On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, USCRI Vermont Field Office Director Amila Merdzanovic and Afghan Resettlement Case Manager Sayed Khalilullah Anwari provided testimony to members of the Vermont State House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on the status and trends of refugee resettlement in Vermont as well as specific challenges and a few notable successes […]
Category: Field Offices
Help USCRI NC Welcome Refugee Families to Their New Homes
USCRI NC is recruiting new Welcome Home partners ready to roll up their sleeves and open their arms in welcome. Welcome Home partners set up the first apartment newly arrived refugees call home. Partners can be faith communities, civic groups, neighborhood organizations, or just a group of friends. As a Welcome Home partner, you agree […]
Together without Fear: Dennis and Jose
Dennis and Jose sat next to each other, fidgeting nervously but determined to tell their story. The overwhelming emotion in the room is joy, even though their story unfolds amidst deadly persecution in their home country of Guatemala. They are happy to be able to be honest. Dennis knew he was gay at an early […]
Staff Profile: Julianne DeGuardi
USCRI is excited to welcome Julianne DeGuardi as our new READY4Lify Program Coordinator at USCRI Vermont. “My favorite part of the job so far has been working directly with and learning from clients, as well as collaborating with and learning from all of the staff members at USCRI. As I continue implementing the READY4Life program, […]
Staff Profile: Ali Mahdi
USCRI is excited to introduce Ali Mahdi, who has been a Case Aide at USCRI Vermont since February 2022. “I provide help wherever the office needs me, including working events, client transportation, and most importantly helping with client meetings. Every day at USCRI Vermont is an exciting new challenge and I do my best to […]
Anastasiia: An Unbelievable Welcome
After her world shattered on February 24 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anastasiia struggled to believe the welcome she found in North Carolina. “The kindness and help, it’s impossible,” she said. Anastasiia is one of the approximately 50 Ukrainians now receiving support at the North Carolina Field Office of the US Committee for Refugees […]
Thank You For Supporting Our Welcoming Iowa 2022 Benefit
USCRI Des Moines hosted its fourth annual Welcoming Iowa benefit Thursday, October 20, 2022, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at West End Architectural Salvage in downtown Des Moines. The event was a celebration of Iowa’s proud history of welcoming refugees. USCRI Des Moines has welcomed over 4,000 refugees since 2010, resettling over 400 individuals this […]
They left Kabul two days apart; then he found his father semiconscious in a base in Texas
Toryali had been working for the U.S. government for almost four years when the panic started to take over Kabul as the Taliban were approaching. He was at the airport and was able to leave the country on August 15, 2021, the same day the Taliban took over the government. He says he was one […]
Challenges of School Enrollment for Refugee Children
Over the course of the past several months, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants North Carolina Field Office has helped enroll over 80 Afghan children into Wake, Durham, Cumberland, and Harnett County schools since they began arriving en masse in August of 2021. The process of enrolling the kids was made even more cumbersome […]
Successfully Housing Our Afghan Arrivals
Between October and March, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants North Carolina Field Office (USCRI NC) resettled over 260 fleeing Afghans. Despite the scarcity of affordable housing, all those refugees have now found permanent and secure housing. The rapid arrival of families fleeing Afghanistan beginning last August created both daunting challenges and special moments […]
