1. Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
JRS Club
Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Houston Texas
© C. Grenier February 2008

2. JRS/USA
Mission: In continuity with its quarter century of ministry to and with refugees and forcibly displaced individuals, Jesuit Refugee Service/USA (JRS/USA) affirms its mission to accompany, serve and defend the rights of these vulnerable and often forgotten people.

3. JRS/USA History Vietnam War ended in 1975
In 1979, large numbers of Vietnamese boat people seek refuge elsewhere.
Fr. Pedro Arrupe – Superior General of the Society of Jesus appealed to Jesuit superiors for help.
On November 14, 1980, a world-wide service to forcibly displaced people was born, the Jesuit Refugee Service.

4. History, cont.
Outreach to refugees and displaced people stretches across ten geographic regions worldwide: Bangkok to Burundi, Liberia to Los Angeles, Columbia to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Over 600 workers – many volunteers – contribute to JRS, including 125 Jesuits, 60 from other religious orders and over 430 lay people.

5. How I got to know/learn about JRS
Fr. Gavin’s JRS Forum presented at Strake Jesuit in April, 2007
Photo gallery:
Liberia – February 2004
Chad – April 2004
Ivory Coast – February 2004
Darfur – January 2007
Haitian Refugees – February 2008

6. Why I became interested in the JRS Movement
My personal experience as a refugee due to Hurricane Katrina in August, 2005
Photo Gallery

7. The formation of the Strake Jesuit JRS Club
JRS Club’s mission: to increase awareness of and response to the refugee crisis in America.

8. Goal Oriented Activities
Spirit bands
Class fundraising: supported by SJ English Department
Spirit T-shirts
JRS website

9. JRS Summer Trip
Summer trip to visit the Hospitality Center for Female Migrant Workers in Nogales, Mexico, The Kino Project.
Women’s clothing

10. Summary JRS/USA Mission Strake Jesuit JRS’s future plans
Visit Cristo Rey Houston