Refugee Resettlement

A REFUGEE is a person who has fled or who has been forced to leave the security of their home country due to a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Oftentimes they leave suddenly and with few possessions. Millions have spent decades in refugee camps, unable to return home.

Individuals granted refugee status overseas by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are admitted to the U.S. for resettlement. National voluntary resettlement agencies, such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and their affiliates, are guided by the U.S. Department of State to provide resettlement services that will help refugees gain self-sufficiency as quickly as possible after arrival in the United States. CSSMV is an affiliate of USCCB for providing refugee resettlement services in Dayton.

Newly arrived refugees in Dayton receive supportive services from CSSMV’s Refugee Resettlement Program for placement in initial furnished housing, a cultural orientation overview, employment assistance and linkage to community resources such as referral to ESL services and medical services.

During 2011, the Refugee Resettlement Program of CSSMV received 144 refugees for resettlement services. The largest number of arriving refugees were from the countries of Bhutan, Eritrea and Ethiopia. Other represented countries were Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi and Iraq. This arrival pattern is expected to continue through 2012.

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me…”   Matthew 25: 35

Through the support of individual volunteers, ethnic community members, civic organizations, Catholic parishes and other faith communities, refugees will receive additional support leading to an improved chance for successful integration and overall self-sufficiency.

Here are only some examples of how you can help…

Material support

• Household items for pre-arrival preparation
• Curtains
• Vacuum cleaners
• Bicycles, helmets, locks
• Flash drives (to download resumes)
• Pre-arrival shopping for household items or groceries

One-on-one volunteer support

• Refugee Mentor
• ESL Tutor
• Resume Development
• Skill development/orientation class assistant
• Transportation to appointments
• Budget tutoring or training on city bus

Contact: Amy Hart, Volunteer Coordinator, harta@cssmv.org or 937-223-7217, ext. 1140

*** You can also help support the work of refugee resettlement by making a tax-deductible donation ***