COVID-19
As the impact of COVID-19 is felt by communities across the globe, our refugee neighbors here in Chicago face a great deal of uncertainty and need extra help with rent, utilities, and receiving essential information in their own language.
Your support is needed to help vulnerable families stay on track to self-reliance.
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RefugeeOne's COVID-19 Response & Resources
Last updated July 21, 2020 RefugeeOne is doing everything we can to help families navigate healthcare, mitigate loss of wages, and remain in their homes. Meanwhile, we continue to offer our regular services to the fullest extent possible while staff are working remotely. All in-person gatherings, including client workshops, English classes, and citizenship classes have been cancelled until further notice.
We are calling all refugees who arrived in 2019 or 2020 to provide them with COVID-19 information, interpreted in their home language. Case managers are checking in with clients weekly and are available by phone and email to assist with other inquiries as they arise. We are helping clients apply for emergency assistance programs as they become available. See below for more details on how we're helping refugees affected by COVID-19. |
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Volunteers &
Co-Sponsors |
We're so grateful for the concern and support from volunteers who work directly with refugees as mentors, tutors, and co-sponsors. To reduce the spread of the virus, we’ve asked volunteers to discontinue in-person visits – but we encourage everyone to stay virtually connected! Click here to see volunteer resources specific to this time.
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Employment
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Many refugees work in industries hit hardest by COVID-19, including food service, hospitality, and airports. We are reaching out to employers to advocate that our clients continue getting paid or are temporarily laid off as to qualify for unemployment. We’re assisting qualified clients with applications for expanded unemployment benefits and helping them identify new prospects for immediate employment as we’re able.
For other refugees whose work remains steady, the closure of schools requires them to make adjustments to child care in order to continue working. Many of the refugees we serve have found solutions to this on their own, but we're helping those without immediate alternatives to find help. |
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English Language Training
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To help refugees learning English continue honing their skills, we have created and shared take-home lessons for students to complete individually. We’re reimagining how to offer language practice through video or phone so clients can remain engaged and connected – especially during this unsettling time when the emotional impact of isolation is high.
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Youth
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Our Summer Camp for refugee youth begins July 6 and will be completely remote this year. The theme for the summer is music, so we've developed an interactive classroom with weekly music-related activities, Zoom meet-ups, and virtual field trips!
To help students continue learning over the summer, we're pairing them with virtual tutors. Our staff is holding regular social drop-ins on Zoom, as well as weekly conversations to help refugee youth understand recent events following the murder of George Floyd, including a recent Know Your Rights & Responsibilities training. We’re also reaching out to youth receiving therapy via our video platform to deliver content on mindfulness and coping strategies. |
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Wellness
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Our team is using HIPAA-compliant tele-health software so clinicians can continue therapeutic services remotely. All individuals receiving care through our Wellness Program will receive weekly check-ins. Priority cases continue to receive psychiatric services and we're ensuring all clients receiving care from our psychiatrist have sufficient medication for the time being.
Families enrolled in our home visitation program are receiving "virtual visits" that focus on supporting parent-child engagement, sharing activities for children, and remote case management. We also continue to coordinate medical care for individuals with special health care needs. |
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Sewing Studio
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When our most recent Sewing Studio cohort couldn't complete their session due to COVID-19, we delivered brand new machines to each student. Then, we equipped more than a dozen refugee women with materials and instructions to continue practicing their new skills at home by making face masks. Now, we've made more than 1,000 face masks to donate to essential workers in people in need, and we're accepting pre-orders for retail purchases as well as wholesale. Click here to place an order.
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Food & Other Referrals
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Thanks to the generosity of various donors, we've been providing food and other necessities to families in need, while also connecting them with local food banks and other resources, including health, housing, immigration, and legal services we may not be able to provide.
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Immigration
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We’re calling immigration clients to address their concerns about how this national emergency might impact their pending applications, including for citizenship. Immigration specialists are completing applications over the phone for time-sensitive green cards and Employment Authorization Documents which are most essential for refugees.
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Give now to help refugees facing uncertainty in this time of need.
To give by check, please mail your gift to our office: RefugeeOne, 5705 N Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60659
To give by check, please mail your gift to our office: RefugeeOne, 5705 N Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60659