly (PA-16): @MikeKellyPA
- Conor Lamb (PA-17): @RepConorLamb
- Mike Doyle (PA-18): @USRepMikeDoyle
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