The International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee, a refugee resettlement agency, has welcomed refugees to Charlottesville since 1998. Forced to flee their home country due to violent conflict or persecution, refugees are granted special immigration status by the U.S. government to rebuild their lives in safety and security in this country.
IRC’s mission is to help refugees achieve economic and social self-sufficiency as soon as possible in their new country. IRC provides intensive services during the first months after arrival including arranging furnished housing, enrolling children in school, assisting with access to healthcare, and providing cultural orientation and instruction in English, financial literacy and job readiness. IRC also works with every adult refugee to place them in employment. While IRC does receive government funding to assist with direct support of refugees during their first few months in this country, this assistance is of short duration and often ends before the family is economically self-sufficient.
Resettlement agencies rely on the support of community agencies and members to bridge this gap between government assistance and the actual needs of these new Americans. The recent economic downturn has lengthened the amount of time IRC needs to find suitable employment for newly arriving refugees. The agency’s greatest funding need is Emergency Housing Support to assist with shelter expenses for refugees still in the process of finding their first job. Please join the IRC as they support the refugees in the Charlottesville community on their journey from “Surviving to Thriving”.
For more information about supporting the International Rescue Committee, contact Executive Director Harriet Kuhr by phone at 434-979-7772 x 105, or by email at Harriet.Kuhr@theIRC.org.