A discussion of the worldwide refugee crisis, and what the local community can do to help persons displaced by war and other social upheavals, will take place in Flossmoor on Sunday, Jan. 31.
The program, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon in the sanctuary at Flossmoor Community Church, 2218 Hutchison Road. Participants interested in finding out about the possibility of serving as a co-sponsor for refugees are encouraged to attend.
Kim Snoddy, assistant director of development for RefugeeOne, will speak at Sunday’s church education forum. She will discuss the scope of refugees worldwide; the selection, screening, and security processing of refugees; a perspective of the United States’ involvement in accepting refugees; and the process her organization uses for accepting and settling refugees in the Chicago area.
Snoddy will also outline the duties and responsibilities of organizations wishing to serve with RefugeeOne as co-sponsor for a refugee family.
RefugeeOne is a resettlement agency providing a full range of services to refugees coming into the Chicago area. The agency was founded in 1982. Its primary focus is to assist the refugee in becoming an independent, self-supporting member of the new community as soon as possible.
According to the agency’s website, RefugeeOne annually assists approximately 2,500 refugees and immigrants 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.
More information on the agency is available at www.refugeeone.org.