From time to time, we are hearing directly from refugees themselves and we welcome those exchanges. Surely I will be accused of “hating Lutherans” again for posting this, but last night we received this comment from someone who appears to be a refugee in Phoenix:
Luthren agancy in phoenix trating poeple with out respact and have not vist them for 3 monthes
I am assuming our refugee reader is referring to the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services affiliate in Phoenix, note here in this list of LIRS affiliates. LIRS gives the agency’s address in Phoenix and in other places it is listed in Tucson. The mission statement for Lutheran Social Services (or Ministry) of the Southwest is:
“Showing kindness, doing justice and serving those in need.”
I assume I have the right agency, it’s confusing because they seem to have two names, Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest and Lutheran Social Ministries of the Southwest. I don’t know why these resettlement agencies (volags) change their names or use other names. It makes me wonder if they are trying to confuse the public for some reason.
Anyway here is their Federal Form 990 (2007 is the most recent year they have submitted) and Wow! Check this out! Their net income for that year was $9,231,260 and they received $8,403,189 from government grants—that is you, the taxpayer. That is a whopping 91% of this “religious” organization’s income coming from taxpayer funds. And, because they are a non-profit, you have no say over how they manage that money. There is virtually zero oversight.
By the way, this is how you tell the “religious left” from the “religious right”—a truly conservative Christian organization will take no government funding.
I’m digressing. So, as I asked at the outset, does anyone know what the heck is going on in Phoenix also the location of the 4 Liberian refugee boys raping their 8 year old neighbor?