A visitor to the corner of 79th and Cottage Grove in Chicago will see a derelict, half-vacant strip mall. Framed by cracked pavement and shuttered storefronts, the building is a silent testament to decades of disinvestment. This once-lively commercial hub now feels abandoned. There are no grocery stores or pharmacies nearby, just a payday lender and a liquor store. For longtime residents of the neighborhood, this landscape is not just inconvenient. It is demoralizing. Without access to grocery stores selling healthy food or necessary services, areas like this one are caught in a cycle of neglect. This reinforces inequality and stifles opportunity, as run-down shopping centers attract crime and drag down neighborhoods.

Valley Forge, PA (06/20/2025)—Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries is one of ABHMS’ partners that supports refugees and immigrants in their journey of resettlement, integration, and healing. It serves newcomers from Afghanistan, Somalia, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Iraq, Central America, and Haiti, among others. Every year, it celebrates the resilience and dignity of people it serves on World Refugee Day, in the spirit of its mission: “to advocate, celebrate, and empower (A.C.E.) ethnic churches, pastors, and new Americans from different parts of the world. We promote and speak the language of love. Our work is weaving God’s love across cultures.”

Valley Forge, PA (06/20/2025)—Summer vacation time is difficult for Burmese children living in Indianapolis. Due to financial constraints, many of them cannot participate in camps, summer schools, or other traditional programs in the area. Disconnection from peer groups and support systems means that they often struggle with keeping their English and math skills active.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (05/27/2025)—“I was born in the Manzanar camp in January 1944,” said Bill Watanabe, a member of the Evergreen Baptist Church San Gabriel Valley, a Japanese American congregation in La Puente, Calif. His parents—farmers who had worked in the San Fernando Valley—and three older brothers were incarcerated there in March 1942. In September 1942, Bill’s older brother Takeshi passed away. He had serious medical needs that could not be addressed in the camp, which, coupled with low-quality, generic food and harsh desert climate, caused him to become weaker and die at the age of two.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (05/12/2025)—As of April 2025, the situation in Myanmar (also known as Burma), which operates under a military regime, has become a full-blown humanitarian and political crisis. Since the military took over in a 2021 coup, the country has been in turmoil. Armed resistance has spread, and violence has escalated. Even after an earthquake struck in March 2025—and the junta promised a ceasefire—the military continued launching deadly attacks, including airstrikes and shelling that have killed civilians.

VALLEY FORGE, PA (04/22/2025)—Across the United States, many Haitian Baptist congregations and fellowships minister to Haitian Americans' spiritual and cultural needs. These faith communities are concentrated in states with substantial Haitian populations, such as Florida, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois.