The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) in Raleigh has been our partner in supporting refugee families through St. Paul’s Refuge for Refugee Ministry (R4R). Under their direction, we have been able to support resettling families by providing transportation, material goods and guidance as they work to navigate school, work and health systems in their new homes in Wake County.
We received news that all but eight staff at USCRI-Raleigh have been laid off as of March 1, 2025. These include reception and placement contact staff as well as caseworkers. USCRI in Raleigh is responsible for resettling 124 individuals, many of them children, who have recently arrived and are now without the financial support and programming that had been allocated to them. This is a national problem that has arrived at our doorstep (read more here).
We are supporting a Congolese family who arrived January 14, mainly with transportation to medical and health clinic appointments. They are a family of seven (mother, father, five children ages 1 to 16) and speak Swahili, French, a little English (mainly the dad), in addition to a native language. The family lives near the state fairgrounds, in a house that is well furnished and stocked for the time being. We feel so fortunate to directly serve this family, and we want to open the door to others in the congregation who may be eager to assist. After our last update, many of you asked how you could do more.
As USCRI becomes less available to provide assistance, it will take more volunteers in the community to cover basic needs. Transportation is an area of support that does require some advance planning, such as background checks and documentation of insurance. Other assistance (material goods and services) do not require any background checks. The best way to learn how you can assist with gaps in services is to speak with Ann Lockhart and/or Deb Richard, our R4R Ministry leaders. You can reach them at refugeforrefugees@stpaulscary.org.
Although we have direct knowledge of 7 families supported by USCRI in Raleigh, we know there are many more who are losing their support. We are keeping in close contact with USCRI and networking with other churches to provide assistance as services are lost.
Please continue to pray for all affected by the uncertainty of these times; we invite everyone to this work of caring for refugees in our midst.