About the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
Despite its government-sounding name, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) is a non-profit organization that helps refugees become self-sufficient, contributing members of our community who can again dream of a hopeful future for themselves and their children. The USCRI Albany office was established in 2005 and has resettled more than 4,500 refugees in the Capital Region from countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and Ukraine.
A refugee is someone forced to leave their home country to escape war, violence, or persecution. This label is given by governments or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Once identified as a refugee, an individual often moves to a refugee "camp" in a different country, which may be a cluster of tents or buildings where refugees are housed. Conditions can be very harsh, and they must typically wait several years before being relocated to a country admitting refugees.
The USCRI Albany's work is critical to establishing feelings of stability and permanency for these hopeful new Americans. We locate and set up apartments, arrange for English instruction, assist with finding employment, and help individuals and families understand the cultural norms, social expectations, and laws of their new country. Resettled refugees are legally cleared to work, and many employers comment on their strong work ethic and high level of dedication to their jobs.
The USCRI Albany is launching a new Community Sponsorship program and is looking for groups, clubs, faith-based organizations, businesses, etc... to form teams of three or more people to help a refugee family successfully integrate into their new lives. For questions or more information, please email info@uscri-albany.org.
