Links

Local Organizations

Cambodian Association of Illinois
http://www.cambodian-association.org/
Cambodian Association of Illinois “services some 5,000 Cambodians in Illinois all of whom are Cambodian refugees or the children of refugees who escaped the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge’s ‘Killing Fields’." CAI works to help refugees and immigrants to become self sufficient while also maintaining their cultural heritage and community. Programs offered include: citizenship, seniors, employment assistance, family health outreach, strengthening families, children and youth.

Catholic Charities Chicago Diocese—Refugee Resettlement Services
http://www.catholiccharities.net/services/refugee_resettlement/
Catholic Charities believes in providing for and helping anyone in need, as they view this as part of the church’s role in giving individuals, families, and communities dignity. Refugee Resettlement Services are one of the many programs they offer in an effort to help those in need (specifically catering to the following concerns of refugees: linguistic and cultural barriers, housing needs, financial assistance, interpretation, transportation, case management, and employment).

Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
http://www.ecachicago.org/Home.asp
The Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago serves the refugee and immigrant communities in the Chicago area (supporting many refugee populations in addition to native Ethiopians). ECAC offers a variety of programs and educational tools to “assists in the promotion of personal growth, financial stability, positive family and community relations and community empowerment.”

Heartland Alliance
http://www.heartlandalliance.org/
“Heartland Alliance advances the human rights and responds to the human needs of endangered populations—particularly the poor, the isolated, and the displaced—through the provision of comprehensive and respectful services and the promotion of permanent solutions leading to a more just global society.” Based in Chicago, Heartland Alliance main areas of work focus on housing, health care, economic security, and legal protection services for vulnerable populations (including refugees).

RefugeeOne
http://www.irim.org/services.htm
“RefugeOne creates opportunities for refugees fleeing war, terror and persecution to build new lives of safety, dignity, and self-reliance.” They assist refugees arriving to the Chicagoland area and provide services including senior services, vocational training, women’s empowerment, English language training, youth programs, immigration and citizenship services, resettlement services, and employment services.

World Relief Chicago
http://worldrelief.org/Page.aspx?pid=1775
World Relief Chicago provides services to refugees and immigrants including a resettlement program, financial literacy classes, employment services, legal services, citizenship assistance, ESL classes, in-home English tutoring, family literacy, early childhood education programs, mental health services, youth programming, and senior programming. Learn more here!

World Relief DuPage and World Relief Aurora
http://worldrelief.org/Page.aspx?pid=1715 (DuPage)
http://worldrelief.org/Page.aspx?pid=1681 (Aurora)
World Relief DuPage and World Relief Aurora are “Christ-centered organizations seeking to holistically serve immigrants, refugees, and members of their communities in partnership with the church, while also fostering authentic relationships between these newcomers and their neighbors.” They offers specific refugee services including initial resettlement services, employment services, youth services, and counseling services.

National Organizations

Episcopal Migration Ministries
http://ecusa.anglican.org/emm.htm
Episcopal Migration Ministries is one of 10 national agencies in partnership with the US Department of State working to resettle refugees primarily in the United States. They also work in outreach on behalf of the refugee community, internally displaced persons, and people seeking asylum.

InterAction
http://www.interaction.org/
InterAction is the largest coalition of US based NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) working for the benefit of the world’s poor and vulnerable people. The collective voice of the NGO community seeks to share their varied expertise to address “global poverty and deliver humanitarian aid in every developing country”.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
http://www.ifrc.org/
The IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian organization. They specifically strive to “improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.” IFRC believes in building a spirit of hope, giving people dignity, and creating equity for vulnerable people. Vulnerable people reached included victims of natural disasters, people living in poverty, refugees, and victims of health emergencies.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
http://www.lirs.org/site/c.nhLPJ0PMKuG/b.5537769/k.BFCA/Home.htm
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services is a faith based organization seeking to serve the refugee and migrant communities. They desire to see a world where “all communities welcome refugees and migrants”; they help build and educate on what it means to be a welcoming community as well as create sustainable ways for people to participate with refugee work through ministries of service and justice.

Refugee Highway Partnership
www.refugeehighway.net
“The Refugee Highway Partnership grew out of a vision to connect the many different people involved in ministry at diverse points along the refugee highway.”Learn more about the Refugee Highway Partnership and ways you can get involved at this link.

USA for UNHCR
http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.4778881/k.A2F8/UN_Refugee...
The USA for UNHCR works hard to support and meet the needs of refugees as well as to create awareness in the US regarding refugee concerns and relief programs; currently, they serve 32 million refugees worldwide. Learn more about refugees and their needs, current campaigns to help, find ways to get involved, and see various materials at their website.

USA for UNHCR—Teacher’s Corner
http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.4803603/
The UNHCR believes education is central to the Public Awareness work surrounding refugee needs. The “Teacher’s Corner” provides lesson plans, teaching materials, posters, and more to use in an effort to integrate refugee concerns into education.

UNHCR Photo Galleries
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c25d.html
The UNHCR offers more than 250,000 refugee-related photos free for media use. The photos cover a majority of the displacements over the last 60 years and “provide a comprehensive portrait of the lives of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and the stateless in all corners of the globe…”

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops—Migration and Refugee Services
http://www.usccb.org/mrs/index.shtml
The “Migration and Refugee Services carries out the commitment of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to serve and advocate for refugees, asylees, and other forced migrants, immigrants, and other people on the move.” Most of their efforts focus on the most vulnerable populations. The work they do is a result of their belief that the Gospel mandates welcoming every human being as if he or she were Christ Himself.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
Find information about immigration and citizenship including seeing permanent residence, working in the US, being a citizen, and more. You can also look specifically at information on refugees and asylum.

