Refugee and Immigration Services Program

The Refugee and Immigration Services program is the second-oldest program at Lutheran Social Services. It was established in the fall of 1980 in response to an influx of Southeast Asian refugees into the Jacksonville area.

Because refugees are fleeing their country due to religious or political persecution, famine, war, natural disasters or other instability, they often need critical support when arriving in the United States. Approximately 50,000 refugees are resettled annually in the United States. Refugees are referred to LSS by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) or Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), two national voluntary agencies.

LSS’s staff speaks a total of 17 languages and come from 14 countries. They pave the way for refugees to learn about American culture, government requirements, banking and employment processes. The goal is to promote long-term economic self-sufficiency and effective resettlement.

Some of the support LSS provides refugees includes:

• Employment Services: Assists refugees in securing economic self sufficiency through short term training, job placement, and resume writing. Career Laddering assists refugees who have professional experience in their previous life to develop individual career track based upon agreed-upon career goals.
• Youth & Family Services: Help refugee youth and families achieve family stability and integration into the Jacksonville community and Duval County Public Schools. School liaisons work within six public schools, providing academic assistance, career planning, individual and group counseling, etc. The parent educator works with adults on parenting skills, safety, and healthy relationships. A summer enrichment program bridges services between each academic year.
• Resettlement: Services begin prior to refugee arrival into the United States and continue for 90 days. The program focuses on orientation to community services and beginning adjustment(s) to life in the United States.
• Integration Assistance: Provides all walk-ins with information and service referrals, orientation classes to all Burmese refugees in Jacksonville, and intensive case management assistance to refugees who face significant social and cultural barriers to self sufficiency.

Refugee and Immigration Services is under the direction of Barbara Carr and has 33 employees serving nearly 1,300 clients a year.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help, please contact Colette Rominger at 904-448-5995, ext. 8247. Household items and furniture donations are greatly appreciated. To schedule a pickup for those items, contact Linda Hale at 904-448-5995. Items can also be dropped off at The Sharing Place at 4615 Philips Highway in Jacksonville.

To make a donation to Lutheran Social Services to help support this work, please click here.