Organizations that help refugees and new immigrants

[mrsbutt]

I want to help new people arriving to the US. What organizations should I be looking to support? I'd like to support with my time as well as with donations.

[NariaDreaming]

LSA (Lutheran Servcies in America). They have one of the largest government contracts for resettlement (2nd largest, the last time I checked), and they're pro-LGBT families, unlike one of the other large, Christian nonprofit social welfare agencies.

[NariaDreaming]

You can also check this website to see if your state is privately administered, or has public/private partnerships, as well as who the "big players" are in your state:

www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/state-programs-annual-overview

[NariaDreaming]

And sorry for the triple post, but I know when I was working at that other place, one of the biggest volunteer needs were for drivers training instructors. They would hold mock drivers ed a few days a week during the summer in golf carts just to get some of the refugees who had never EVER driven used to steering and turning before enrolling them in actual drivers ed programs.

[mrsbutt]

Thank you NariaDreaming! I'm going to check out the Lutheran Services.

I'm a terrible driver. I should not teach anyone that!

[NariaDreaming]

Nov 13, 2016 21:59:15 GMT -5 mrsbutt said:

Thank you NariaDreaming! I'm going to check out the Lutheran Services.

I'm a terrible driver. I should not teach anyone that!

I have a soft spot in my heart for LSA. It's who my parents adopted me through, AND the Michigan affiliate actually changed their name to Samaritas to be more inclusive to the religiously diverse population they serve.

And they were recruiting foster families at Michigan Pride this year. So I gave them major props

[mrsbutt]

It's funny you should say that NariaDreaming. I'm feeling a bit strange looking to volunteer at a religious organization despite being an atheist but my non-religion and their religion really have no baring on each other.

[cadien]

Lutheran Services has always been the go-to organization wherever I've lived. I used to work with them as a volunteer ESL tutor, which was a really great experience. And we have a recurring donation for their local resettlement program.

[Ee]

There is a literacy tutoring organization near me that pairs volunteers with immigrants. You may have something similar on your area.