RefugeeOne
​in the News

Please direct all media inquiries to:
Zachary Dmyterko, Communications Manager 
zdmyterko@refugeeone.org

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‘I can’t do a lot of things, but I can do this’: How one Chicagoan is stepping up for migrant children with disabilities Chicago Tribune November 26, 2023

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Featured Stories

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Descendant of Holocaust survivors forms friendship with Muslim refugee and shows ‘what’s possible in the world’ Chicago Tribune, November 23, 2023
Photo Credit: Chicago Tribune/Eileen T. Meslar

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​Eli’s Chicago cheesecake creates a winning recipe for refugee inclusion UNHCR November 9, 2023

​Photo Credit: UNHCR/Jeoffrey Guillemard

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Assisting the Home Team with the Harlem Globetrotters Harlem Globetrotters: Play it Forward, Season 2 Episode 4, October 28, 2023

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​Media Archive: 2023
​Black Immigrants Today: Tsegay Gebreyohanes Borderless Magazine, November 6, 2023
In Chicago, nurses gather to support refugees and migrant families ​Fox32, October, 13, 2023
Gov. JB Pritzker Announces Expansion Of Eli's Cheesecake's Chicago Factory Forbes Breaking News, October 10, 2023
​Affy Tapple celebrates 75 years as Chicago’s iconic autumn treat Chicago Sun-Times, October 9, 2023
​Ukrainian refugees who fled war eagerly attend Norridge employment fair: ‘I want a job’
Chicago Tribune, June 19, 2023
​Nurses Group Launches Campaign to Help Refugees Crain's Business, October 13, 2023
Compass One Healthcare Launches Third Annual Socktober Campaign with New Partners and Expanded Reach Business Wire, October 2, 2023
​Black Immigrants Today: Jean Chrisbene Justin Borderless Magazine, June 16, 2023
St. James Lutheran Church helped Mapenzi become a citizen Lake County Gazette, May 1, 2023​
One year after Russia invaded their homeland, family from Ukraine reunited in Chicago CBS News Chicago, February 1, 2023
Former refugees speak in Glencoe to the need for inclusivity, compassion Chicago Tribune – Glencoe News, February 28, 2023
Ukraine refugees in NYC describe harrowing escape from war — and how they want to go home New York Post, February 24, 2023 
​They counted the days until they could return to Ukraine. Now, they're not sure they'll go back. USA Today, February 20, 2023
​Temple Har Zion hosts Refugee Shabbat Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest,  February 8, 2023
Welcoming others, as they were welcomed Jewish United Fund, January, 2023
Kenilworth Union Church Awards Grants to 3 Chicagoland Nonprofits BETTER, January 2023
​Blinken: 2 years into Biden term, US ‘in a better place’ ​AP NEWS, January, 2023

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​Media Archive: 2022
​Ukrainian families spend first Christmas, new year resettled in Illinois ​Shaw Local News Network, December 23, 2022
​Forensic Medical Evaluators for Asylum Seekers Need More Support South Side Weekly, December, 2023
​​Afghan refugees hoping for easier pathway to permanent residency ABC7, December 20, 2022
Home Visiting For Refugee Families: Flourishing in New Places National Home Visitor Resource Center, November, 2022
​Her family survived the Holocaust. Now she’s helping a Muslim refugee family start anew in Chicago, including hosting their first Thanksgiving.​ Chicago Tribune, November, 2022
Afghan refugees in Chicago urge Congress to provide long-term immigration protections Chicago Sun-Times, October 2022
Ukrainian Refugees Living in Chicago Suburbs Tell Story of Survival 8 Months Into War NBC5, October, 2022
RefugeeOne Opens New Headquarters In West Ridge As Agency Nearly Doubles To Address Refugee Crisis Block Club Chicago, September, 2022
She escaped the Taliban. A year later, her fate — like thousands of Afghans — is in limbo. WBEZ, September, 2022 
RefugeeOne moves to new headquarters, doubles capacity WBEZ, September 2022
One year after the US withdrew from Afghanistan, refugees find support from all corners of Chicago​ ​Chicago Tribune, August , 2022
Ukrainian mother recounts the horrors of war as she and her son start a new life in Chicago suburbs. For them ‘there is no place to go back to.’ ​Chicago Tribune, August 6, 2022
Afghan Adjustment Act could help refugees trying to resettle in the U.S. WBEZ Podcast, August 2022
A wave of Afghan teens arrived suddenly — and changed everything at a Chicago high school WBEZ, May 2022
RefugeeOne’s dental clinic takes a different approach to community dental care Illinois Dental News, May 2022
Chicago's Welcome of Ukrainian Refugees May Come With Challenges South Side Weekly, April, 2022
How Chicago aid groups are prepping for thousands of Ukrainian refugees Crain's Chicago Business, March, 2022 
Partners in Sponsorship: Local Churches Link Up for Community Sponsorship HomeTown Podcast, March, 2022 
Local church members help resettle Syrian refugees Riverside - Brookfield Landmark, ​March, 2022
Afghan refugee DePaul students settle into English classes University and community groups support new refugees from Afghanistan The Depaulia, March, 2022
Chicago area welcoming another wave of Afghan refugees:‘Overnight their lives were just uprooted’ Chicago Tribune, February, 2022 
As another wave of Afghans arrives in Chicago, volunteers say more help is needed Chicago Sun-Times, February, 2022
Refugees Drive West Ridge's Growing Asian Population Chicago Sun-Times, January, 2022

