Nations Ministry Center: Making a Difference for the Refugee Community

The refugee screening process takes an average of 18-24 months. 

After that, refugees may be cleared to resettle in the United States. At that point, those refugees will begin to work with one of nine U.S. resettlement agencies to start their new lives. These agencies support refugees in finding housing, clothing, food, and employment; they also assist refugees with registering their children for school, applying for Social Security cards, and connecting them to social services.

But what happens to refugees after those first few months, when the resettlement agencies have finished doing their part to help them get started in the United States?

I sat down with Abby Mosby, Director of Youth Success at Nations Ministry Center in Nashville, Tennessee, to find out how her organization encourages sustained generational success for refugees and immigrants after the resettlement process is finished. Currently, the organization serves several hundred families, and since their start in 2005, they have served hundreds more.

“Nations Ministry Center is committed to helping refugees rebuild their lives.”

http://www.nationsministrycenter.org/about

Nations Ministry Center serves refugee families in the Nashville area through their youth development and literacy program, assistance to parents navigating the road to citizenship, and their program for elders. “Often, refugees and immigrants fall through cracks in the system,” Mosby said. But in its 15-year history, Nations Ministry Center has worked to help empower refugees and ensure generational success. While the organization is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), all services are nonsectarian; they “welcome all people no matter their background.”

The kind of work that Nations Ministry Center does is important because thousands of refugees resettle in the U.S. each year. Although the number of refugees admitted into the U.S. has declined over the past four years, over 11,000 refugees have been resettled in the U.S. in 2020 alone. There are tens of thousands of refugee families in need of support as they rebuild their lives. Since 2002, more than 11,000 refugees have resettled in Nashville, TN.

Since Nations Ministry Center is not a resettlement agency, the organization is able to provide longer-term support for refugee families. Their ability to provide continuing support has allowed them to establish a strong presence in the community. They have built relationships with congregation leaders, community groups, and teachers, administrators, and counselors at local schools.

In fact, much of Nations Ministry Center’s success is thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations; cousins, friends, and congregation leaders speak highly of the organization’s services to members of their communities. Mosby said teachers from schools in the area will come to Nations Ministry Center and say things like, “This student has been in your program. I’ve seen a lot of growth and I see that you are helping them. I have these other two students—would you have room for them to also participate?” This is a testament to the organization’s success.

Mosby’s role is to run the youth programs offered by Nations Ministry Center, including summer programs and after school literacy mentorship. “I really love working with the students and being able to see the growth over the years,” Mosby said. “There have been so many students that have started with us and speak zero English, and then six months or a year later, they’re able to communicate, ask questions, and express themselves.”

Mosby also highlighted that Nations Ministry Center provides important social-emotional support through their services. She said, “There are children who struggle socially and emotionally because of past trauma, who are living under a lot of fear and stress, and we are able to help teach them coping skills that they can utilize to increase their self-awareness as well as their ability to manage their emotions.” 

I asked Mosby to share a success story from Nations Ministry Center; she struggled to pick just one. The most striking story was that of a sixth grade student who spent the first 11 years of their life in a refugee camp. “The student arrived in the United States in June 2017 and started attending our after-school literacy program two months later knowing only a handful of words in English at the time,” Mosby said. “By the end of the school year, the student had advanced 12 reading levels on [our literacy program] and was reading at a third grade level.”* 

Like the rest of the world, Nations Ministry Center has had to adapt to face the challenges presented by COVID-19. “We’ve pivoted, like everyone, in order to best serve the immediate needs of the community,” Mosby said. “A lot of what we do is always with the goal in mind of long-term, generational success, while the last seven months have been more about just helping everyone to survive the pandemic.”

Nations Ministry Center has modified the way they run after-school programs in order to ensure the safety of all involved. Now, they have split their after-school classes into smaller groups and adopted strict CDC protocol. Nations Ministry Center has also provided support for students to navigate virtual school; they have connected families to technology resources and encouraged the children to remember that the pandemic is temporary. “There’s a lot of fear. Already our students have a lot of fears that they’re working through because of their past experiences. Now it’s compounded,” Mosby said.

However, in addition to the obstacles Nations Ministry Center has had to overcome because of COVID-19, there have been unexpected benefits of smaller class sizes, which are intended to ensure social distancing. “It has been really sweet with the smaller groups to see intentional bonding and community building, and to be able to do even more to help the students develop important social-emotional skills,”  Mosby said.

Despite the uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic and concerns about the impact of the upcoming presidential election on decisions that will impact immigrant and refugee communities, Nations Ministry Center is committed to continued service. “Our goal is to be here for the refugee and immigrant community. We’re here to help however we can best support the community,” Mosby said.

Mosby asked that I emphasize the dedication and hospitality within the refugee community. “They’re wonderful. They’re such hardworking people who have been through some really difficult experiences and challenges. There are a lot of challenges that they still face when they come to America, but they have such dedication. There are so many families that are working multiple jobs, and that are giving back to the community in so many ways,” Mosby said. “And oh my goodness, the hospitality. There is such a beauty to their generosity.”

Mosby suggested that readers who are interested in supporting immigrants and refugees should dine and shop at refugee and immigrant-owned restaurants and businesses. There are thousands of immigrant and refugee entrepreneurs in the United States. All it takes is a simple search online to find some in your area.

For a list of immigrant-run restaurants in Nashville, click here.

Disclaimer: I am an intern at Nations Ministry Center; Abby Mosby is my supervisor. 

*Personal details have been edited for the student’s protection.