Global Refuge International

I started volunteering with this organization as an accountant. When I was asked to help when they were first getting off of the ground, my thought was that their dreams were big, but that I was sure it wouldn't be a lot of work for a while. Boy was I wrong - they started with a bang and made remarkable inroads in a foreign land very quickly. Soon I was converting Thai Baht and Ugandan Schilling into American dollars for financial accountability. What a remarkable start - and they haven't stopped. I truly love the fact that they made a decision to start a Thrift Store (run by volunteers) and a Coffee Shop (run by volunteers) that were both successful in bringing in a regular stream of financing for the ministry while bringing together a new community right here in Arvada. This community of thrift shoppers, gourmet coffee drinkers, homemade pie aficionados, young business start-ups and passionate humanitarians give of their time, are briefed on people groups at evening seminars and even pay their own way to travel half way across the world to serve in grim, war-torn, poverty-stricken and displaced peoples areas. Truly an amazing home-grown organization with enough passion to move them into the next decade.

I know the family that started GRI, Brian, Elaine, Shaunessy ,Jayden, Lorianne . What a giving heart this family has. They have been GOD'S servants for years and they back it up with their testimony to love GOD and help all people in the world!! I have been donating for awhile and I know that the money they receive goes to help the people that need it most. This is a great opportunity to help someone by your donations or you can volunteer with your time. Thank the LORD for people like these who are in action and not just talking about it. Everyday they are helping the poor and broken . Thank you GRI for going beyond our everyday lives here in the USA, while you are reaching the lost and needy.

Supporting this loving & intelligent organization with finances and volunteering has been among the most fulfilling pleasures in my life. I only wish there was more I could do to assist them in their passionate help of the most helpless.

I have had the privilege of seeing GRI in action in November of 2015 while on an assessment trip with them to the Congo. I was blown away! Their expertise and knowledge of the area, the people, the culture, and how to best serve those who desperately need it, was amazing.

We visited several refugee camps where people were dying of malnutrition and disease, it was quite overwhelming, and the thought of meeting the incredible needs seemed almost impossible given the location and the urgent needs. But within 48 hours GRI had a plan in place and was moving forward with life saving aid!!

If you would like your donation to go to an organization that will use your money wisely and is making a difference in the lives of those that other organizations have forgotten, then GRI is the organization for you. We at Builders Without Borders are so impressed that we are teaming up with GRI this summer and building a medical clinic in Uganda.

I have known the founder of global refuge international Brian McNeely for over eight years and have served overseas as a volunteer in one of their programs in Uganda, I find this organization to be extremely competent, financially efficient, and focused specifically on the needs of the individual victims of human and physical disaster caused crisis they serve in the field. They go to places that most organizations would not dare to go into and work with indigenous people to get the work accomplished. I highly recommend this organization for anyone who wants to be involved personally or financially and caring for people difficult places around the world.

Donor beware! This organization is a far cry from the honest Christian organization they claim to be. We supported family members through this organization in Uganda. On the ground the work they claimed to be going on was not, and there were serious issues with what the money was actually being used for. When they could not resolve these issues, they returned to the states, and GRI kept forty percent of their donor support despite numerous requests for them to return the donations to their supporters. If I felt that my donations were going to the causes they claimed I would have been willing to leave it with them, but my dealings with GRI lead me to believe it is all smoke and mirrors on their part. They may serve the needs of college students looking to get involved in missions trips, but do not invest any serious money with this organization. It is a family operation that appears to be in business to keep the family operating. There are too many other trustworthy Christian organizations that need your support to bother with this one.

I traveled with GRI to Thailand where the organization was providing medical care to refugees from Burma. These people are allowed to be in Thailand, but they have no services from the government. GRI provided medical care, medicine, vitamins, encouragement and hope in Christ. I also worked with Global Refuge in Uganda. Many people in Uganda die from complications from malaria, which can be prevented by sleeping under a mosquito net. GRI goes to remote villages and gives families these nets, as well as tests and treats malaria cases. They also distribute medication to individuals who have tested positive for HIV. Over the years, many lives have been saved by the humanitarian efforts of Global Refuge. My experiences with GRI have been life-changing.

GRI serves in difficult places where the needs are great and other charitable organizations are reluctant to venture. I had the opportunity last fall to teach medics at the GRI course on the Thai-Burma border. It's an unstable area with only the most basic health care.

I was impressed by how much the medic students had learned in a short period of time, and how all the logistical challenges (housing, teaching facility, translators) had been overcome. This sort of training offers hope and practical assistance in this difficult area.

As someone who has worked overseas, for seven years now, with non profit organizations I can personally say that Global Refuge International rises above them all. Their commitment to communication and accountability is a priority for them, and it shows. Working together with nationals, and training, supporting them to become leaders in the local projects is something that they do extremely well. (This is something that is lacking in almost every organization I have personally worked with or under.) I admire their goal of creating long standing projects within cultural boundaries, rather than creating short "Western" fixes that do not work culturally, nor long term. Most of all, GRI approaches all that they do from a Biblical standpoint. The same measure they use on others is, first, used towards themselves. They have not come in with answers but rather with a humble attitude of following Christ into each new health initiative they take on.

In May 2010 I travelled to Northern Uganda with GRI. I was part of a team consisting mostly of nursing students. Our mission was to work with HIV-AIDS vulnerable groups in the villages around Lira. Our team taught those groups about personal health and hygiene, household health and hygiene, and about how to prevent the spread of HIV.
Our GRI interpreters were superb. It was obvious that GRI has an influential presence in those villages, and that they help as many of the villagers as possible with medications, transportation to hospital facilities, health education, and so much more.
I will definitely take another trip with GRI in the future.

