The Resettlement branch of Refugee Action directly resettles newly arrived families with refugee status in the Lehigh Valley. Bethany Christian Services connects Refugee Action to the families, and the two organizations work together to help them become independent in the United States. RefAct works with each family for ten months at a time.
Resettlement efforts are divided among five committees:
- Case Management: Refugee Action members help the family navigate the American medical system and ensure that families have completed all necessary government paperwork and processes. It is also ensured that families receive all the government benefits that they are entitled to.
- Finance: Refugee Action helps families assess their financial situation, develop financial literacy in the American economy, find employment for adults based on skills, and plan a budget for the path to financial stability.
- Education: Refugee Action connects families with local English as a Second Language services, enrolls school-aged children in public schools, and tutors family members many times a week to ensure that they develop English skills and feel at home in their new country.
- Accommodations: Refugee Action ensures that families’ social, cultural, and religious needs are met by involving them in activities that they enjoy and that suit their culture, as well as providing cultural orientation to all families.
- Housing and Transportation: Refugee Action provides temporary housing for its families through Lafayette College. This housing serves as a bridge between the families’ arrival and their ability to provide for themselves economically and afford adequate housing. Refugee Action also helps families through the process of securing their own housing after they become financially independent.
In addition to the committees, we have one chair:
- Donations Chair: Refugee Action collects donations from our generous community members for use by the families. Each family keeps the furniture and other household items that are placed in their house upon arrival, even after they move.
