Over $15 million available for Organizations Providing Services to Refugees

Cleveland, OH – Being a large yet tight-knit community, Cleveland is filled with organizations and groups that are dedicated to giving back and providing services to help people.  In light of World Refugee Day on June 20th, it is an opportunity to reflect on the economic impact refugees have had on Cleveland. In a Chmura Economics & Analytics report, the economic impact of refugees was $48 million in 2012, providing 650 jobs in Greater Cleveland, with an annual operational  growth rate of 5.4% per year since 2007. Helping refugees and the local economy has encouraged many organizations to welcome refugees into the city.  

While refugees can certainly have a positive impact on their communities, they face many initial obstacles. They may struggle finding a place to live, experience difficulty in gaining access to medical services, face issues when trying to become self-sufficient. Thankfully, there are many organizations here in Cleveland that provide services to refugees. For places that offer this assistance, there is an opportunity to gain funding to help serve our community and aid vulnerable refugees. This grant, entitled The Preferred Communities (PC) Program, is a funding opportunity through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The Office of Refugee Resettlement presents the grant, offering funds for 2017.

The goal of this grant is to help vulnerable refugees with resettlement and integration into their new environment, and it can be used to develop and improve organizations or groups that provide services to refugees. The program will aid current and new refugees through providing funding to organizations so that they can further help them work towards becoming self-sufficient, enabling refugee services to become stronger, and enhancing individuals’ ability to get the services and support they need.

The total award amount is $15, 510, 907 split up amongst 9 winners. The deadline for applications on August 1, 2016.  The grant is available to public, private, non-profit, and eligible faith-based organizations. Additionally, institutions of higher education, and local or state governments may apply for the grant.

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