“RefugeeOne’s Youth Program is a place of hope and dreams. It is a place of rebirth of dreams of the children from around the world. To me, the Center is my home.” -Espoire, 15, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Through RefugeeOne’s Youth Program, over 100 refugee children and teenagers are provided with the resources they need to successfully transition into their new surroundings. Our dedicated staff members serve as liaisons between refugee families and their schools, helping families to understand school policies, accompanying them to registration and the first day of school, acting as emergency contacts, and providing parenting workshops to address topics that affect children’s academic performance. They also arrange separate report card pickup times for refugee families and accompany families to the school with interpreters to ensure that parents understand their students’ academic progress.

Refugee youth enroll in schools all around the Chicago area, including the Chicago Public Schools, near north and suburban school districts, and private schools. In 2010, youth program staff secured spots for about half of RefugeeOne’s children in charter, magnet, and private schools, which are generally higher-performing schools where children receive more specialized attention. Once children are enrolled in school, youth program staff maintain close contact with school staff for the first two to three years to ensure that students transition smoothly and succeed academically.

During the school year, RefugeeOne offers an after-school program on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3-6 PM that allows students to receive 1-1 homework help and ESL tutoring from staff and volunteers, participate in team-building and conflict resolution games, and enjoy extra-curricular activities such as art, music, and athletics. The after-school program also includes occasional field trips to local cultural institutions and workshops on topics such as health, hygiene, and prevention of high-risk behavior such as gang involvement and drugs.

In the summer months, ESL activities, art, music, and athletics are offered through a six-week summer camp, allowing our youth to experience activities and subject areas that are not always available to them in their schools. Throughout the year, the Youth Program also hosts several special events. The Back-to-School Party in August invites youth and their families to celebrate the beginning of a new school year, and all children receive free backpacks and school supplies. Halloween and the Holiday Party are two other exciting events, where children go trick-or-treating for the first time, and receive their first presents from Santa.

RefugeeOne relies heavily on volunteer support to make the Youth Program possible. Many volunteers supervise and lead ESL and enrichment activities during the summer program. Others serve during the school year as after-school tutors and/or mentors. All volunteers make a six month minimum commitment to the Youth Program to ensure sufficient time to develop strong relationships.

English Language Training

Learning the English language is one of the most difficult challenges facing our newly arrived immigrants and refugees. RefugeeOne’s English Language Training Program empowers students to learn the language so that they can take advantage of the wealth of opportunities available to them in their new home. Classes are taught five days a week by our patient and knowledgeable staff. Four levels of classes are available to accommodate students arriving with different skill levels.

For more information about RefugeeOne’s English Language Training Program, please contact:

p: (773) 989-5647 | e: info@refugeeone.org

Over 70% of refugees are women. Many have been widowed or have lost children to violence, and most have been oppressed and victimized in their home countries. Women refugees often struggle with chronic depression and anxiety, making it difficult for them to integrate successfully into a new society.

The Women’s Program was founded to meet the needs of women refugees. Its overall purpose is to help women become self-sufficient while also building community in their new home of Chicago. From decreasing social isolation and facilitating clients’ achievement, to increasing English language skills and enhancing employability, RefugeeOne works in partnership with women to help empower their integration into mainstream US culture with respect to their traditions, culture and religious beliefs.

Since its inception, the Women’s Program has listened closely to the needs of project beneficiaries, and incorporated these needs into our program design. As a result, this program has grown exponentially in direct response to their concerns and requests. The Program is free of charge.

The Women’s Program includes five components:

Mentorship and Befriending:

Individualized, one-on-one mentorship is invaluable. Volunteers and clients are matched and get together weekly to practice English, cook, talk or help solve daily dilemmas. The connection achieved in these relationships is key to helping women find more grounding in their new society.

English Classes:

Specially designed for pre-literate and semi-literate refugee and immigrant women, English classes are offered at two sites in Albany Park and Rogers Park. Childcare is provided on-site.

Educational Workshops:

Monthly women’s groups are held for each ethnic group. The goal of the group is to create a safe environment in which women can discuss their problems, fears, joys, creating a support system to help them through the trials of their new lives. Various speakers are brought in to discuss important topics, and the ladies are taken on field trips to show them around the city.

Craft Classes:

Teaching sewing and entrepreneurial skills in an interactive, hands-on forum, twice weekly – sewing classes are fun and allow women to gain employable skill sets. Knitting classes are held once a week. Art, jewelry making and yoga classes have been enjoyed by many ladies.

