Events and News
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Current Features:
Warning from the Office of Refugee Resettlement:
New Telephone Scam Targeting Bhutanese Refugees
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has been alerted to a new telephone scam apparently targeting Bhutanese refugees.
A man identifying himself as a representative of the "Federal Grants Department" calls from a Washington, DC-based telephone number,
(202) 436-9601, informing recently resettled refugees that they are eligible to receive $10,000 because they are refugees from Bhutan.
To claim the money, they are instructed to produce a money order for $650, and call the telephone number for further instructions on where to send the money.
Be advised that this is NOT a legitimate solicitation.
At least one refugee has been coerced into making multiple payments as "processing fees", totaling more than $5,000.
So far, reports are localized in Texas, but ORR advises everyone to be aware of this scam and avoid giving any personal
information or payments to unknown callers.
Please note that the federal government does not demand processing fees or security deposits from grant recipients.
If you are the target of a suspicious request, please contact your local police or resettlement agency for further assistance.
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Holiday Greetings from the Office of Refugee Resettlement
On behalf of everyone at the Office of Refugee Resettlement, warm wishes for a joyous holiday season, and a bright new year!
Eskinder Negash, Director of ORR, has written the following letter to all friends and colleagues.
Dear ORR friends and colleagues,
On the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, these words from a former refugee remind
us of the virtues of patience and fortitude. As we see new refugee camps built to accommodate the arrival of Somalis in Dadaab,
or Syrians and Iraqis in southern Turkey, it is sometimes hard to see what we’ve learned from the past six decades.
Yet, those few out of millions given a second chance for resettlement find new hope and opportunities, but also new
challenges and uncertainties.
This past year, ORR has shifted its focus to the most vulnerable of refugees, those who were often left out of
traditional programming. From creating a resource center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) refugees, to
redesigning our Microenterprise Program to promote home-based child care initiatives for refugee mothers, we have made a
concerted effort to ensure that we are responsive to the needs of the people we serve.
Our goal is to provide access and services previously unattainable, and see that every
refugee resettled to the United States is given the tools needed to succeed, however that success is defined. This is the very
definition of hope, and it is up to resettlement service providers—from ORR and its state and federal partners, to the voluntary
agencies across the country, and the many partners without whose help we could not carry out our duties—to ensure that this hope is
translated into opportunity.
Our refugee communities have lost so much through displacement, years of waiting, and the uncertainties of asylum. My hope is
that in resettlement, they will find peace, dignity, solace, and promise for a future bright with possibilities.
During the Holiday season, we ask you to celebrate with us the extraordinary determination, perseverance and contribution of all
refugees to our country and our lives. We thank you for your generosity in making possible their hopeful and dignified resettlement.
Warmest regards,
Eskinder Negash, Director of ORR
To view ORR's greeting card featuring this letter, please download the following document:
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Job Opening: Regional Refugee Coordinator at the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services
The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) currently has a Program Consultant II/Regional Refugee Coordinator
position in Economic & Employment Support.
As a Regional Refugee Coordinator, you will:
- work with EES Program Administrator and other management staff in the WEST region as well as the State Refugee Coordinator in
EES Central Office in the development, monitoring and management of new initiatives, working with existing community coalitions,
refugee communities and resources including facilitation of public and community partnerships.
- facilitate constructive partnerships across systems in order to promote high-quality refugee resettlement supports and services
consistent with the mission, vision and goals of SRS and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Refugee Services.
- handle on-going assessment and improvement of the local refugee resettlement service delivery model.
- be based in the West region, responsibility and availability is statewide and subject to the needs of the refugee program and
will provide service in multiple management regions of SRS.
- requires bilingual abilities in English and either Karen or Somali languages.
Applications are accepted through January 6, 2012.
For further information on this position, including instructions on applying, preferred qualifications and more, please view the job description at the
Kansas State Employment Center. To learn about
more great employment opportunities, please view our list of current job openings from our service providers.
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Church World Service Lancaster: Only Pack the Essentials
Imagine you have been forced to move to a country across the world, and the luggage allowance for one passenger is one 55 pound bag
and an 11 pound handbag. Clothing, shoes, toiletries, photos, and special items from your home may top your list of essentials, but would you bring your library of textbooks?
In this edition of CWS-Lancaster's newsletter, read about Tila, a Bhutanese refugee with a passion for teaching and education, who distributed his large collection of math, physics, religious studies
and English grammar textbooks among the luggage of three other refugees in order to comply with the small luggage allowance.
To read Tila's story as well as more articles featuring local refugees, information on available Summer 2012 internships and more, please download the
full newsletter:
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Church World Service Lancaster: A Grateful Refugee Sends a Letter of Thanks
CWS-Lancaster were recently put in touch with a woman whose family had been resettled by Church World Service 60 years ago on Thanksgiving Day.
In this December newsletter, CWS-Lancaster shares Inge Kepple's letter with their supporters, who are part of the reason for the opportunities found by
Inge and many other refugees.
