by Kaitlin Jackson
Note: This is a joint statement from Catholic Charities of Buffalo, International Institute of Buffalo, Journey’s End Refugee Services and Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County.
The US State Department has just confirmed its intent to continue all four refugee resettlement programs in Buffalo into 2019. This means that Catholic Charities of Buffalo, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service of Buffalo and Erie County, and Journey’s End Refugee Services will continue to welcome and assist refugees to make new lives in Western New York.
We are deeply grateful to the WNY community, and to each of the community leaders who expressed support for refugees and refugee resettlement: U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman Brian Higgins, NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senator Tim Kennedy, State Assemblyman Sean Ryan, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, the Buffalo News Editorial Board, and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.
We are also grateful to the four national resettlement agencies which sponsor and support our work – United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and Church World Service – for their ongoing support.
We continue to believe Buffalo is an amazingly welcoming and supportive place for refugees. The incredible resiliency of our refugee clients drives our own commitment to them, and makes our community stronger and better.
We look forward to continuing our work in 2019.
WNYRAC, composed of local resettlement agencies and those that provide significant services to refugees, immigrants and asylees, works together for the benefit of the refugees and asylees they serve, and the WNY community.