Additional Programs:

The Women’s Program coordinates additional programs to support the successful resettlement of our refugee clients. A pregnancy support group meets bi-monthly. Cooking classes are offered once a month. A new gardening program has recently started, with the hope of offering our clients the opportunity to grow their own vegetables and create a refugee urban farm. Special events such as International Women’s Day and Women’s Health Week are organized annually. A pilot mentorship program is being facilitated, with the goals of training clients to serve their communities as mentors. Driver’s Education classes were offered in conjunction with the Pan African Association. Depending on the needs of the community served, programs are flexible and new offerings are constantly being evaluated.

For more information about the Women’s Program, contact:

p: (773) 989-5647 | e: info@refugeeone.org

Vocational Training Program

RefugeeOne’s computer training program provides students with the tools they need to find employment in the competitive American job market.

Computer training is offered in the following areas and is available to students with any level of computer experience:

• Drafting/AutoCAD class

In this very useful course, students are taught how to produce drawings from existing blueprints and technical data. Upon graduation, all students will be able to successfully draw and manipulate computer generated drawings. Students will be prepared for an entry-level job in the technical field.

• Basic: Microsoft Word & Keyboarding

This course offers an introduction to word processing and keyboarding. Students will learn how to format documents with text and images, and reach a goal of 20 WPM with keyboarding practice.

• Internet & Online Job Application

Students will learn how to effectively use the Internet to look for and apply to job postings. This course includes practices like setting up an email address, learning how to attach a document, and how to appropriately write and respond to an email.

For more information about RefugeeOne’s Computer Training Program, contact:

p: (773) 989-5647 | e: info@refugeeone.org

Senior refugees and immigrants face unique and formidable barriers that may prevent them from successfully resettling in our country. Many of these individuals have witnessed unimaginable atrocities, and suffered the loss of loved ones. Their difficulties are further compounded by a lack of English skills, social isolation due to physical infirmities, financial insecurity, and intergenerational challenges.

RefugeeOne’s Senior Services Initiative strives to remedy these problems. To help seniors overcome their challenges, the Senior Services Initiative offers an array of services.

Case Management Services- Caring and dedicated caseworkers complete a comprehensive needs assessments for each client along with the development and fulfillment of an individualized Care Plan. These services also provide individualized assistance for elderly immigrants and refugees who wish to obtain US citizenship.

Community Forums-These provide information on relevant topics, such as financial management, transportation, housing, health and nutrition, safety, legal, immigration issues, and community support services.

For more information about the Senior Services Initiatives, please contact:

p: (773) 989-5647 | e: info@refugeeone.org

Edward Wheatley is Professor of English at Loyola University. He served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, and after returning to the U.S. he taught English for the Khmer Resettlement Project of Lutheran Social Services in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned his Ph. D. at the University of Virginia. He has been a Mellon Faculty Fellow at Harvard University, and he has received fellowships from such agencies as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. He is the author of two books and numerous articles, and he has also served as a commentator on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.

Befekadu Retta is Field Coordinator at the Cook County Election Department.

Rev. Douglas L. Meyer is pastor of Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Lincolnshire, Illinois.  Having served Holy Spirit for the past 19 years. Since 1970, the congregation has been involved in the resettlement of over 35 refugees to the greater Chicago area, having  recently assisted a family from Bhutan.

Pastor Meyer currently serves as Dean of the North Conference of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and has been a coordinator of Jewish-Christian dialogue and Jewish-Lutheran dialogue.

Pastor Meyer has been ordained for 33 years and has served parishes on the south side of Chicago and in the southwest suburbs.  He has a Master of Divinity from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and a Bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.  He is married to the Rev. Christine Nelson Meyer and has three grown sons.

After graduating from Union College in 2003, Adam Gleich came to Chicago in order to pursue a financial trading career at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. After four years, Mr. Gleich started his own private trading venture – Adam Gleich Trading – where he is still trading Eurodollar Futures today.

Mr. Gleich first became interested in refugee issues in his late teenage years when he did extensive research on the the Holocaust. The pinnacle of his studies brought him to the Concentration Camps of Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Treblinka, and also to the various Jewish ghettos of Poland. Since that time, Mr. Gleich has worked to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust, “Never Again,” by working with marginalized people of all races and ethnicities.

Mr. Gleich learned of RefugeeOne through his wife, Sarah Poole, who began volunteering for the organization in 2007 and is now a member of the Youth Program staff. Together, they have become more and more connected to RefugeeOne – falling in love with the refugees that are served through the agency’s various programs. Mr. Gleich joined the Board of Directors in 2008 with the hope of helping the Board reach its fullest potential.

