Refugee Services
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RESETTLEMENT EFFORTS
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is one of four refugee resettlement agencies in Oklahoma, coordinating with partners and staff to welcome newly arrived refugees and help them achieve safety, stability, and self-sufficiency in our community.
Catholic Charities is dedicated to helping refugees who have fled their countries to escape war, crisis and conflict. This complex work often involves fragile survivors. Case managers, job developers and housing navigators help them find work, learn English and make a new home.
We have immediate and ongoing needs to assist in setting up homes and providing resources. To assist us in these endeavors, please consider a donation or visit our Amazon Wishlist.Make A DonationAmazon WishlistDonate Items
Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement
Most refugees arrive in the US with few possessions. The Refugee Resettlement Program offers a wide range of services to help assist clients in becoming self-sufficient. Each individual or family is assigned a case manager who works with the family for up to three months from the date of their arrival. These services include: Airport reception, food, housing, clothing, financial assistance, furniture/living supplies, community orientation, transportation assistance, English as a Second Language, health care, job development/skills training, employment opportunities, and referrals to community partners.
In the 1970s, Catholic Charities began operating as an affiliate of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops/ Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) with responsibility for the provision of Reception and Placement (R&P) services to all newly arrived refugees. Catholic Charities welcomed a vast number of Vietnamese refugees during this time frame after the communist government of North Vietnam captured Saigon. Communities were established in the north-central parts of Oklahoma City and are still flourishing to this day.
Afghan Refugee Response
In 2021, Catholic Charities welcomed over 1,800 Afghan refugees into our state from September 2021 - February 2022. This was the highest number of refugees resettled by Catholic Charities OKC in its history. Multiple case managers, interpreters, community partners, various faith-based organizations and countless volunteers helped us receive these families into our city.
Resettlement Process
Arrival
Provisions are made to pick up families from the airport and transport them to a nearby hotel where they are temporarily placed until assigned a case manager. Catholic Charities has worked with Champion Hotels to accommodate these needs.
Housing
Catholic Charities of OKC works to find immediate housing for refugees. Permanent housing solutions are identified through case management, taking into consideration things such as family size, proximity to potential employment, and other geographic factors.
Social Integration
Upon arrival, families are immediately provided with welcome kits. Cultural integration classes are provided upon arrival and throughout the the resettlement process. The Oklahoma City Police Department trains officers on how to interact with the refugees and educate them on their customs.
Schools/Children Activities
All children who move into permanent housing are also successfully enrolled in public schools.
Employment
Catholic Charities employs a job developer specialist who conducts intakes with arrivals and works to match them with employers, keeping in mind housing and transportation challenges as well. The long term success of refugees hinges on successful long-term employment. We provide employment assessment and job orientation to all applicants. We pre-screen applicants to match their skills with relevant job openings. We offer mediation between employers and employees. We also offer post-employment and ongoing support to employers and our refugee clients.
English Language Classes
ESL classes are offered, and volunteer translators have been vital in how we assist our new neighbors. Through our relationship with United Way of Central Oklahoma, we have access to a telephone translation service.
Oklahoma City Welcoming Efforts
Catholic Charities has partnered with other nonprofit organizations such as the the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma (CAIR), The Spero Project, Oklahoma City Public Schools, Putnam City School, United Way of Central Oklahoma and many local churches and faith-based organizations to ensure the needs of families are well received and feel welcome.
Volunteer
If you are interested in volunteering, head over to our volunteer page here and follow the instructions.
Sponsor a Family
Want to be a mentor and friend to a newly arrived refugee family? Become a sponsor and help families feel more welcomed and connected to OKC. You will have the opportunity to learn about a new culture and make life-long friends. Learn more about sponsorship by contacting Alonda McGraw, Director of Refugee Resettlement, at [email protected].
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- Contact Catholic Charities
- Operation Allies Welcome
- Media Inquiries
- Who is a refugee?
- About Catholic Charities' Resettlement Department
- The Right People for the Job
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Contact Catholic Charities
Alonda McGraw
Director of Refugee Resettlement
[email protected]
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Media Inquiries
Carly Akard
Director of Communications
[email protected]
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Who is a refugee?
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees defines a refugee as a person who has fled his or her country of origin and cannot return due to persecution (or a well founded fear of such) based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group.
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About the Refugee Resettlement Program
Catholic Charities’ Refugee Resettlement program assists newly arrived refugees in finding safety, stability, self-sufficiency, and integration into a new community. Since 1975, Catholic Charities has operated as an affiliate of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops/ Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS) with responsibility for the provision of Reception and Placement (R&P) services to all newly arrived refugees for 90 days after arrival into the United States.
The majority of refugees to arrive in Oklahoma City and Tulsa within the first 20 years were from Southeast Asia. Since then, Catholic Charities has resettled individuals and families from Eastern Europe, the Former Soviet Union, and multiple countries in both Africa and Asia.
Today Catholic Charities also provides resettlement services to asylees, parolees, and Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. While the differences are nuanced between the different groups, like refugees, asylees and parolees are fleeing persecution and seeking humanitarian relief. SIV’s, on the other hand, are those whose lives have been threatened because of their work in support of the U.S. wartime mission in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
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The Right People for the Job
Refugees are fully authorized to work from the moment they arrive in the United States. They possess the documentation necessary for legal employment. Our clients desire to achieve self-sufficiency and economic stability for themselves and their families. Many of our clients bring skills and experiences that are valuable in the workplace. Some were professionals in their home countries while others are seeking entry-level positions. In fact, there are many benefits of hiring a refugee:
● Documented candidates screened by the U.S. Department of State
● Strong desire to work
● High loyalty and excellent retention rates
● Adaptability and resilience
● Wide variety of skills and work experience
● Employer tax credits
● Positive attitudes, quick learners
● Enhanced cultural diversity in your staff