Refugee Services Refugees leave their homes due to political, religious, or social persecution and often spend many years in refugee camps in neighboring countries before they are resettled. The United States Government legally admits a small percentage of refugees to this country as victims of persecution. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown has been resettling refugees in the Allentown area since 1975 when the first refugees arrived from Southeast Asia. Catholic Charities responds to the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops’ call to “Welcome the Stranger” through a range of services that help ease new arrivals into the fabric of local community life.  The social needs of refugees are met through the efforts of case managers and volunteers, with the goal of moving them toward self-sufficiency. Catholic Charities staff and volunteers meet the arriving refugees at the airport and place them in safe, affordable apartments that have been furnished with donations from local families.  Staff and volunteers arrange for medical appointments, school enrollment, and orientation to basic community services. Types of Services Provided Parish/faith community sponsorship of families Resettlement of refugees Employment English as a second language classes Citizenship classes Translation services Acculturation   Catholic Charities’ staff and volunteers reflect the ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity needed to serve the agency’s increasingly diverse and expanding immigrant and refugee constituency.   Volunteer Opportunities Apartment Set-up for Newly Arriving Refugees Office Assistant Teaching Assistant for English Language Training Classes Transportation Assistance to Medical Appointments       Hiring Refugees Each year Catholic Charities matches dozens of refugees with employers in jobs based on their skill level and the employers’ needs. The job developer assesses the needs of the employer, matches them with refugee applicants, and provides interpretation and paperwork assistance during the hiring process at no cost to the employer.   Contributions Financial donations to the program Automobiles in good working order Furniture and household items Cleaning Supplies Non-perishable food supplies and storage containers     Funding: This Program is financed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the PA Department of Public Welfare with funds from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement.  Support is also provided by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, private grants and donations.   Contact Us Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown Lehigh/Northampton Service Office 530 Union Boulevard Allentown, PA 18109 610-435-1541 wmiller@allentowndiocese.org   Our mission is to provide compassionate human services with respect for the sanctity of all human life. We provide opportunities for volunteering. Contact the Catholic Charities office nearest you. Catholic Charities is a private non-profit social service agency operating under the auspices of the Diocese of Allentown. Its services are available to any person residing within Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton or Schuylkill County regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, age, color, political affiliation, creed, disability and Limited English Proficiency. Catholic Charities is financially supported by the Bishop's Annual Appeal, Holiday Appeal, grants, fees, donations and federal, state and county governments. Its programs are approved for funding by the PA Departments of Education, Community Affairs and Public Welfare, and County Departments of Human Services including Children and Youth, Mental Health/Mental Retardation and Aging. Post Office Box F  •  Allentown, PA  •  18105-1538 Copyright 2003 The Catholic Diocese of Allentown Disclaimer and Terms of Use

Benefits Checkup For Older Adults Community Support Pregnancy Support International & Domestic Adoption Parish Outreach Foster Care Refugee Services Immigration Services Adult Day Care Counseling & Behavioral Health Services for Older Adults Refugee and Immigration Services Links CCAD Home