Ukrainian families spend first Christmas, new year resettled in Illinois
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK:
Christmas 2022 was spent by many Ukrainian families far away from the home, family, and comfort they cherish this time of year. The United Nations Refugee Agency reported this month that there are 7.8 million Ukrainian refugees in Europe. Thousands of those refugees have settled in the U.S. with Chicago being one of their top destinations. “At a certain point, we were seeing 100 Ukrainians a week just ourselves. And [we] expanded to three additional satellite offices just to better serve the Ukrainians who are going out to the suburbs,” Zachary Dmyterko, Communications Manager, said about the work of RefugeeOne in an interview. Learn more about how Ukrainians spent Christmas and the immense impact RefugeeOne is having in Chicago from Shaw Local News Network. |
Afghan refugees hoping for easier pathway to permanent residency
ABC7:
Since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan last year, RefugeeOne has helped resettle hundreds of Afghans in Chicago, including Nekbakht Merzayee, who lost both of her arms and her parents and sister in a road side bomb blast 15 years ago. Learn more about Nekbakht and her story to reunite with her husband from ABC7. |
Her family survived the Holocaust. Now she’s helping a Muslim refugee family start anew in Chicago, including hosting their first Thanksgiving.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE:
This Thanksgiving, RefugeeOne is thankful for the amazing bonds volunteers and newcomers can form as they navigate life in Chicago together. The Littmann family welcomed the Dil Mohamads, a Rohingya family from Burma, in April. They just had their first Thanksgiving meal together, deeply grateful for the ways their stories have intertwined. Read their amazing story from arrival to the first Thanksgiving in the Chicago Tribune article. |
Ukrainian Refugees Living in Chicago Suburbs Tell Story of Survival 8 Months Into War
NBC5:
Olha and Arsenii’s interview comes right as Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine enters its eighth month. Olha and Arsenii are just two of the 1,145+ Ukrainian refugees who RefugeeOne is serving in the Chicagoland area. More than 280 of these were helped in the last month alone. Learn more about Olha and Arsenii's journey to the U.S. — and their hopeful reunion with the rest of their family — from NBC5 Chicago. |
RefugeeOne Dental Clinic
REFUGEEONE:
We are expanding the RefugeeOne Dental Clinic and offering no-cost dental services to refugees. Many refugees have never been to a dentist, and their insurance provides extremely limited coverage. With your help, we can meet a significant need within the refugee community. We’re seeking dentists or dental professionals to volunteer at our pro-bono clinic. If you’re a dental professional, or have a dentist you love, please introduce us! Email volunteer@refugeeone.org with the subject "Dental Volunteer." |
RefugeeOne Opens New Headquarters In West Ridge As Agency Nearly Doubles To Address Refugee Crisis
BLOCK CLUB CHICAGO:
We're moving! While everything is still being finalized and we still are not fully open to the public, we have moved all our refugee services to a new building. Our new building will bring all of the RefugeeOne services and programs under one roof for the first time in our 40-year history. This means English classes, case management, therapy, youth programs and much more! It also comes at a time of rapid expansion as we seek to meet the needs of a worldwide refugee crisis. Read a preview of what's new and how things are going in Block Club's article. |