With global conflicts raging, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, the world is experiencing the displacement and migration of millions of people on a scale not seen since World War II.  With many European countries closing their borders, thousands of these migrants have made their way to northern France in hopes of gaining asylum in the United Kingdom.

Our own Bobby King has just returned from a one month volunteer stint working with migrants in the Calais-Dunkirk region of northern France.  At this program he will give a presentation that will include an overview of the events that led to this crisis and what is being done by France and other European nations to deal with it.  His focus will be on the grassroots efforts to alleviate the suffering of homeless migrants in Calais and those living in a temporary refugee camp in Dunkirk.

Bobby King is a former Executive Director of Refugee Family Services, providing social services, employment opportunities, health education, women’s services. And youth services to refugees living in the metropolitan Atlanta area.  He also worked with Georgia Piedmont Technical College where he served as an English as a Second Language instructor.  Since his retirement in 2008, Bobby has worked as a fulltime volunteer with The International Rescue Committee.