Community Partner: Refugee Services Collaborative
The topic of refugee resettlement has frequently been in the news for the past few months. With so much public attention on the subject, it may be difficult to find a trustworthy and accurate source of information that truly reflects the lives and plight of refugees. The Refugee Services Collaborative of Greater Cleveland (RSC) works to inform the Greater Cleveland community on this matter. Furthermore, the core members of the RSC implement programs that help refugees resettle, find employment, receive further education, and ultimately become self-sufficient.
The core membership of the RSC includes the following organizations: ABLE (Adult Literacy and Basic Education) Parma, ABLE Cuyahoga Community College, Asian Services in Action, Building Hope in the City, Cleveland Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services, Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services, El Barrio (The Centers for Families and Children), Global Cleveland, Lakewood City School District, Neighborhood Family Practice, Ohio Department of Job and Family Service Refugee Services, The Refugee Response, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants-Cleveland, and US Together, Incorporated.
In order to inform the public about refugees and their contributions to the community, the RSC conducts public dialogue sessions that create educational conversations and answer questions. These sessions are great ways to learn how you or your organization can help improve the lives of refugees through such activities as volunteering, providing employment, donating second-hand goods, or making a monetary donation. Additionally, the RSC has commissioned local filmmakers to create documentaries that spotlight the lives and stories of several Cleveland
refugees. These documentaries show how refugees make positive contributions to the community through their hard work and dedication and are frequently included as part of public dialogue sessions.
The RSC holds sessions at various faith-based, civic, and community organizations. Most recently, Lakewood Alive hosted a forum called “From Refugee to Neighbor: Understanding Public Policy and Community Impact” at Lakewood Congregational Church. Representatives from the RSC discussed the impact refugees have on the Lakewood and Cleveland communities as well as ways to make Greater Cleveland the best place in the US for collaborative refugee resettlement. Additionally, the forum covered information regarding volunteer opportunities. The RSC has also held sessions at the Cleveland State University Women’s Symposium, the Euclid Public Library, Old Stone Presbyterian Church, and Shaarey Tikvah Synagogue, among other locations. People from all walks of life can benefit from the information provided at these public dialogue sessions.
If you would like to schedule a public dialogue session for your group or organization, please contact us and we will be happy to come to you. You can visit our website at www.rsccleveland.org or reach out to Pamela Fine at [email protected]
