CLEARWATER, Fla. — Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services is turning to the community for help after it received word its federal funding is being suspended indefinitely.

What You Need To Know

  • Gulf Coast JFCS is a nonprofit that helps refugees start a new life in the U.S.

  • It got word from HIAS, an organization it subcontracts with, that the federal government indefinitely suspended funding it would receive

  • An official says that money was key to providing resources to refugees and paying staff

  • The group is now turning to the Tampa Bay Community for help. The information can be found here

"The situation is ever-evolving. We're learning so much every day, but the shock to our system was an announcement from one of our funders," said Elke Cumming, Gulf Coast JFCS Senior Vice President of Programs and Administration.

According to JFCS, the nonprofit received a memo just before midnight on Wednesday from HIAS, an aid organization it subcontracts with. The memo said HIAS received word from the U.S. government that as of Jan. 24, funding that would normally be used to reimburse JFCS was suspended until further notice. It says it comes as the government reviews all programs funded by the U.S. Dept. of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

"Pursuant to this guidance, this letter serves as a formal notification that your organization must immediately stop all activities funded under the subject sub-award agreements, and may not incur or change any new costs related to said agreements after January 24, 2025," the memo reads.

It also follows executive orders on reevaluating and realigning U.S. foreign aid and the country's refugee admission program, as well as a 90-day pause from the state department on foreign aid. 

For decades, Gulf Coast JFCS has helped refugees with all of that and more. Cumming said the nonprofit resettled about 3,000 people in the past two years. They welcomed 170 people within the past two months, some as recently as two weeks ago.

"These are folks that are coming to our community. They're getting into their first housing situation, getting their paperwork in order to start work and school," said Cumming.

JFCS said refugees go through an extensive process, and sometimes years of waiting, before they arrive in the U.S.

"They are well-vetted. They are welcomed to the United States. They were invited into the United States," said Cumming.

She said funding from HIAS is critical. It not only provides about $1,300 to get individuals started during their first 90 days, but also goes towards paying salaries for the staff members helping refugees.

"It means a lifeline," said Cumming. It means initiating a new journey in a new country, and it means, for our staff, being able to take care of themselves and their families."

The plan is for JFCS to continue providing services — as long as they can continue — to fund the program with community support.

"We've seen tremendous response in the past few hours since we started reaching out to the community," Cumming said. "Packages have been starting to arrive with dishes to set up people's kitchens, clothing for children, begging to be able to set up new houses."

There are a number of ways the community can help —  buying items from the JFCS Amazon registry, donating money, or even hiring a refugee. Cumming said all refugees are eligible to work from their first day in the U.S.