Greetings From The New Executive Director
Hello! My name is Zack Darrah and it is with great humility and excitement that I fill the role of Executive Director at FIRM. I do believe that God has brought me to this organization and that He too is going to lead FIRM forward into a new chapter of ministry. As I have begun (I started July 1) I have had to learn a lot and will continue to learn a lot about the history of this great organization that has served refugee people groups for over 20 years. Dr. Sharon Stanley and her team has done so much for the Hmong, Lao and Slavic people groups that have come to Fresno over the last couple of decades and it is my greatest intention to continue to build upon the foundation that she has laid.
FIRM certainly faces many challenges as the memory of the refugee groups we serve has begun to fade with the last group of refugees that came to Fresno in 2007. With those fading memories in the community, also comes the challenge of financially supporting our work in the future. I know that God will sustain us, but we also must be attentive to the new work that FIRM must look forward to. This is why I will be working hard to focus on developing new youth programs to serve the children of our refugee families. Many of these children struggle in school, are raised in impoverished communities and are in need of positive role models in their lives. One of my first orders of business will be to plan, develop and fund a way for us to provide year-round youth programs for all ages here at FIRM. These programs will focus on literacy, connecting young people to their cultures, healthy living and mentoring (amongst other things). This new work will be called the FIRM Youth Initiative (FYI) and I hope to launch this program as early as this fall.
We will continue in our mission of “sharing Christ’s love to build communities of hope with new Americans” and I know that if we can focus our eyes on this powerful statement, that FIRM will be strong for decades more to come. I hope to meet you soon and to partner with you in the future as we begin a new chapter of ministry at FIRM.
Peace and Love,
Zack Darrah
Executive Director
Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries