A brand new area for Montana’s solely refugee resettlement company opened this yr, permitting the group to supply extra help and providers for households and people who just lately relocated to Montana from throughout the globe.
The Worldwide Rescue Committee is settled into its larger location located on South Russell Avenue. The group hosted an open home on Friday, attended by dozens of group members, together with households just lately resettled from Syria and Missoula Mayor Jordan Hess.
“Now we have grown and grown and grown,” IRC Missoula Deputy Director Eamon Fahey mentioned. When Fahey began on the IRC, he was one in all 4 workers folks. Now, IRC’s worker rely in Missoula has grown to 26.
IRC held an open home for the inauguration of their model new workplace as they appear to develop their operations all through Missoula.
The three-story constructing has ample room, enabling the group to develop its providers supplied to refugees. A classroom area (which IRC didn’t have at its earlier location) hosts workshops for refugees to be taught issues like constructing monetary well being, making use of for jobs and navigating different social providers. Twelve laptop computer workstations are included too.
Persons are additionally studying…
A brand new “procuring” space sits behind the reception desk. A whole bunch of donated family items line the partitions of a big room on the bottom stage. Kitchenware, mattress linens, and toilet necessities are some things refugees can store for to take to their new houses.
This provides folks settling into Missoula the prospect to determine for themselves what they need and want, IRC Improvement Supervisor Sarah Howerton mentioned.
“We’ve by no means had the area earlier than to type of have a procuring area,” she mentioned. Along with loads of workplace and assembly area, the constructing has a devoted non-public room for people who may want to wish or breastfeed whereas they’re at IRC.
Missoula Mayor Jordan Hess spoke at Friday’s occasion. He thanked the IRC for his or her resettlement work and welcomed refugees to Missoula.
“We’re so glad you’re right here,” Hess mentioned. “The journeys you’ve gone by are a testomony to resilience and fortitude and actually show the energy of human spirit.”
Fahey mentioned the resettlement company is seeing refugees steadily coming in from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria. The company just lately has had its first couple of circumstances from Yemen.
When Fahey began at IRC two years in the past, he mentioned the company noticed roughly 45% of its households arriving in Montana however wanting to show round and relocate to a special group, one thing often known as “out-migration.”
This yr, Fahey mentioned, one household out-migrated of the 30 households IRC Missoula has labored with.
“So which means now we have communities which are establishing, persons are discovering this a welcoming place and placing down roots,” he mentioned. “That’s big.”
Fahey inspired continued group help. Employment and housing connections are key for efficiently resettling.
Sponsorship can also be important. This provides Missoulians the prospect to become involved within the resettlement course of, Fahey defined. Montanans concerned with co-sponsoring refugees can work with the IRC to get coaching on the providers offered by the company to bolster their resettlement efforts for households new to Missoula.
“There are extra displaced folks on the earth proper now than in human historical past,” Fahey mentioned. “All of us have to become involved on this.”
Zoë Buchli is the prison justice reporter for the Missoulian.