Refugee Assistance Center

Refugees are people who have had to flee their country because of war or persecution. About 260 refugees are resettled in Hartford each year by Catholic Charities Migration & Refugee Services, which provides immediate resettlement assistance including housing, school registration, and employment services for those able to work. After the initial resettlement period, refugees continue to need help, especially because most come from vastly different lifestyles, have experienced trauma, and do not speak English.

The Refugee Assistance began in 1998 as a volunteer effort to address the need for post-resettlement services, and became a full-time program at Jubilee House in 2005. Every year we assist more than 600 individuals and families from countries such as Bosnia, Liberia, Somalia, Burma, Burundi, Iraq, and Bhutan, and generally act as American “friends,” a bridge between their culture and ours. We help refugees access medical and dental care and state assistance programs, deal with landlords and school issues, apply for green cards and citizenship, and rebuild their lives.

The Refugee Assistance Center is supported with grants from Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Conrad Hilton Fund for Sisters, Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange Fund, and other generous donors. We welcome volunteers and donations for this essential work.