An article for Church World Service from a grateful refugee of 60 years ago
by Inge Kepple
"On a misty, cold November morning in 1951, as our military transport ship filled with World War II refugees came into New York harbor after an
11-day voyage from Bremerhaven, everyone hurried on deck to get a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.
Its inscription -- "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" - certainly applied to all of us. We were tired
of air raids, bombings, destruction, killing, atrocities, hunger, fear, and concentration camps. We were poor, homeless, stateless, displaced masses,
and yes, we were yearning to breathe free again and to rebuild our lives in a new country, the USA, the land of opportunity.
Escaping Yugoslavia to Austria in '47 from one of Tito's many concentration camps for Germans, we and other refugees from various countries filled
all the Lager Haid barracks - one room per family. A year later we got another one. I was already nine when I started school here. My teachers were
also refugees and the school a barrack. Four years later we were eager to sign up with a Church World Service volunteer to come to America and leave
our two-room "mansion" behind.
Read more...
To read more about Inge Kepple, please visit the Church World Service website here.
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Hault is Sought to Manchester, N.H., Refugee Resettlement
After Taking In Refugees for Years, a New Hampshire City Asks or a Pause
Abby Goodnough, N.Y. Times
MANCHESTER, N.H. - This city has long been a resettlement site for refugees, sent here by the State Department for a chance at a better life.
More than 60 languages are spoken in the school system, with Somalis, Sudanese, Iraqis and other recent arrivals mixing with children whose
ancestors came from Quebec to work in the mighty textile mills along the Merrimack River.
But this year, after decades of taking in refugees, Manchester said, "Enough."
In a highly unusual move, Mayor Ted Gatsas and the city's Board of Aldermen asked the State Department in July to halt resettlements here
for now. A tide of more than 2,100 refugees over the last decade—most recently, Bhutanese families coming from camps in Nepal—has
been more than the city of 109,500 can assure jobs and decent housing for, Mr. Gatsas said.
"We're just saying, 'Let us catch our breath,'" he said last week in an interview at City Hall. "This is about giving people the opportunity
for a better life, and until I can get that person working and gainfully employed and getting to learn the language, I can't do that."
Read more...
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PAIRWN's 10th Annual Diversity Potluck Luncheon
Save the Date: Saturday, December 10th, 2011
The Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women's Network (PAIRWN) cordially invites you to their 10th annual Diversity Potluck Luncheon!
Just as each snowflake covering Pennsylvania is unique, so are the people from the various countries and ethnicities that make up our wonderful state.
You are invited to join in celebrating the unique diversity of all our cultures and traditions in music, song, dance, with lots of good food and
fellowship from around the world.
The luncheon will take place at the PA State Museum, and will include traditional Chinese dancers, a Bosnian ballad singer and a Middle Eastern style belly
dancer. Admission is free, but you may bring a cultural dish to share if you wish.
For more information about this event, including contact information, please download the following Save the Date flyer:
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Office of Refugee Resettlement - 2011 Special Thanksgiving Edition Newsletter
In this special Thanksgiving edition of their newsletter, the ORR brings a sampling of feast-related stories from their partners and neighbors.
The stories featured include Nationalities Service Center's (NSC) hosting of a Thanksgiving dinner for 225 resettled refugees in which the traditional
American dishes were supplemented with culturally appropriate variations; how a Eritrian refugee in Washington, DC has given back to his community by
offering free frozen turkeys at his convenience store, and more.
To read more Thanksgiving-related stories from the ORR, as well as information on how to nominate an ORR Hero—a person who goes above and beyond in
service to refugees—please download the full newsletter here:
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Church World Service Lancaster: It Takes a Community, and more
In this issue, CWS-Lancaster features an upcoming meeting focused on optimizing refugee resettlement in Lancaster County.
As refugees arrive in the United States at increasing rates, education and outreach to local organizations are essential to strengthen services and improve collaborative efforts to provide community support
for these new populations. Join hundreds of community members for an opportunity to meet and discuss refugee issues during a two-day conference on February 3rd and 4th 2012 at Franklin & Marshall College.
For more information on this conference including registration information, and to read the other items featured in this newsletter, including the donation of art supplies to local refugees, information on CWS-Lancaster's table
at the upcoming Gifts that Give Hope alternative gift fair and a chance to win a hand-made Nepali decoration, please download the full newsletter:
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ECDC's 18th Annual National Conference & Network Training
African Refugee & Immigrant Lives: "Conflict, Consequences, and Contributions"
Save the Date: Wednesday, May 2 to Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC) invites you to join them at their 18th annual national conference. Since its inception in 1993, ECDC's national conference has been recognized as the premiere
event dedicated to the topic of African refugees and immigrants. The conference is part of ECDC's ongoing effort to enhance awareness and support for African refugees and immigrants, to strengthen resettlement
programs and services, and to promote cultural, educational and socio-economic development initiatives to help newcomers become productive members in their local communities.