GRI is a tremendous organization. From the clarity of their goals to the sustainability of their projects, they are truly making a huge difference in the world. I have personally seen their projects first hand and the combination of expertise and compassion is ultimately effective. After looking at their financials, I am confident that there is no organization better suited to deal in difficult places than GRI and donors can feel comfortable that their money is being utilized efficiently and with integrity.

GRI is Global Refuge International. This mission organization sprang from the heart of the founder of GRI who personally experienced the shock and horror that occurs to people groups persecuted by governments and militant groups. He joined a mission team to a remote people group, spent time with the local people group, returned home and learned of the destruction of the village and death of villagers at the hands of the government military just days after the missionaries left. At that point, the GRI mission work came into existence. For me, I was hooked after learning of the work GRI does - ministering to the medical, cultural and spiritual needs of the most persecuted people groups or those from 3rd world countries who are in the midst of a natural disaster. Several summers back, I joined a team to work in an HIV medical mission in northern Uganda. During that mission trip, I interacted and did ministry work daily with local Ugandans living in the county. The work shared amongst the Ugandan locals and the US based missionaries evidenced organization, passion, compassion , and capability - GRI in a snapshot. I continue to support GRI on a consistent basis. I've been to the African continent 3 times, to Europe and South America. My experience in northern Uganda with GRI was the most meaningful and heart inspiring experience of my life. Anyway in which you can support GRI will be well worth it.

GRI does great work in going places others fear to work and opening up opportunities for other groups to safely work there. Many organizations use all of their donor funds to provide a lifestyle for their employees and small amounts of money actually get to the people in need. GRI is the opposite of that and does tremendous work for the budget they seem to have. I would recommend them with the highest of regard and my prayer is that many other donors will join in partnership of this wonderful work.

I am passionate about the work of GRI. They aren't concerned about "fluff". They are concerned about meeting needs in hard places. I have had the pleasure of visiting both of their projects and can't say enough about their work. God is using them!

You cannot compliment GRI enough for their work. They go places that are often neglected and do things that few others are willing to do, like train medics from Burma who cross the border to Thailand to get taught by GRI staff. This organization makes the world a better place.

The work done by GRI is unbelievable in that the volunteers and workers are working under the continual threat of death or harm. To help a population under such severe circumstances is the ultimate in sacrafice. Any and all donations, grants and funds to support this organization is money well spent. The founders of this organization have literally put their entire family at risk of extreme hardship to help another population far removed from the USA and often forgotten that desperately need assistance. As God watches over these volunteers and workers join me in saying a prayer for their safe passage on their journey and give whatever resources you can. LFM

I appreciate the fact that the money donated to this organization is used for the purpose I intended it-there is minimal overhead-and the leaders of the organization are the ones that actually go to the areas in the countries that they help. It is very refreshing to work with a non-profit that doesn't hire fund-raisers who are clueless about what they are doing.

I like the way that Global Refuge International stretches it's money to go as far as possible.

I love the fact that someone at GRI had thoughtful knowledge along with the LORD'S plan of action to help people in ares of the world that many of us would not and most likely never go. I am a supporter of this ministry because I know the folks at GRI and I know I am one that would not leave the comforts of home, to venture out into the world to help others in need.
These compassionate people do just that daily while I send in my monetary support as I feel this is my part of GRI. I am proud to call the folks at GRI disciples going out into the world to help less fortunate people. We owe them alot of gratitude and thanks for their roles.

GRI is a tremendous organization. The people who work and volunteer for this non profit are committed, highly skilled, and compassionate. GRI travels to places where people are in dire need of medical assistance, education for their safety and life choices, and overall human tenderness.
I really appreciate this group and hope someday to actually volunteer in some capacity- to help those who can not help themselves.
Penny Case, RN

I am a volunteer helping refugees in Burma, Thai refugee camps and
resettlement here in Denver. My daughter has volunteered three winters as a medic in the jungle. The SITUATION IS DIRE and the world turns a "deaf ear" to these suffering people because of China's support.Burma has access to munitions in exchange for natural resources going to China.

GRF is one of the only groups offering aid to the suffering people in Burma (Myanmar) jungle who are suffering genocide at the hands of their own army. GRF trains medics to assist and release the suffering in the jungle. They also have a medical center in place along the Thailand border to serve the area where refugee escape the horror by crossing the border into Thailand.

This winter has been especially brutal as the size of the jungle areas were diminished in several areas with invading army activities. The IDP's (internally displaced people) were uprooted (burned out), killed , raped and forced into slave labor in greater numbers.

PLEASE search your hearts and support this wonderful group in theircontinued outreach to the suffering of innocent humanity of our world?!! It will bless YOUR life in doing so....

GRI goes where angels fear to tread. I believe in this organization and have great respect for their nimbleness and agility. GRI is able and willing to go to the darkest places. Their commitment to serving the hurt and hidden in practical ways is inspiring. I look forward to our developing partnership!

Our church, Riverside is the sending church. We hear reports from Brian McNeely. IT is great to see how God is using them to teach and train the people to give medical aid at different levels. I have given money to buy Bibles so the pastors can be equppied with God's Word and be more grounded in Word and to evanelize their country. My heart is burden heavy for more Bible to be printed and handed out to the 120 pastors' congregation. I also pray for the motorcyles and bikes to be made available to them. I pray for medicine that can be given to women on delivery of their babies to prevent the babies from getting Aids. We don't need to lose a whole generation of people to this terrible disease.

GRI is an outstanding organization dedicated to helping abused and neglected people around the world. I am familiar with their work in Burma (medic training) and Uganda (HIV prevention). Excellent management team. Very responsive in informing and educating their sponsors.