EMM's director explores methods to assist European ministries by touring a refugee center in Rome
The Joel Nafuma Refugee Center, located within St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome, Italy, has been a vital resource for refugees and migrants since its establishment in the 1980s. This day shelter offers a holistic approach to supporting displaced individuals, providing essential services such as food, clothing, legal rights education, job preparation, and assistance with societal integration.
The Center's Chief Welcoming Officer, Giulia Bonoldi, oversees these operations, ensuring that the Center serves an average of 150 refugees each weekday. The Center's work is facilitated by the Evangelical Missionary Society (EMM), one of 10 nongovernmental agencies that helped initiate refugee resettlement through the federal program created in 1980 in the United States.
EMM's role has evolved over the years, now focusing on supporting the work of various organisations, parishes, dioceses, and individuals providing direct services to migrants and refugees. In this capacity, EMM representatives Janet Day-Strehlow and Max Niedzwiecki played a significant part in launching the Rainbow Initiative, a programme dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum-seekers.
In January 2021, the Trump administration issued an executive order suspending the refugee resettlement program. In response, EMM announced plans to wind down its core resettlement operations. However, the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center continued its operations, distributing over $1.5 million in support of local efforts.
In 2022, the Center, in collaboration with the Episcopal Church's convocation, began accepting grant applications from churches and missions across Europe interested in working with refugees and migrants. Currently, 90% of the Center's funds come from grants, operating with a budget just under $400,000.
For more information about the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center or to learn about the work of EMM, contact Lynette Wilson, a reporter and managing editor, at the provided editor's email. The Center's services, while based in Rome, are comparable to the services EMM and its affiliates used to provide to refugees in the United States when they were receiving federal funds. The Center remains a testament to the power of community support and the enduring spirit of those who seek refuge.
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