LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Miry Whitehill and volunteers sort through donations in her backyard-turned-workshop, where they make welcome boxes for refugee families resettling across the country.

What You Need To Know

  • The Trump administration reduced funding for many refugee resettlement programs often ran by faith-based organizations

  • In January, President Trump signed an executive order suspending the refugee admissions program for at least 90 days   

  • The refugee program is a legal form of migration that has been in place for decades helping those escaping war or persecution

  • Miry's List, a non-profit helping refugee families, is hosting a fundraiser to help fill in gaps caused by reduced funding 

Whitehill knows these items will carry the newly arrived families through their journey adjusting to a new country. She's been doing this since 2016, when she started her nonprofit, Miry's List, but says recent changes in policy from the Trump administration have made the need for refugee aid greater than ever

In January, President Trump signed an executive order suspending the refugee admissions program for 90 days and reduced funds to organizations contracted by the federal government to help case manage refugees. 

The orders are an about-face for the country, as the refugee program has been in place for decades, serving as a legal way to screen and accept people coming to the U.S. who are escaping war or persecution. 

The moves worry Whitehill; he says those she works with will see even more significant barriers to accessing help. 

"When the government programs are reduced, the families are still here," said Whitehill. 

Her nonprofit does not receive federal funding; it is an additional help to government programs, but she is now seeing the gap it usually fills get wider. 

"At this particular moment, as the federal programs are divested, we are still here, obviously busier than ever, and we need as much support as we can, as we can bring in,' said Whitehill.

That is why they are in emergency mode and decided to host a fundraising dinner on Sunday to help fill that gap faster. 

They are tapping into their community to make it happen. Maaysa Kanjo, who has received help from Miry's List, will be the chef preparing all the food for the fundraiser. 

Kanjo understands the urgency of these funds better than most. In 2016, she and her family came to the U.S., fleeing war in Syria through the same government-vetted refugee program that has now been suspended. 

She says that without the help she received from Miry's List and another church organization, her growth in the country would not have been possible. That is why she is disappointed to see the cuts to these programs, especially as she says that even with resources, it's very challenging to thrive in this country. 

"The language part is difficult, but navigating the system, like where to get vaccines and what is needed to enroll in health insurance, is even tougher without organizations," said Kanjo. 

She feels privileged to be the chef for the dinner fundraiser Miry's List is hosting, saying she is happy to give back to the team that helped her so much. 

Whitehill says it's all welcomed help. 

"So that's what we're doing. That's what we do today, and we're going to do it again tomorrow. And we are going to continue doing this work because it is so important," said Whitehill.