DAVENPORT, Iowa - World Relief in Moline has helped several refugees start a new life in the Quad Cities, but with this year being an election year and immigration a big topic being discussed, the organization needs to try even harder to encourage people to help out refugees.
A dinner fundraiser for World Relief was held at St.Ambrose University.
World Relief in Moline has helped refugees for almost 20 years, but this year is not like the others.
"I realized it`s a political issue we have to take care of the people who lose jobs and that has to be done, but to just shut the door, we`re shutting the door on our own future in my opinion," said Jack Knepp, a volunteer with World Relief.
Fundraisers like the dinner are part of the reason the group has been able to resettle 220 people each year in the Quad City area.
Immigration has taken center stage in this hotly contested presidential race.
It's a lot for refugees to take in, "before people come here we want to make sure they`re going to feel welcomed with opened arms," said Amy Rowell, director for World Relief.
World Relief says it wants to spread the word that blocking air to whole groups of people is not what America is all about.
"To just shut the door and say we can`t trust anybody coming in it just it doesn`t even make analytical sense," said volunteer, Rena Gainey.
Gainey hopes whoever the next president is will keep that in mind.
"Our country was never founded on closed doors and hopefully in this next season that we go through that won`t be the case either."