Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) is thrilled to announce the reinitiation of Refugee Resettlement Services. For 18 years, JFCS helped newly arrived refugees settle into the Tucson community, and we are proud that we have relaunched and expanded our refugee services, beginning on October 18th. We anticipate serving over 150 refugees annually through three programs. Reception and Placement services are paid for, in part, through financial assistance provided by the Department of State.
- Afghan Placement and Assistance: This program serves Afghan refugees who received special status thanks to their service to the American government in Afghanistan. Many Afghans urgently fled political persecution earlier this year, and we will offer resettlement services to these individuals.
- Reception and Placement: This program offers wrap-around support to refugees, such as support with finding housing, schools for children, medical services, employment, and cultural/community services. We offered this program from 1989 to 2007 and are eager to restart this program.
- Preferred Communities: Many refugees have challenging needs that require intensive or long-term services. These could include those with medical conditions, elderly refugees, single parents with children, those who have experienced extreme trauma, or refugees with other needs. The Preferred Communities program means that those who may need additional support to find their way in a new community will have access to intensive case management for 12 months.
We are pleased to again be working in partnership with HIAS, the Global Jewish Organization for Refugees. HIAS has resettlement agencies in 24 cities in the U.S. and other nations worldwide. From 1989 to 2007, JFCS of Southern Arizona welcomed refugees to Tucson, many of whom were Russian Jews fleeing antisemitism in the former Soviet Union. Our full-service Refugee Resettlement Services began with picking families up from the airport and transporting them to housing that we secured and furnished for them. Over the following three months, we helped families make medical appointments, establish employment, and attend school. For many, JFCS staff were the first friendly faces in Tucson. Those we served found support from the Jewish and broader community in Tucson that would last a lifetime. We are grateful to reinitiate the services we historically offered, acting as a bridge between these families and their new community.
For more information, please contact:
Andrea Ballard, JFCS Chief Operating Officer
Main: (520) 795-0300; Direct: (520) 795-0300 x2265
Email: aballard@jfcstucson.org
