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Sunday, November 8, 2009

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Refugees resettle in Washington region with help from area organizations

Since 1975, the International Rescue Committee’s Suburban Washington Resettlement Center has helped to resettle more than 20,000 people in the Washington area. The IRC helps newly arrived refugees and asylees, many from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Burma, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia, become independent and self-sufficient by offering employment assistance, case management, cultural education, English classes, temporary financial support, and other social services. They act as a bridge between refugees and relevant government agencies. The center They needs in-kind donations of new or gently used furniture and household items for its refugee families; volunteers for their “Adopt a Family” and “Health Promotion” programs; and community partners who can provide housing or employment.

The Office of Migration and Refugee Services of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington has helped more than 20,000 refugees and asylees resettle in northern Virginia since 1975. This year, the office expects to help more than 900 people at its five locations in northern Virginia and Fredericksburg by providing housing, food, household items, case management, cultural orientation, language lessons, and employment assistance. The organization needs volunteers and donations of household goods, furniture, and cars.

For more information, visit:

The International Rescue Committee
Suburban Washington Resettlement Center
8700 Georgia Avenue
Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 562-8633
Contact Kate Evans (katherine.evans@theIRC.org) for more program or volunteer information.

Office of Migration and Refugee Services
Arlington Diocese Refugee Services
Seyoum Berhe, Director
80 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 841-3876