Letter sent World Relief concerning refugee resettlement ...

I just sent the following FOIA request to World Relief of Spartanburg. Will keep you updated on response:

Pursuant to the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, I request access to and copies of any and all correspondence, memorandum, and emails, including but not limited to any official email account as well as any private email accounts used for any official purpose, in the use of taxpayer funds and the number of refugees and their country of origin being used in your participation in the Refugee Resettlement Program, including but not limited to phone calls, emails, Specifically I would like to know : 

1. The current number of Refugees and their country of origin that have been placed in the state of South Carolina as well as in which county they have been placed. 

2. The proposed number of Refugees and their country of origin that will be placed in the state of South Carolina as well as in which county they are proposing to be placed. 

3. The total amount of taxpayer funded assistance any and all of the Refugees living in South Carolina have received from 2007 to present date. 

4. Please provide all correspondence your office has with the Office of Refugee Resettlement or any other Governmental agency concerning the 2016 and future 2017 State and Federal Refugee Resettlement Plan. 

5. Was there an Amber alert for Child W the child placed in Beaufort County. Family Court Case 2015-DR-07-229? If not please explain reasoning. If reasoning includes your agency was not informed, please state which day your agency was informed. If this FOIA is the first you are hearing of the missing child please state so. File with: ORR-SC, State Police, County Sheriff, and Municipality. 

6. Who pays for Refugee State ID's? If it is state taxpayer funded, please provide budget code and resolutions justifying expense. 

7. How much state taxpayer funding has been allocated to pay for Refugee housing each year from 2007 to 2016? 

8. Include a detail account of the vetting policy. What is the background or qualifications of the sponsors of any unaccompanied children. What is the policy on follow up so these children so they do not go missing? 

9. Are there plans to settle any Refugees in Pickens County SC and if so how many and from what country of origin. Please waive any applicable fees. Although your agency may be legally allowed to collect a fee for satisfying this request for public records, the FOIA specifically requires that any fees are not to exceed the actual cost of searching for and copying records and that the records must be furnished at the lowest possible cost to the person requesting the records (§30-4-30(b)). Since release of the information is in the public interest because it will contribute significantly to public understanding of government operations and activities I request that you please waive any applicable fees. Nonetheless, I agree to pay reasonable duplication fees for the processing of this request in an amount not to exceed twenty-five dollars ($25). 

Please notify me in advance of the total fees to be charged, if in excess of that amount. If my request for information is denied in whole or part, I ask that you justify all deletions by reference to specific exemptions of the act. I will also expect you to release all portions of otherwise exempt material, which can be separated. Of course, I reserve the right to appeal your decision to withhold any information or to deny a waiver of fees. I look forward to your reply within fifteen (15) days excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, as the statute requires. As this information is of timely value, I would appreciate your communicating with me via email, rather than by postal mail, if you have questions regarding this request. Thank you for your assistance. 

Thank you for your assistance. 

Sincerely, 

Johnnelle Raines