What is Migration & Refugee Services?
Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) welcomes the stranger and enables those escaping persecution to begin new lives with dignity through early self-sufficiency. More…
| MRS, a department of Catholic Charities of Louisville, has been resettling refugees in the Louisville Metro Areas since 1975. The Program started with resettlement of the Southeast Asian Refugees. Now, MRS operates as the official representative of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) in the state of Kentucky. USCCB is one of seven U.S. voluntary agencies that have cooperative agreements with the United States government to resettle refugees who have been legally admitted to the United States, as victims of prosecution because of their religious or political beliefs.MRS has resettled over 10,000 refugees from 30 countries including Iraq, Vietnam, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Somalia, Russia, Cuba, Haiti, Sudan, Sierra Leon, Rwanda, Togo, Cameroon, Liberia, Iran, Kosovo, Burma, Congo, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Colombia, Benin, Burundi, Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Azerbaijan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ghana. |
Our Mission:
The mission of Migration & Refugee Services (MRS) is to provide refugees with the support and assistance they need in order to become self-sufficient. The role of Migration & Refugee Services is to involve, organize, and bring together the agency, church, and community resources necessary for successful resettlement.
Services provided include:
Sometimes refugees leave home in the early morning hours, taking only what they can carry, knowing that because of their politics, religion, race, or ethnic affiliation, they will not be safe in their country. In order to assist them with a smooth transition into new life here in the United States, our multi-lingual, multi-cultural staff offers comprehensive services to them, including case management, supportive services, English language training, and employment services. Our goal is early self-sufficiency of our clients and most of them become self-sufficient within four months. Click below to expand and collapse.
During our pre-arrival arrangements, we:
- Contact our volunteers if we have them
- Find the refugees a suitable apartment or home
- Collect furnishings, linens, and basic household items
- Prepare adequate food for their arrival
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Once they arrive, we:
- Meet the refugees at the airport to welcome them
- Transport the refugees to their new home
- Help them to settle in
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Then, we:
- Help enroll children in school
- Get families to medical appointments
- Teach adults English as a Second Language in partnership with Jefferson County Public Schools Adult Education Program
- Provide cultural and community orientation such as use of banks, bus routes etc.
- Begin the process of work orientation, development and placement
- Long term assistance include job upgrades, assistance with adjustment of their immigration status, and assistance preparing individuals to become naturalized US citizen
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More:
Donations and Volunteers are always welcome! Click here to see current volunteer opportunities.
For more information, please call (502)636-9263.
Migration & Refugee Services is funded in part by Louisville Metro Government
Click here to return to Refugee Resettlement Services