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Media Archive: 2021
An Afghan "refugee kid" is welcoming young people just like her to Chicago WBEZ, December 22, 2021
Columbia alum helps refugees with living necessities, The Columbia Chronicle November 19, 2021
DePaul is resettling ten Afghan refugees The DePaulia, November 8, 2021
DePaul students provide hope, mentorship to Chicago’s growing refugee communities The DePaulia, November 1, 2021
Chicago Welcomes Afghan Refugees, But Many Left Behind Patch, October 11, 2021 
Afghan interpreter, reunited with family stranded in Afghanistan, pleads for US to evacuate extended family Chicago Tribune, September 3, 2021
Illinois lawmakers pledge to welcome, support hundreds of Afghan refugees WGN9, September 1, 2021
‘These people will arrive with trauma.’How Chicago groups are helping to welcome
Afghan refugees Chicago Tribune, August 31, 2021
Number of expected Afghan refugees resettling in Chicago increases Chicago Sun-Times, August 30, 2021
As people flee Afghanistan, resettlement agencies in Chicago prepare for more refugees Chicago Sun-Times, August 28, 2021
Chicago Agencies Prepare To Welcome Afghan Refugees ‘Within Weeks' Chicago NBC5, August 25, 2021
Editorial Roundup: Illinois U.S. News, August 24, 2021
As Afghan Families Flee Taliban Rule, Chicago Agencies Mobilize To Help Them Settle Here:
​‘We Want To Do What’s Right’ Block Club Chicago, August 20, 2021
‘The Situation Is Really Tragic’: The Crisis In Afghanistan Will Lead Some Refugees To Chicago CBS2 Chicago, August 17, 2021
Refugee Agencies Scramble to Bring Afghan Allies to US WTTW, August 17, 2021
Afghanistan Crisis Leads Some Refugees to Chicago – CBS Chicago Illinois News Live, August 17, 2021
‘Where Will They Go?’: Afghans Fleeing The Taliban Could Find Refuge In Chicago WBEZ, August 17, 2021
​Chicago resettlement organization helps refugee families get COVID vaccinations Chicago Tribune, June 24, 2021
Refugee Family Reunites After Years Apart: 'God Has Done a Miracle' Newsy, May 27, 2021
Refugee family from Congo reunites in Chicago after 5 years apart ABC7, May 26, 2021
Ten Years On, Syrian Refugees in US Express Loss, Hope Voice of America (VOA), March 15, 2021
Syrian Refugees in U.S. Reflect on Past and Present Fortunes Voice of America (VOA), March 14, 2021

Media Archive: 2020
Resettlement, reunification and romance: Refugees make a new life in Chicago
despite the pandemic, Chicago Sun-Times, December 25, 2020
Refugee Couple Spends First Christmas In Chicago After Years Apart, NBC5, December 24, 2020
For Immigrants and Advocates in Chicago, ‘Work is Only Beginning’ as They Await
New Biden Administration, Chicago Sun-Times, November 17, 2020
Teen helps refugee kids find community on the soccer field, WGN-TV, October 26, 2020​
Chicago Teen Starts Soccer Camp for Young Refugees, NBC5, October 16, 2020
With Gentrification on the Rise, RefugeeOne Leaves Uptown After 35 Years, Block Club Chicago, August 28, 2020
Schools Provide Stability For Refugees. COVID-19 Upended That., ​HuffPost, June 27, 2020
​From African to African American: How brush with police changed Congolese refugee’s life — and his camera’s focus., Chicago Sun-Times, June 22, 2020
Chicago Refugee Group Making Masks For Those In Need — Here’s How You Can Help, Block Club Chicago, May 12, 2020
Mask sewing project among Chicago refugee groups leads to new career goal: ‘This is my job’, Chicago Tribune, May 6, 2020
Refugees try to make new start in Chicago as COVID-19 upends daily life: ‘Once we get back to the normal life, we want to walk freely’, Chicago Tribune, April 27, 2020
Dozens of refugee women make, donate masks during coronavirus pandemic, WGN, April 24, 2020
Refugee family reunites at O'Hare after 3 years apart, WGN-TV, March 4, 2020
Hyde Park Refugee Project Helping Another Family Resettle on the South Side This Spring, Block Club Chicago, January 3, 2020

