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A conversation with Dave Mammen, Rutgers Church Administrator, about a decade of refugee resettlement work and the path forward. Rutgers Presbyterian Church will be hosting a free event on November 19th to commemorate a decade of welcoming refugee families to the U.S. and look ahead, with lively conversation and a reception catered by Cardamom and Rose.
It started with an image that shocked the world.
In 2015, as the Syrian civil war forced millions to flee their homes, a photograph of a young boy named Alan Kurdi, who drowned trying to reach safety, appeared in headlines around the globe. For many, including the leadership at Rutgers Presbyterian Church, it was a call to action that couldn’t be ignored.
“Pastor Andrew started preaching about that on Sundays,” recalls Dave Mammen, Church Administrator at Rutgers Presbyterian Church. Rutgers began to ask—what can we do?
A small group of church elders decided they wanted to be directly involved. They connected with Church World Service, the only resettlement agency at the time that allowed organizations to become co-sponsors, and by March 2016, the first family arrived.
That arrival marked the beginning of a ten-year journey of community commitment, transforming not just the lives of the families who resettled, but the entire congregation and wider community.
Moments That Matter
Over the next three years, Rutgers Church directly co-sponsored two families from Syria and two from Afghanistan. Dave reflects on two moments that stand out vividly.
The first involves Mayada Anjari, a mother of four. When church volunteers invited themselves over for a potluck, they pushed their potato salad aside when they saw the feast she’d prepared. She began to cater fundraising dinners and eventually wrote a cookbook that sold more than 5,000 copies.
The second family’s arrival was equally memorable. Scheduled to fly from Istanbul on a Sunday in early 2017, they received a devastating call on Friday night: their flight was canceled due to the first Muslim travel ban. Days of frantic conference calls followed until a judge in Seattle stayed the ban. The family arrived to a joyous welcome.
“That family has gone on to thrive in their life here,” Dave notes.
A Month in Rome: Global Lessons
This past September, Dave spent a month as a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome, researching the European experience with what happens after the initial welcome—the longer-term success that experts call integration.
The Italian government, like the U.S., has largely withdrawn from official resettlement, instead allowing
private sponsorship and faith-based efforts to flourish. The challenges mirror those at home: employment,
language skills, affordable housing, healthcare, and building social bonds. But the most inspiring discovery wasn’t a specific program—it was the people.
“The faith leaders that I met were inspiring,” Dave says. “They’re aware of the limitations and the
cutbacks. But they see work that needs to be done.”
Several told him: as governments withdraw, faith organizations need to step in and provide leadership.
The Current Reality
The political landscape has shifted dramatically since 2016. On his first day in office in 2025, President
Trump suspended the official government resettlement program. The impact has been global. For example the Jesuit Refugee Service, which works in 58 countries, had to cut its worldwide budget because of U.S. funding freezes.
“With no new arrivals, our attention has shifted more to the long-term success of the people who are
here,” Dave explains. “What do refugees who have settled in the U.S. need to be successful, and how can we be of assistance?”
Looking Ahead
On November 19, Rutgers Presbyterian Church will mark this journey with an evening Dave hopes will both celebrate our progress and energize us for the future. The event will feature conversations with a young man whose family arrived four years ago and representatives from church-supported programs: the Refugee Employment Partnership, the Asylum Support Clinic, Welcome Home Jersey City, and the church’s benevolence committee.
Dave is candid about his concerns—the obstacles, the threatened legal statuses, the canceled policies. But he’s equally clear about hope.
“Ten years is a long time,” Dave acknowledges. “The hatred out of Washington and the policy confusion
layered on fatigue can be a dangerous mix.”
His response? “We want to reclaim the narrative. Refugees invited to resettle in the U.S. are not persons whose need for care will exceed our capacity, drain resources, or be threats to our safety and security. They are new neighbors and contributors to community life, and their successful integration is a shared civic and moral responsibility. There’s important work waiting for us. Let’s go do it.”
Beyond Welcome: 10 Years of Community Commitment to Refugees
Wednesday, November 19, 7:00 PM
Rutgers Presbyterian Church, 236 West 73rd Street, NYC
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-welcome-10-years-of-community-commitment-to-refugees-tickets-1669469451069?aff=oddtdtcreator| Info: 212-877-8227 ext 213
It’s odd how people care more about refugees than homeless NYers.