Page 8 - Samaritas Our Hands Winter 2024

REFUGEE SERVICES
Refugee Families Finding Refugee Resettlement
Employment
Fellowship in Flint School Impact
Refugee Youth Services

Samaritas has opened a new office, serving New Americans, in Flint.
We share the space with our foster care staff and have worked to make it
a hub of resources and support for our new arrivals.

Our first arrival, which coincidentally happened on June 20 - World Refugee
Day, was a family of eight. Comprised of mom, dad, and six children, they are all

now settled and living in Flint and thriving. Dad is working, and the kids are in
school and getting acclimated to their new lives.

Currently we are serving numerous clients of all ages and backgrounds and
reached our fiscal year goal of 75 individuals by the end of September, which

means we accomplished almost a year’s worth of arrivals in a little over 3
months! With just a small staff of two, plus a part time supervisor, we handle
Reception and Placement (RMP) for brand new arrivals and post resettlement
and employment services for others.

We are welcoming refugees arriving from
Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, Columbia, and
Afghanistan and are preparing to welcome others

from Syria in 2025. The staff are working to secure
partnerships with Flint-based companies that are
interested in working with our refugee populations to
provide employment opportunities and also to be
that support in order to grow the Flint community,
keeping it vibrant and diverse. "The city of Flint has
been a wonderful partner for Samaritas, and Mayor

Neeley and Tyler Bailer, Deputy Director for
Business Services, have provided support and
guidance, as well as connections to resources for
our clients," said Sofia Ortiz-Carro, Samaritas
Program Manager.

As we grow our Flint-based program, not only are we looking for companies who would like to work with us for
employment opportunities for refugees, we are looking for donations of new furniture, household goods, wagons, baby
items, and gift cards to grocery stores.. We also need volunteers for mentoring, and help with transportation to
appointments. If you would like to support our Flint endeavors in any of these areas, or would like to learn more about the
program, please contact Sofia at sorti@samaritas.org. If you’d like to make a donation to support this important work, you

can visit www.samaritas.org/donate.

In an inspiring tale of courage and friendship, a war veteran goes above and beyond
to assist his Afghan friend and his family in their desperate escape from the Taliban
regime through the help of Samaritas. This highlights the profound bonds formed
during service and the lengths to which one will go to protect those they care about.
Discover how bravery, compassion, and resilience intertwine in this remarkable
journey. Samaritas.co/3UovJwR
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