The church days of packing Mission Barrels for overseas may be over, but the need to help those with life challenges remains. Just after Christmas, quilts made and donated by
"Of course we wanted to come here under other circumstances. But life decided for us," said Anna, who arrived in Ames to escape Russia-controlled Ukraine.
Ames Interfaith Refugee Alliance: Iowa, Reynolds must help the children desmoinesregister.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from desmoinesregister.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The fund was in part a response to the CARES Act, which excluded millions of taxpaying immigrants from expanded unemployment benefits and cash payments, organizers said.
The recently passed American Rescue Plan allows households with people of mixed-immigration status to access $1,400 stimulus checks, as well as the minority of undocumented immigrants who have Social Security numbers. But workers who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number remain ineligible for payments.
Mundel said this expansion of stimulus eligibility and Iowa s newly opened rental assistance program have been a sign of hope for local families. The state program allows international passports as a legitimate form of ID, and the public charge rule won t affect people seeking assistance, which Mundel said makes the aid more accessible to immigrants.