RefugeeConnect Information

The RefugeeConnect project educates, unites, and engages Greater Cincinnati to improve the lives of resettled refugees. Its primary goal is to construct a sustainable support system through a physical and virtual resource center, which will connect refugees with available resources in the community. At any given time, there are from 12,000 to 25,000 refugees who live in the Greater Cincinnati area, primarily coming from Bhutan, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burma, Vietnam, Russia, and Iraq. Annually, approximately 200 refugees are relocated to the Greater Cincinnati region through resettlement agencies. In the U.S., resettlement agencies assist refugees to relocate by providing three to six months of government-funded assistance. However, this time period does not adequately address refugees' longer-term acculturation needs. RefugeeConnect was established to focus on closing this gap by assisting refugees to overcome language barriers and access needed services. Bridging these gaps for a time period unique to each family helps refugees attain self-sufficiency and build a more productive life in Cincinnati. No other organization is holistically looking at these issues across Greater Cincinnati. RefugeeConnect is the only organization focused on education and advocacy for refugees in all of Greater Cincinnati.