Latest news with #RunforRefugees'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Candlelight vigil in Old Lyme raises money for IRIS
OLD LYME, Conn. (WTNH) — Dozens lit up the night in Old Lyme Wednesday night to raise money for a local nonprofit organization who help refugees and immigrants in Connecticut. 'When I was 24 years old, I got a one-way ticket,' England immigrant Moya Aiken said. Aiken knows the challenges and fears of coming to America illegally, having done so from a bad situation in England decades ago. IRIS prepares for 18th annual 'Run for Refugees' 'They kindly gave me a job as a waitress,' Aiken said. 'And these two guys came in and said 'is the owner here' and fresh off the boat I answer in this accent, 'awfully sorry not here at the moment' and they opened their jacket and went 'immigration.' I had a glass in my hand and I just dropped the glass.' Aiken and a couple other employees escaped and found solace at a nearby church, a similar place she came to Wednesday night to give back to an organization that helps immigrants like her. 'They come here for a reason. People don't realize the fear you live under when you're going through this,' Aiken said. The goal here at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme as well as other congregations and organizations from New London to New Haven is to raise $100,000. All of those proceeds will go to IRIS, or Integrated Refugee Immigration Services. 'IRIS has altered our state and our communities for the better as far as supporting community refugee resettlement in the state so we thought it was time for us to show our support of iris and give back,' Senior Minister Rev. Steve Jungkeit said. The reason, Jungkeit said, is because IRIS stands to lose millions of dollars in funding due to President Trump's recent executive orders that have eliminated funding to agencies that assist refugees and immigrants. Addressing illegal immigration being a top priority in his first couple weeks in office. Resettlement agencies race to help refugees ahead of Trump's second term 'President Trump has sent a loud and clear message to the entire world. America will no longer tolerate illegal immigration,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. 'We have no apologies, and we are moving forward very fast,' Trump said. In Old Lyme, dozens held candlelight high into the darkness while raising thousands for a nonprofit organization that they said brightens their community. 'These are the values that we believe. These are the things that we stand for, it's disheartening and painful to see but we've seen the goodness that comes from doing this work. We've seen the goodness that all of these folks from other parents of the world, immigrants and refugees bring to the community. So, we want to celebrate that and lift that up and help IRIS continue to exist and do its crucial work,' Jungkeit said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
IRIS prepares for 18th annual ‘Run for Refugees'
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — The annual Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) 'Run for Refugees' is set for Super Bowl Sunday, but this year, participants are running with a particular message. That message? 'Immigrants make America better.' The run is now in its 18th year and is a fundraiser meant to support and bring awareness to the plight of immigrants and services provided by IRIS. 'We're helping with housing, helping get kids in school, we're helping people find jobs,' Maggie Mitchell Salem, executive director of IRIS, said. The work also expands to health care and legal services. As the round up of illegal immigrants ordered by President Trump intensifies, IRIS has had to shift into 'high gear,' which they said they were bracing for. 'It's been devastating first and foremost to our staff and to our clients. Our staff mirrors the population that we serve,' Mitchell Salem said. IRIS said they just took a hit financially when two 'stop work orders' shut down work being done through a federally funded program called 'welcome core.' Watch the full video in the player above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