Each year, distinguished speakers and dynamic plenary and concurrent sessions are designed to engage and inform conference attendees about current topics of interest. The conference
presents opportunities for members of local community organizations to associate with national leaders in refugee and humanitarian affairs; receive updates on policy and program
issues; gather ideas from best-practice experiences; and gain inspiration and a sense of renewal that accompanies the fellowship occasioned by such gatherings. This year the conference will
be combined with ECDC's National Affiliate Network Training, providing more networking opportunities.
This year's conference considers a continuum of three broad themes on recent global developments; ongoing concerns about African refugee protection; resettlement issues; and refugee and
immigrant impact on their new communities.
To learn more about the ECDC's Annual National Conference, and for location, contact and registration information, please download the following Save the Date flyer:
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Nationalities Service Center: Global Tastes 2011
Celebrating Philadelphia's Diverse Communities Through Food!
Save the Date: Thursday, November 10th, 2011
Nationalities Service Center invites you to join them in celebrating Philadelphia's diverse communities through food! Help honor Philadelphia's refugees and immigrants whose lives have
been touched by Nationalities Service Center as well as celebrate their continued hopes for the future.
Join WHYY's Maiken Scott for an evening featuring an array of international restaurants from our region, serving samplings of their favorite food. Global Tastes 2011 will take place at WHYY from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.
For further details on Global Tastes 2011 including sponsoship opportunities, a listing of participating restaurants, and location, contact and ticket information, please download the following
Save the Date flyer:
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Church World Services Lancaster: How You Can Become Involved in Refugee Resettlement
This month, Church World Services Lancaster has outlined great ways in which you can become involved and help refugees start new lives.
Participating in CWS-Lancaster's Gifts That Give Hope alternative gift fair is a great way to both give back to the larger community and honor your loved ones at the same time.
Instead of purchasing traditional gifts, participants honor their friends and family by making meaningful donations to local and global non-profits, improving the
lives of others.
Another great way you can help improve the lives of refugees is by teaching ESL. CWS-Lancaster is looking for volunteers to help teach English to groups of 5-6 refugees.
For more information on these and other opportunities to become involved in refugee resettlement, including contact information for submitting new ideas, please download the following document:
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Lutheran Refugee Services' Citizenship Day:
Meet the New Neighbors
Neighbors of Musser Park in Lancaster must have woken up with a shock last Saturday Morning, when loud Nepali Music started playing from the sound system set up right next door.
They watched from their doorsteps as slowly, people speaking a plethora of languages made their way into the park. The Burmese table went up first, showing pictures of the rolling
hills of their homeland and a brightly colored Burmese flag. Next a stand with beautiful handmade jewelry, made by Refugees popped up next door. The trend continued as a Turkish
Gyro began to spin, the Ahiskan Turks set up their stand of delicious treats, and the Burmese brought out Sushi for all to enjoy.
Community members from the Ahiskan, Burmese, Bhutanese, and Iraqi communities buzzed around the park, excited to speak with Mayor Gray, Senator Brubaker, Senator Smucker,
Charlotte Fry, and Vice Consul Umit Alpaslan Kilic before they gave their speeches. As 11:30 rolled around, everybody took their seats and the festivities officially began. Mayor
Gray, Senator Smucker, and Senator Brubaker spoke about the importance of new citizens, how they serve as an inspiration and invigorate the United States. Charlotte Fry spoke
about her twisted path to citizenship, including several countries and a variety of different visas. Vice Consul Umit Alpaslan Kilic spoke about the common values that Turkish
people and American people share, like hard work and perseverance.
Shortly after the speeches, everybody sat down and ate a lunch that was inspired by countries all around the world. New American Citizens and their representatives laughed and
talked together as they enjoyed the amazing food. The international lunch was pleasantly interrupted by Iraqi music, and young Nepali and Burmese girls dancing in a flurry of
colorful clothing. The afternoon drifted by and, driven by curiosity, some of the neighbors crept past their thresholds to celebrate with their fellow citizens.
Written by Evan Whiting, Lutheran Refugees Service of Lancaster
Burmese women and children attend to their display table
Guest speakers and presenters
A Bhutanese traditional dance is performed by recently-arrived refugees
Senator Brubaker, Mayor Gray, and Senator Smucker pose for a photo with a Burmese refugee woman and children
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Office of Refugee Resettlement - September 2011 Newsletter
In their September newsletter, the ORR highlights their annual National Convention—themed "Bridges to a New Future"—which brought together the largest number of
of refugee stakeholders in recent memory.
Also included in September's issue is an article on Delta Dental of Colorado's introduction of an innovative new program that will help address oral health - one of the most universal health concerns for refugees.
This new program will make make refugees the primary beneficiaries of its foundation resources by providing free dental insurance for low-income refugees.
To read these full articles and additional stories, including the growth of refugee gardens, the presentation of the 2011 Special Director's Award for Service at the National Convention and more,
please download the full newsletter here:
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