Senior Statesmen of Virginia meet with organizations to discuss needs of refugees

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The Senior Statesmen of Virginia met with representatives from various organizations services to discuss welcoming refugees into Charlottesville and how best to do so.

Harriet Kuhr, the executive director of the International Rescue Committee in Virginia, was in attendance at the meeting.

The IRC is an organization that assists refugees in finding housing, jobs, medical care, school enrollment, and more.

“IRC has been resettling refugees in Charlottesville since 1998,” Kuhr said. “We had so many people, so many of the Afghan evacuated, who came in.

Kuhr says that in the last 25 years, the IRC has resettled more than 4,500 refugees.

“President Biden has announced an initiative to grow the refugee program to allow us to bring in about 125,000 Refugees nationally in the coming year,” Kuhr said. “There are more refugees worldwide now than ever in recorded history.”

Sue Friedman is the president of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia.

“The best outcome of the meeting was that we really know what’s going on. We understand what the numbers are and what the needs are. A lot of families are coming and slated to come here to this area.”

Friedman says the government plays a big role in helping to support nonprofits and initiatives that benefit refugees.

“Each and every one of us in our communities and our churches, wherever we may be, can be supportive of welcoming refugees to our community,” Friedman said.

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