Media Archive: 2019
Armenian Refugee's Life Work is to Help Others That are Just Like Her, WGN9, December 20, 2019
As the Number of Refugees Allowed Into the U.S. Dwindles, Chicago-Area Volunteers Move Their Work Overseas to Help Displaced People, Chicago Tribune, November 28, 2019
After Being Stripped of Nationality, One Rohingya Refugee Finds Hope in 2020 Census, Borderless, November 6, 2019
Chicago Groups Preparing African Immigrants for the Census, WBEZ, October 15, 2019
Durbin, Schakowsky speak out against cuts to refugee admissions program, Chicago Sun-Times, October 3, 2019
Rohingya Muslim Refugees Barred from Marrying in Burma Celebrate Rights in Skokie Ceremony, ABC7, July 31, 2019
Refugee Couple Flees Their Country to Safely Get Married in Chicago, NBC5, July 31, 2019
5 Refugee Couples Marry at Skokie Courthouse, WGN9, July 31, 2019
Trump Administration Considers Further Refugee Resettlement Cuts, WBEZ, July 22, 2019
Newsviews: Refugees in Chicago, ABC7, July 21, 2019
Chicago Refugee Resettlement Moves Forwards Despite Federal Restrictions, WBEZ, July 8, 2019
There is No EVERAND Without RefugeeOne, Everand, April 15, 2019
Rohingya Refugees in Chicago, Al Jazeera (AJ+), April 9, 2019
Daring: Sorayya, Chicago Foundation for Women, January 2019​
Nourishing Change: RefugeeOne, The Imperfect Digest, January 17, 2019

Media Archive: 2018
U.S. Refugee Cap Puts Hiring Practice at Risk, Chicago Tribune, November 1, 2018
Refugee Agencies Under Siege, Chicago Tribune, September 18, 2019
Refugees settled in Chicago feel gratitude, guilt amid immigration crackdowns, Chicago Tribune, July 20, 2018
The Rohingya Refugee Crisis and How You Can Help, Chicago Community Trust, May 18, 2018
​From Liberia to Wilmette and Beyond: David Fahnbulleh to Speak at RefugeeOne Gala, Wilmette Life, ​April 26, 2018
One Year Later, Chicago Jeans Makers Size Up and Keep Humming Along, WTTF, March 8, 2018
Immigration, Refugee Resettlement, and Rogers Park, RogersPark.com, March 3, 2018
Family Journeys from Afghanistan to Chicago, with Elgin's Help, Daily Herald, February 23, 2018
Syrian Family Reunited in Chicago Awaits Green Cards, Chicago Tribune, January 16, 2018

