From Relief to Recovery: How Your Charity Helps Refugees in the United States

Rohnigya Cultural Center

The Rohingya have as of recent been described as the world's most persecuted people by the United Nations, several of whom currently reside in Chicago’s West Ridge Neighborhood, and are in urgent need of comprehensive humanitarian services. Since helping establish the Rohingya Culture Center (RCC) in West Ridge in 2016, we’ve provided a multitude of services to help transform lives in their community, from young to old, which have collectively benefitted 21,946 beneficiaries:

• Case Management

• English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes

• Health Support 

• Religious Education

• Academic Support

• Youth Sports and Club

• Food Distribution

• Interpretation Services

• Community Gatherings

While the RCC predominantly serves the Rohingya population in the area, the Center also offers services to anyone who seeks them, regardless of background.

Afghans Cultural Center Inc.

The resettlement journey for Afghan refugees living in the United States has been a long and arduous one since the seizure of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021. Since then, over 100,000 Afghans were welcomed into the U.S., and several arrived in Chicago seeking a new life ripe with opportunities. To address their urgent and long-term needs, we helped establish the Afghans Cultural Center Inc. (ACCI) in 2023 in Chicago’s Sauganash neighborhood to support resettling Afghan families in attaining the support systems and resources needed to thrive. Till date, the ACCI has benefitted 4,739 Afghan refugees and currently provides the following services:

• Legal Assistance

• Education

• Workshops & Training

• Afghan Support Center

• Community Engagement

• Funeral Assistance

• Food Security

• Cultural & Religious Events

Upwardly Global Job Placement & Training

Since 2017, we’ve proudly partnered with Upwardly Global – a nonprofit mentoring service that prepares and helps place refugees and immigrants with professional backgrounds seek and secure jobs in their careers fields in America.During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, we launched a project focused on providing job readiness & career pathways training, networking opportunities, reskilling and upskilling of their current experience, documenting their previous work history, and attaining new and re-certifications for their skillsets. Together, we’ve helped transform the professional lives of 2,379 total beneficiaries, 40% of whom were women and 50% of whom were refugees or asylees. Additionally, 360 of these beneficiaries transitioned from poverty and underemployment into thriving-wage roles with an average starting salary of $55,000 USD, representing an average income gain of $66,236 USD per household and marking a new era of success and economic stability for themselves.

Social Services Center

Recognizing the struggles faced by underprivileged communities and refugees in the Chicago community, we opened the Social Services Center (SSC) in Harvey, Illinois in December 2023 as a beacon of hope and support for individuals navigating challenging life circumstances. The SSC acts as a free goodwill store, providing donated necessities for vulnerable populations such as men’s, children’s and women’s clothing, hygiene kits, toys, blankets, sleeping bags, tents and bags. Since its inception, the SSC has benefitted 735 total individuals in 147 families and welcomes members of diverse backgrounds from countries like Venezuela, Senegal, Mexico, Ghana, Jordan and more, along with those born to local Chicago populations.

St. Bartholomew Catholic Church Migrant Shelter

On June 11th, 2024, we inaugurated a new migrant shelter in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, in collaboration with the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the Archdiocese of Chicago, as a comprehensive humanitarian shelter and resettlement program for refugees and displaced families, mostly from the southern border of the U.S., at the St. Bartholomew Catholic Church campus. Our grand opening was attended by honored Chicago guests such as Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, Alderwoman Ruth Cruz, Commissioner Anthony Quezada and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, as well as members of the media and local community. The opening included a welcome reception, tour of the building and a lunch meal with the residents, 45 of whom had moved in at the time with plans to house up to 300 migrants. We fully administer and fund the shelter’s services, including staffing, logistics and educational and training programs that include planned English classes and job training courses, as well as providing donated personal items.