Who we are:

Founded in 1980 and incorporated as an independent not-for-profit in 1992, RefugeeOne is a refugee resettlement agency that provides a full range of services to refugees resettled in the Chicago area. Our primary focus is to assist the refugee in becoming an independent, self-supporting member of the new community as soon as possible.

Every year, RefugeeOne assists approximately 2,500 refugees of all ages, ethnic groups, faiths and backgrounds to find housing, learn the English language, acclimate to American culture, develop computer and job readiness skills, secure employment, obtain medical and other care, apply for citizenship, and develop overall family strengthening skills. RefugeeOne’s programs are made possible through the dedicated efforts of 30 staff members – many of whom were refugees themselves – and approximately 250 volunteers. While many of our programs and services are delivered at our main offices in Uptown in Chicago, we have off-site locations throughout the north side of Chicago and in various suburbs where our programs for youth, women, and seniors are held.

Who we serve:

RefugeeOne serves refugees who have been displaced from their homelands due to war, terror and persecution. Refugees are resettled in chicago through contract with the U.S. State Department and its National Voluntary Agencies. Refugees come to us from all parts of the world depending on the current political climate. In the past, the U.S. saw major resettlements of refugees from Eastern Europe, Vietnam, the former Yugoslavia, and various African countries. The majority of refugees currently being resettled in the U.S. and by RefugeeOne are:

- Iraqis who helped the recent U.S. military operations and Assyrian Christian Iraqis fleeing religious persecution
- Burmese who have fled government-instilled violence and persecution
- Bhutanese who have fled ethnic “cleansing”

Click here to read RefugeeOne’s Latest Annual Report (pdf)