By Robyn Hazlitt, The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
The news in 2015 has been full of powerful images and heart-wrenching stories about the refugee crisis in Syria, the Middle East and Europe. While it is easy to assume that refugees are a distant issue for other parts of the world, many of our friends and neighbors right here in Boulder County have expressed concern and asked about how they might help. And, in fact, immigration isn’t necessarily an issue faced only in other parts of the world. In 2016, we expect nearly 2,000 refugees will be welcomed into Colorado, and, according to the TRENDS Report, some 419 refugees became permanent legal residents of Boulder County between 2003 and 2013. There are a myriad of ways to support these refugees, at home and abroad, including some wonderful local, national and international organizations working tirelessly to support those displaced from their homes and countries. We wanted to share some ideas.
Boulder County
Intercambio
Intercambio’s mission is to “improve immigrant lives through English education, and unite communities across cultures.” As one of the premier service providers for immigrants in Boulder County, Intercambio has served Boulder County refugees and immigrants seeking to improve their English language skills and gain a better understanding of American culture and society.
Denver/Colorado
African Community Center
The African Community Center (ECDC/ACC) is a non-profit refugee resettlement agency which serves refugees from all over the world, welcoming over 3,500 people to Denver since 2001. Their mission is to help refugees rebuild safe, sustainable lives in Denver through supportive networks of people, services and community activities. They are currently fundraising on their homepage for Syrian refugees in Denver, CO.
Colorado African Organization
The Colorado African Organization (CAO) is a nonprofit that exists to support Colorado’s refugee, immigrant, and asylum-seeking populations in their pursuit of integration, self-sufficiency and freedom. Through a combination of community navigation, case assistance and education programs, the CAO works hard to ensure that immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers are capable of thriving within the complex and unfamiliar systems they are faced with upon arrival in Colorado.
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountain Refugee and Asylee Programs
Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains Refugee & Asylee Programs began resettling refugees in Colorado in 1978 in response to the wave of refugees arriving from Southeast Asia. Since then, LFS has resettled thousands of refugees from countries around the world , including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Colombia, Cuba, Ethiopia, Liberia, Russia, Somalia, Ukraine and Vietnam, just to name a few.
Colorado Providers for Integration Network
The Colorado Providers for Integration Network (CPIN) is a group of service providers and interested community members who believe that one of the paths towards immigrant integration is to raise the level of service provision for immigrants and refugees through collaboration, training, language access, cultural understanding, and awareness. Through their monthly service provider meetings, listserv, social media projects, trainings, collective knowledge, and skill sharing, they aim to increase the integration success rate for our clients and fellow community members.
National/International Advocacy Organizations
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster.
Read more here.
The International Rescue Committee supports newly arrived refugees by providing immediate aid, including food and shelter. They also provide services to assist them on their path to becoming permanent residents or U.S. citizens.
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights
Urgent Action Fund supports women’s rights activists striving to create cultures of justice, equality and peace by providing Rapid Response Grants to women human rights defenders and by participating in collaborative Advocacy and Alliance Building. Urgent Action Fund responds to all requests, in any language, within 72 hours, including grants to vulnerable women’s groups within Syria to provide emergency assistance and relocation.
Refugees International
Refugees International was started in 1979 as a citizens’ movement to protect Indochinese refugees. Since then, they have expanded to become a leading advocacy organization that provokes action from global leaders to resolve refugee crises. They do not accept government or UN funding, allowing our advocacy to be fearless and independent. Due to their efforts, displaced people receive food, medicine, and education; families return home; and peacekeepers are sent to protect displaced people from harm.
CARE
CARE is reaching people impacted by the conflict in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen and inside Syria with life-saving emergency assistance as well as solutions to help people cope with the longer term crisis. CARE is on the ground in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Serbia and Croatia, collaborating with partners and helping people displaced by the conflict and the communities hosting them.
UN Refugees
UNHCR is on the ground coordinating a massive refugee response throughout the region and leading efforts to protect and provide shelter for those displaced inside Syria – working across conflict lines to provide critical aid under extremely dangerous circumstances.
Have another favorite nonprofit that serves refugee populations? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page to help spread the word!