International Organizations

Church World Service
http://www.churchworldservice.org/site/PageServer
Church World Service works with partners in the US and worldwide in an effort to “build interfaith and intercultural coalitions to eradicate hunger and poverty and promote peace and justice.” They work mainly in the areas of grassroots development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance.

Dave's ESL Cafe
http://www.eslcafe.com/
The “Internet’s meeting place for ESL + EFL teachers + students from around the world”. The site has resources on jobs, links for teachers, information for students, and ESL information.

International Association for Refugees
http://www.iafr.org/
IAFR works with refugee churches in refugee camps as well as activates churches and ministries to “welcome and love” refugees that are resettled from the refugee camps.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
http://www.ifrc.org/
The IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian organization. They specifically strive to “improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.” IFRC believes in building a spirit of hope, giving people dignity, and creating equity for vulnerable people. Vulnerable people reached included victims of natural disasters, people living in poverty, refugees, and victims of health emergencies.

International Organization for Migration
http://www.iom.int/jahia/jsp/index.jsp
The International Organization for Migration believes “that humane and orderly migration benefits migrants and society”. IOM seeks to assist in migration management, help people understand migration issues, create further social and economic development as a result of migration, and maintain the dignity of all migrants. Check out this website to learn about migration policies, current efforts, laws, and media regarding migration.

International Teams Refugee Ministry
http://refmin.iteams.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
International Teams Refugee Ministry works to “help the church meet uprooted people along the Refugee Highway, helping them find refuge in God.” Learn more about the path refugees take when they flee their homeland to create a new life.

Refugee Highway Partnership
www.refugeehighway.net
“The Refugee Highway Partnership grew out of a vision to connect the many different people involved in ministry at diverse points along the refugee highway.”Learn more about the Refugee Highway Partnership and ways you can get involved at this link.

Refugees International
http://www.refintl.org/
“Refugees International advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises.” Refugee International currently works with refugees in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Refugee Works
http://www.refugeeworks.org/
“Refugee Works specializes in providing exceptional training, consulting and publishing services to the national refugee employment network.” They have partners nationwide to help refugees gain economic self-sufficiency.

The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home
The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees leads international action regarding refugee needs worldwide, existing primarily to “safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees”. Learn more about UNHCR, the refugees they help, where/how they work, and other information relating to refugee concerns.

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
http://www.refugees.org/

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants website provides information on the refugee and immigrant communities and seeks to help the refugee and immigrant communities by “addressing the needs and rights of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide by advancing fair and humane public policy, facilitating and providing direct professional services, and promoting the full participation of migrants in community life.”.

World Relief—Immigrant Services
http://worldrelief.org/immigrantservices
World Relief’s mission is “empowering the local church to serve the most vulnerable” One of the ways in which they live out their mission is to advocate for immigration and refugee policy as well as give legal support, offer job training, and provide English classes to immigrants.

General Information and Resources about Refugees

The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning
http://www.thecenterweb.org/
The Center provides professional development and instructional resources for a broad range of communities including early childhood, adults, family educators, service learning, and ESL programs. Technical assistance, assessment resources, and professional resources can also be found on this website.

Cultural Orientation Resource Center (Center for Applied Linguistics)—US Refugee Program
http://www.cal.org/co/refugee/
“The Cultural Orientation Resource (COR) Center provides important orientation resources for refugee newcomers and service providers throughout the United States and overseas.” Find out more, view lesson plans, see publications, and learn about the US refugee program at this website.

Refugee Works
http://www.refugeeworks.org/
“Refugee Works specializes in providing exceptional training, consulting and publishing services to the national refugee employment network.” They have partners nationwide to help refugees gain economic self-sufficiency.

UNHCR Photo Galleries
http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c25d.html
The UNHCR offers more than 250,000 refugee-related photos free for media use. The photos cover a majority of the displacements over the last 60 years and “provide a comprehensive portrait of the lives of refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and the stateless in all corners of the globe…”

USA for UNHCR—Teacher’s Corner
http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.4803603/
The UNHCR believes education is central to the Public Awareness work surrounding refugee needs. The “Teacher’s Corner” provides lesson plans, teaching materials, posters, and more to use in an effort to integrate refugee concerns into education.

Government Organizations

Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration
http://www.state.gov/www/global/prm/index.html
The Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), part of the US State Department, ”…has primary responsibility for formulating policies on population, refugees, and migration, and for administering U.S. refugee assistance and admissions programs.” Learn about US policies affecting refugees at this website.

Office for Refugee Resettlement—US Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/
“The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) provides people in need with critical resources to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society.” Learn about their specific programs (anti-trafficking, repatriation, services for survivors of torture, unaccompanied children’s services, unaccompanied refugee minors), grant opportunities, policy information, and more.

Refugee Arrival Data—Office of Refugee Resettlement http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/data/refugee_arrival_data.htm
View refugee arrival data by country of origin and state of initial resettlement.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
Find information about immigration and citizenship including seeing permanent residence, working in the US, being a citizen, and more. You can also look specifically at information on refugees and asylum.

U.S. State Department: Regional Affairs
http://www.state.gov/www/regions.html