Media Archive: 2017
This #GivingTuesday, Stand with Refugee and Immigrant Women, Huffington Post, November 21, 2017
Adjusting to New Lives, Chicago's Rohingya Look to Aid Those Still in Myanmar, NBC News, October 11, 2017
​Heartbreaking Refugee Stories Inspire Syrian Charity Dinner at Avec, DNAInfo, October 9, 2017
New Trier Cross Country Team Runs for Refugees, Daily North Shore, October 4, 2017
Hyde Park Refugee Project Hosts Community Dialogue on Refugee Resettlement, Hyde Park Herald, September 20, 2017
Displaced by Fire, Syrian Refugee Family Receives Aid, ChicagoTribune's Evanston Review, September 20, 2017
​Welcome to Refugee High, Chicago Reader, June 7, 2017
Refugees Escape Violence and War, but Anguish Remains, Chicago Tribune, May 9, 2017
​Syrian Refugee Family Finding Its Way in Chicago, Chicago Tribune, April 17, 2017
That's So South Asian: 30 Years of Channeling Diversity, The Chicago Maroon, April 3, 2017
As Resettlement Agencies Face Uncertainty, Donors Rally for Syrian Family, Chicagoist, March 8, 2017
Chicago Synagogues Still Waiting to Help Refugees Trump Left in Limbo, The Forward, February 16, 2017
So You Want to Help a Refugee Family, Daily KOS, February 12, 2017
Elgin Church Gets First-Hand Look at Refugee Experience, Chicago Tribune's Elgin Courier News, February 11, 2017
Hyde Park Refugee Project Shifts Focus Among Political Climate, Hyde Park Herald, February 8, 2017
Syrian Refugee Family Arrives in Chicago After Travel Ban Delay, ABC 7, February 8, 2017
Syrian Family Arrives in Chicago After Long Wait, Wall Street Journal, February 7, 2017
Syrian Refugee Family Arrives at O'Hare Amid Immigration Ban Lift, CBS 2, February 7, 2017
Syrian Refugee Family Arrives at O'Hare to a Crowd of Love, FOX 32, February 7, 2016​
Syrian Refugees Arrive in Chicago, WTTW Chicago Tonight, February 7, 2017
Syrian Refugee Family Arrives in Chicago to Cheers as Court Weighs Controversial Ban, Chicago Tribune, February 7, 2017
​Syrian Refugees Due to Reunite with Family at O'Hare as Court Considers Ban, Chicagoist, February 7, 2017
Last Refugees to Arrive at O'Hare as 120-Day Ban Takes Hold, Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2017
Refugee Ban Separates Families in Chicago Area, Unites Aid Groups, Patch, February 1, 2017
Refugees: A World Away from Loved Ones, Anxious and in Limbo, The Associated Press, February 1, 2017
Want to Help Refugees? 'Don't Just Stay Angry' Volunteer, Donate, Hire, DNA Info, February 1, 2017
Refugees, Agencies Relay Impact of New Immigration Restrictions, Chicago Tribune's Skokie Review, February 1, 2017
Viral Photo of Empty Crib Shows Heartbreaking Effects of Trump's Ban - Carbonated.TV, January 31, 2017
A Syrian Family Who Fled Aleppo Was Unable to Come to Chicago Due to Trump's Ban, Teen Vogue, January 31, 2017
Illinois' Synagogue that Sponsored Some of Last Syrian Refugees Before Ban Fights On, Chicagoist, January 31, 2017
Trump Won't Make America Great Again Without Refugees, Chicago Sun-Times, January 31, 2017
Trump's Travel Ban Delays Refugee Sisters from Congo, CBS 2, January 31, 2017
Muslim Ban is Tearing Apart Families, Not Stopping Terrorists, The Islamic Monthly, January 31, 2017
Syrian Family Set to Arrive in Chicago 'in Limbo' After Trump Travel Ban, NBC Chicago, January 31, 2017
Mom Shares Photo of Crib to Show Heartbreaking Result of Muslim Ban, Huffington Post, January 30, 2017
Faith Communities Search for Tools of Resistance, WBEZ Chicago, January 30, 2017
Chicago Refugee Support Groups Denounce President Trump's Travel Ban, ABC 7, January 31, 2017
Warm Welcome for Syrians in a Country About to Ban Them, The New York Times, January 28, 2017​
Refugees Resettled In Chicago Help Make Its Most Famous Cheesecake, NPR Morning Edition, January 3, 2017
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​​Media Archive: 2016
Spikeball Founder's Donation Will Allow Refugee Family To Come To Chicago, DNAinfo, December 27, 2016
​Chicago Comes Through In Fundraiser To Bring Refugee Family To City, DNAinfo, December 24, 2016
One Refugee Family’s Long Road to Christmas in Chicago, Chicago Sun-Times, December 23, 201
Glenview 'Kindness Week' Touches Syrian Refugees, Daily North Shore, December 21, 2016
Chicago parents raising funds to give refugees a new start, Chicago Tribune, December 19, 2016
Refugee Resettlement Groups See Surge in Volunteers, WBEZ News Chicago, December 2, 2016
Community Groups Help Refugee Family Move into Hyde Park, Hyde Park Herald, November 30, 2016
Hyde Park Church Fundraising to Support Syrian Refugees, The Chicago Maroon, November 22, 2016
With Help, a Refugee and his Family Builds a New Life, Chicago Tribune's Lake Forester, August 30, 2016
Syrian Mother, Daughter Struggle with New Life in US, Voice of America, July 18, 2016
Elgin Church Helps Afghan Refugees, Daily Herald, April 14, 2016
UNHCR Chief Welcomes US Leadership Over Global Crisis, UNHCR, March 19, 2016
Opinion: Why My Chicago Company Helps Refugees, Chicago Sun-Times, February 10, 2016
This Chicago Floral Company Hired Refugees To Help Make Valentine's Bouquets, Chicagoist, February 10, 2016
West Town Florist Helps Refugees' Dreams Bloom, ​Chicago Tribune, January 23, 2016