Church World Service Lancaster, which has resettled hundreds of refugees in the county, may have to lay off a fourth of its staff as a result of President Donald Trumps executive order on immigration. <\/p>\n
Stephanie Gromek, the organizations local community resource coordinator, said Friday that it was trying to find alternatives, but up to 10 of the 38 Lancaster staffers might have to be laid off until the refugee resettlement program resumes. <\/p>\n
RELATED: A Resettlement Mission Upended by the Sweep of a President's Pen <\/p>\n
RELATED: Church World Service asks supporters to speak up in support of refugees <\/p>\n
The faith-based nonprofits funding for the division that resettles refugees is tied to refugees coming through, she said. <\/p>\n
However, she said, if it finds a way to support those positions through the stoppage, What they would be doing is advocacy, trying to help. <\/p>\n
Refugees, immigrants, local resettlement officers are all in a state of great uncertainty, Gromek said Tuesday. We are preparing for the worst and the best, simultaneously. We are really looking to the community for support and understanding through this time of transition. <\/p>\n
The presidents Jan. 27 order suspended resettlement for four months and limited it to 50,000 admissions in 2017 less than half of the previous limit. <\/p>\n
It also halted admission of Syrian refugees indefinitely, and suspended entry to the U.S. for most travelers, except U.S. citizens, on passports from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days. <\/p>\n
However, U.S. District Judge James Robart in Seattle issued a ruling late Friday that temporarily blocked the order, and as of Monday afternoon that block was still in place as legal wrangling continued. <\/p>\n
Last year Church World Service Lancaster helped 407 refugees resettle here. That includes some 70 Syrian refugees resettled here since September 2015. (Some 11.5 million Syrians have fled the violence and civil war in their country.) <\/p>\n
Nearly 70 percent of the national organizations funding $61 million of $88 million came from the U.S. government, with another 20 percent ($18 million) coming from the public. <\/p>\n
Even as the nonprofit struggles with its main source of funding, it has seen the community coming together to support its mission. <\/p>\n
Last month, nearly 2,000 people attended a fundraising event organized in the city to benefit Church World Service. Together they donated some $28,000 more than 10 times raised during a similar event in 2015. <\/p>\n
Similarly, during last years Extraordinary Give charity event, Church World Service received $77,655 from 603 donors, a sevenfold increase from the $11,100 it got from 80 donors in 2014. <\/p>\n
This story was updated at 11:15 p.m. Feb. 7, 2017, to add a quote from Gromek that reflects context not included in the original. <\/p>\n
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Travel ban could mean layoffs at Lancaster's Church World Service - LancasterOnline<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Church World Service Lancaster, which has resettled hundreds of refugees in the county, may have to lay off a fourth of its staff as a result of President Donald Trumps executive order on immigration. Stephanie Gromek, the organizations local community resource coordinator, said Friday that it was trying to find alternatives, but up to 10 of the 38 Lancaster staffers might have to be laid off until the refugee resettlement program resumes. RELATED: A Resettlement Mission Upended by the Sweep of a President's Pen RELATED: Church World Service asks supporters to speak up in support of refugees The faith-based nonprofits funding for the division that resettles refugees is tied to refugees coming through, she said Continue reading