Gabrielle Buckley is a Shareholder in the Corporate Practice Group of Vedder Price P.C., an AmLaw 200 law firm, where she chairs the firm’s Business Immigration Practice. Ms. Buckley has over 25 years of experience in international law issues, primarily in the areas of corporate immigration law compliance, global migration and direct investment.   Prior to joining Vedder Price in 2001, Ms. Buckley practiced with the law firms of Kelley Drye & Warren and Katten Muchin Rosenman.  She also served as in-house counsel for Borg-Warner Corporation.

Ms. Buckley currently serves on the American Bar Association’s 13‑member Commission on Immigration, and is the immediate past chair of the International Bar Association’s Immigration & Nationality Committee.  She is an Adjunct Professor of Law at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.  In addition to her service on the board of directors of RefugeeOne, she is also a member of  the boards of the U.S.-India Chamber of Commerce (Midwest) and WorldChicago (formerly the International Visitors Center of Chicago).  Ms. Buckley also serves on the Leadership Council of the National Immigrant Justice Center.   She is a member of the Galway Sister Cities Committee and Concern’s Brigid Awards Committee.

Ms. Buckley received her J.D. degree from DePaul University College of Law, and her B.A. from Mundelein College.  She also attended Konan University in Kobe, Japan.  She resides in Evanston with her son, Daire, a student at Loyola Academy.

The Rev. Dr. Stephen Paul Bouman is the of Executive Director for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission unit.

He previously served as bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod from September 1996 through January 2008.  The Metropolitan New York Synod, or district, embraces the five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, and several counties north and west.  It includes 236 member congregations. Pastor Bouman served as Assistant to the Bishop from 1992 until his election as bishop in 1996.  His responsibilities in this capacity included regional care of congregations in the Bronx, Manhattan, Westchester and northern counties of the Hudson Valley.  In addition, he bore primary responsibility for evangelism and social ministry, as well as worship and communications.  He also served as Chair of the ELCA Board of Higher Education and Schools.  He currently serves on the board of Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries in Chicago, Illinois.

Pastor Bouman received his Master of Sacred Theology from New York Theological Seminary in 1978 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in 1980 and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church in 2001.

Pastor Bouman is married to the former Janet Luce, and they have three grown children and three grandchildren. They reside in Chicago.

Alan Khalil, Chief Executive, Inverbrass Funds, LLC

Pam Hultgren, National Administrator, Ministry Mentors

Reverend Ken Johnson, a long time board member, is the immediate past Board President for RefugeeOne.  He has been active in refugee resettlement and advocacy, both internationally and locally, for over 45 years.  His interest in refugee issues began in 1965 when he served as Material Aid Supervisor for Tanganyika Christian Refugee Services, a  UNHCR partner, assisting in the resettlement of refugees fleeing into Tanzania from Mozambique, Rwanda and Burundi. Since that initial formative experience, Ken has served as pastor of congregations in Illinois, Minnesota, Egypt and Thailand, where he has encouraged each faith community to sponsor and show hospitality to refugees.  Ken recently retired as Director of International Student Affairs from The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He now spends much of his time and energy serving as an Ambassador for Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) and advocating for refugees through RefugeeOne.

Ahmed Rehab is an American Muslim activist and writer with a focus on contemporary social issues including civil rights, media relations, and Islam-West relations.

Rehab is a regular contributor to the Chicago Tribune, the Huffington Post, and CNN.com, his Op-Eds have been published in numerous newspapers around the country, and he has been interviewed numerous times by the Chicago Sun-Times, the Daily Herald, the Washington Post, the Orlando Sentinel, the Economist, the Boston Globe, Crain’s Business Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Germany’s Die Zeit, and many more.

Rehab is also a frequent guest on TV and cable news networksincluding ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, BBC, as well as on radio stations. His commentaries can be heard on Chicago Public Radio.

Prior to joining CAIR in August of 2004, Rehab was a software engineer at Arthur Andersen LLP – a global consulting firm; a consultant for Chicago’s Niagara Foundation – a cutting-edge interfaith organization that promotes global fellowship; and a US Soccer Federation Official. He is the founder of Ibex Computers, and Amrex Media.

Ahmed Rehab holds a Masters degree in Software Engineering from DePaul University and a Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Illinois.

Ahmed Rehab is currently the Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization which under Rehab’s tenure has developed from a start-up into one of the most notable not-for-profit civil rights offices of its kind anywhere in the United States.