Church World Service

Our mission is to transform communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. For 75 years, cultivating local relationships to build resilience has been at the heart of CWS's mission.
Church World Service (CWS) is an international not-for-profit organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster. Founded in 1946 to assist refugees fleeing World War II, CWS was established to support the vision of a world where everyone has food, voice and a safe place to call home. In the U.S., CWS offices and affiliates serve as leaders, educators and facilitators for each community’s efforts toward refugee integration. In 2022, CWS operated in 33+ countries and throughout the U.S., with 52+ standalone and affiliate offices. Since CWS’ founding over 75 years ago, CWS has made progress toward that vision through its wide and diverse global programs. CWS has operated in both humanitarian and development contexts and implemented a variety of initiatives in support of refugees and vulnerable populations throughout the world. CWS has assisted over 865,000 refugees and immigrants to start new lives in the U.S. and to integrate into their communities. For additional information about CWS global programs please visit: www.cwsglobal.org

CWS’s office in Garden Grove, California, serves refugees and immigrants through a number of comprehensive programs and services. Through its current programs, CWS OC serves as a bridge for incoming individuals and families, assisting them with navigating life in Southern California. Programming includes comprehensive case management services to Ukrainians and other refugee populations, immigration legal services, home study and post-release services for unaccompanied children, and direct funding to support Ukrainian and Afghan refugees. CWS’s support includes connections to social services, assistance with completing complex legal paperwork, and linkages and direct financial support for housing and other emergency needs. For additional information about CWS OC programs please visit: www.cwsorangecounty.org

The CWS OC’s office in Garden Grove was established in January 2023 with the goal to help refugees resettle, form long-lasting relationships in the community and maintain their own basic needs in a sustainable lifestyle. CWS OC serves as a bridge from their former life in their home country to a new set of cultural, linguistic, and practical skills that will enable them to be successful in Southern California. CWS OC operates several programs to serve the vulnerable population, including unaccompanied children who mostly come through the southern border, and refugees, immigrants, and asylees families and individuals. Programming in Orange County includes refugee case management and employment services, housing support, immigration legal services, home study and post release services to unaccompanied children, and community referrals. CWS OC serves minorities, internally displaced persons, refugees, women and children. Since January, CWS OC served over 1,800 clients through its 5 main programs. For additional information about CWS OC programs please visit: www.cwsorangecounty.org

CWS is supporting hundreds of Ukrainian and Afghan refugees, in addition to unaccompanied children from mostly Latin American countries, through its Garden Grove office. The office plans to diversify its services to provide comprehensive support and wraparound services to increasing numbers of immigrant and refugee families in Orange County. Current funding needs include cash and in-kind donations to directly support the resettlement of incoming refugees with housing, household items, and other necessary items (direct to client funds). Additionally, funding is needed to support programming, including legal services, classes, and workshops, such as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, youth programming, and wraparound services for refugees. The funding will directly support Ukrainian and Afghan parolees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, special immigrant visa holders, and other eligible newcomers.

Orange County, LA County

Richard L. Santos is the President and CEO of Church World Service.
Church World Service was born in the wake of the devastation of World War II. In 1946, seventeen Christian denominations came together “to do in partnership what none of us could hope to do as well alone.”

In our early days, the CWS family mobilized more than 11 million pounds of food, clothing and medical supplies for war-torn Europe and Asia. In the United States, we began to welcome refugees who were looking to start new lives in safety, resettling more than 100,000 refugees in our first 10 years.

Over the decades, the specifics of our programs have shifted. And the CWS family, leadership, and faith-based identity has also grown and evolved as we remain committed to our founding principle of bringing all voices to the table to build a world where there is enough for all.

Here at CWS, the principles of welcome, collaboration and dignity have spanned the decades and wrapped around the globe. We have seen over and over again that we are stronger when we stand together. Every single person has gifts and skills to help.