NJ non-profit helping refugees struggles for funding
On Friday, the State Department slashed all funding for the programs that help Interfaith-RISE support refugees during their first three months in the United States. On top of that, the Trump Administration just announced that it is pausing payouts of federal financial assistance. It's unclear what exactly this will mean for Interfaith-RISE.
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The organization helps refugees resettle in New Jersey, ultimately empowering them to become self-sufficient.
'We have wondered how we're going to pay for food and rent,' said Kaper-Dale.
Kaper-Dale said he was forced to lay off 20 people Monday and reduce 20 other positions from full to part-time.
'We work hard in January, we turn in our invoices, we get paid in February for the work we did in January,' said Reverend Seth Kaper-Dale, the CEO of Interfaith-RISE. 'Maybe we've put in a month of work by 200 people and then we'll find out, actually that was on our own dime. It's crisis mode right now.'
The Trump Administration said assistance going directly to individuals will not be impacted, including programs like Medicare and Welfare.
'The reason for this is to ensure that every penny that is going out the door is not conflicting with the executive orders and actions that this president has taken,' said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
President Trump orders federal funding freeze: What it means for NYers
New Jersey Democratic Senator Andy Kim denounced the funding pause during a press conference Tuesday in Washington.
'They don't care about the collateral damage,' said Kim. 'They care about their own. They care about their own power, and they care about themselves.'
If you are interested in helping Interfaith-RISE, you can do so at: interfaithrise.org/donate.
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