Clearwater non-profit workers at risk of furloughs, layoffs following president’s foreign aid executive order
Nonprofit worries after foreign aid is paused
FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports on a Clearwater nonprofit discovering this week it will no longer receive federal grant money to help the thousands of refugees and immigrants they serve, putting dozens of workers at risk of furloughs or layoffs following the president’s executive order on foreign aid.
CLEARWATER, Fla. - A Clearwater nonprofit discovered this week it will no longer receive federal grant money to help the thousands of refugees and immigrants they serve, putting dozens of workers at risk of furloughs or layoffs following the president’s executive order on foreign aid.
Families being reunited at TPA.
"We have individuals who are coming from refugee camps around the world, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees camps," said Elke Cumming Friday, the Senior Vice President of Programs and Administration at Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services.
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Reuniting families
Dig deeper:
Families recently reunited with refugees at Tampa International Airport, looking to start a new life with the help of Gulf Coast JFCS.
Cumming said the federal grants they use to help refugees are now out after receiving a concerning email from a federal contractor this week.
"We’re a subcontractor through HIAS, and they received it last Friday. We received the notification on Monday morning," said Cumming.
What refugees receive
Refugees receive $1,300 per person to last them their first 90 days in the U.S. as part of Gulf Coast JFCS’ resettlement and placement services.
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The countries from which the refugees include Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Myanmar.
Families being reunited at TPA.
Gulf Coast JFCS has helped to resettle about 3,000 immigrants over the last two years.
"All the basics of rent and food and basic needs like toothpaste, toothbrushes, whatever you have to basic everyday life comes out of that little bit of funding, which is never enough," said Cumming about what the money helps provide for.
What the Gulf Coast JFCS receives
Cumming said they have received about $700,000 in various federal grants from HIAS.
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The grants for refugee resettlement are on pause for 90 days following President Trump’s executive order on "Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid."
The Trump Administration did rescind parts of the order, but Cumming said that does not include the piece that directly impacts refugees and special immigrant visa holders that Gulf Coast JFCS serves.
Moving forward
What's next:
So, the nonprofit is weighing how to move forward.
"Very carefully and very thoughtfully. We have 170 individuals that just arrived here in the country within the past couple of months that still need to have care and orientation," Cumming said.
Up until now, federal grants reimbursed them for money they spent on refugee services. In the meantime, they will depend on donations and deliveries from their wish list.
"That request really just went out yesterday, and we've already filled two carloads of donations going back to help set up these families that just arrived," said Cumming about a delivery the office received Friday.
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While they wait out what will happen during the pause over the next 90 days, workers are in the fray, too.
"Within our refugee services, we have roughly 50 employees. Ten of them are in immediate peril, and then all 50 are very nervous, understandably so," Cumming said.
They’re at risk of being furloughed or laid off, but Gulf Coast JFCS is determined to keep their salaries flowing.
Gulf Coast JFCS workers.
"We've made a commitment to them to work with them as long as we can and try to keep it as stable as we can," said Cumming. "Because we know without them, we don't have the programming and the support to help the families that we're welcomed into this community."
The Source: FOX 13's Briona Arradondo collected the information in this story.
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