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As the seasons begin to shift, the work of refugee resettlement in Whatcom County is also changing in some exciting ways! While still busy, schedules are calming down after the frenzy of resettling our first Afgan arrivals in December and January. We are shifting focus from meeting immediate needs such as food and temporary shelter to establishing longer-term assistance in areas such as employment, cultural orientation, education, and finding affordable long-term housing. Our growing team is establishing sustainable patterns for our organization long-term as the refugee situation changes globally.
CLOSING THE FIRST CASE
Resettlement agencies are federally contracted to provide necessary services during the first 90 days of a refugee’s arrival on US soil. The first of our new neighbors, who arrived in early-to-mid December, are ending their 90-day resettlement period. While this means we will be reducing intensive case management services, we are not cutting off all support and will continue to ensure families are progressing toward self-sufficiency and have established healthy relationships with volunteers and caseworkers. Nonetheless, the closure of our first case marks an important milestone for the families as well as our office!
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