Hias

U.s. Program service accomplishments: as the oldest resettlement agency in the world and the only jewish organization designated by the federal government to undertake this humanitarian work, Hias works to help refugees build stable lives throughout the country. Despite a record high of more than 35 million refugees worldwide, the number of refugees allowed to resettle in the u.s. was capped at 125,000 in 2023, although the actual number resettled was only 60,014. With fewer new arrivals, Hias intensified our work across the u.s. to enhance the economic and social integration of refugees as they adjust to american life. (continued on schedule o)through our national resettlement network of 31 affiliates, Hias provided clients with new programming and resources to support their full economic and social inclusion in the united states.hias' economic inclusion programs take a holistic approach by supporting and empowering clients through early employment or entrepreneurship, while simultaneously enhancing their financial capability to achieve long-term economic independence. Hias works with clients not only to gain new skills for optimal employment and a changing workforce, but also to build their financial knowledge, savings, and assets--such as purchasing a vehicle or home, starting a business, or saving for higher education. Across a range of industries, Hias partners with local and national employers to integrate refugees into the workforce and provide training for career development and upward mobility. Our network of affiliates also works with community partners to help refugees launch or expand small businesses, access continuing education, and develop english language proficiency.in addition to economic inclusion, Hias' social inclusion programs help refugees access critical services and successfully integrate into their new communities while maintaining their culture and identity. Hias works with clients to improve mental health and psychosocial well-being, build social support networks, and adjust to daily life in a new country as they begin to heal from the trauma of displacement.hias offers pro bono legal services to refugees, asylum seekers and other forcibly displaced persons through our direct immigration legal services program in new york and silver spring, as well as through an active network of over 2,000 pro bono attorneys nationwide. In 2023, Hias directly, or through pro bono attorneys, served approximately 2,000 clients, of which over 1,000 were retained for full or limited scope representation. In 2023, Hias' social services team, developed in 2022, which provides comprehensive and complementary services, including clinical case management and a robust volunteer/community support program to support legal clients, in addition to our existing asylee outreach project, served 283 individuals. This additional support helps clients not only navigate the complications and difficulties of long legal processes but also in adjusting to life in a new community. Advocacy is fundamental to our work. We advocate for the rights of forcibly displaced people and lead the jewish movement for refugees and asylum seekers. We educate, organize, and mobilize american jews to put their values into action and advocate for refugees in the u.s. and globally. We work with grassroots advocates, opinion leaders, legislators, and policymakers to protect and advance policies that promote fair and humane asylum laws, refugee resettlement, and integration policies. We fuel the jewish response to the global refugee crisis by equipping clergy, leadership, congregations, and individuals with the tools and ideas to fight for the rights of asylum seekers locally and hold elected officials accountable. Our advocacy team works in Washington, d.c., directly engaging with congress and the administration to expand the rights and protections of refugees nationwide. Statewide coalitions and local partnerships fuel Hias' work in the community at the grassroots level across the nation. Throughout the country, and with the focused work of our established regional outreach programs in the Washington, d.c. area, new york, and los angeles, Hias engages with a broad range of organizations and leaders across the country to educate communities about the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers and mobilize support to advance their rights.in 2023, Hias led or was part of 125 community programs, educational sessions, trainings, and briefings. Hias developed three major grassroots advocacy campaigns and dozens of online actions and petitions, engaging tens of thousands. In 2023, Hias launched the Hias clergy council which leverages the moral authority of jewish clergy to raise awareness of and advocate for refugees, asylum seekers and the forcibly displaced. Additionally, Hias took a leadership role in the launch of the new private sponsorship program of the usg, welcome corps, and through that continued to support congregations in sponsoring refugee families. Furthermore, Hias organized a clergy delegation program to the u.s.-mexico border.

Note regarding programs described above: the revenue of $412,510 reported above for program 4a refers to program revenue reported in section 2 of part viii, which equals 412,510, and does not include the contribution revenue from our donors which is the primary way in which our programs are funded.

International program service accomplishments: the number of forcibly displaced people continues to rise around the world. By the middle of 2023, there were an estimated 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, an increase of 1.2 million since the end of 2022. At the same time, national governments are responding to most crises by reducing resettlement and refugee protection. In the countries where protections do exist, asylum seekers often must navigate complex bureaucratic and legal systems alone to secure basic rights. (continued on schedule o)as a result of their experiences-from uprooting their lives to surviving or witnessing violence, many refugees need urgent services as well as long-term support, like prevention of gender based violence (gbv) and help for survivors, economic integration assistance, legal aid, and psychosocial care, in order to gain greater stability and rebuild their lives. At Hias, we have seen throughout our history that refugees and their families make valuable contributions to our communities. They seize opportunities that the rights to live, work, and learn in safety and freedom offer to rebuild their lives and thrive. As a faith-based agency, Hias takes pursues faith-sensitive approaches in serving forcibly displaced persons.hias partners closely with domestic and international leadership, like the u.s. department of state and the united nations high commissioner for refugees, as well as refugee agencies and human rights groups. Our well-established partnerships enable us to share our expertise, achieve our advocacy objectives, and maximize our impact. We provide vital and urgent services to refugees in the united states and operate in more than 20 other countries advocating for the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, stateless people, and other forcibly displaced people.communities know what they need to improve the well-being of their members. We listen closely and promote "local led action" aimed at building on communities' existing strengths and resources so that programs are inclusive, sustainable, and effective. Legal status is critical for refugees. Without legal status, refugees are forced to live on the margins of society, lacking healthcare, education, dignified work, or safe shelter - sometimes for generations. Hias' legal protection programs are dedicated to ensuring that refugees, whether in camps or urban settings, know their rights and are able to navigate the often-complicated legal systems that lead to permanent status and security. We are particularly focused on helping the most vulnerable people -- including children, survivors of torture or sexual and gbv, refugees with disabilities, and lgbtqi+ refugees -- secure access to legal aid services.responding to the ongoing humanitarian crises caused by the invasion of ukraine, Hias continues its life-saving work in ukraine, where it continues to work closely with longtime ukrainian partner r2p, as well as in neighboring poland, moldova, and romania. Hias provided life-saving humanitarian assistance, such as cash and housing, as well as crucial protection services with a focus on the most vulnerable displaced persons, like women and children. Working through direct implementation and indirectly through partners, Hias ukraine focuses on mental health and psychosocial services (mhpss) and gbv services, as well as multipurpose cash support. In poland, romania, and moldova, Hias' main focus lies on economic inclusion with complementary gbv and mhpss services. Hias works through partners in light of its committment to localization by building the capacity of existing civil society organizations. In 2023, over 170,000 displaced ukrainians were helped by Hias in ukraine, poland, romania, and moldova.in response to the hundreds of thousands of sudanese refugees who have fled to eastern chad, Hias has employed a multifaceted approach centered on risk mitigation, responsive action, and proactive prevention to combat gender-based violence. Almost 8,000 people have been reached through encouraging a supportive environment for healing and mhpss services such as counseling and community training on how to recognize and respond to emotional distress. Collaborating closely with community stakeholders, Hias has delivered child protection services and organized awareness campaigns. Hias has assisted over 48,500 children directly and indirectly through this work. Moreover, Hias has successfully trained nearly 30,000 people in chad on techniques for peaceful coexistence and conflict prevention.hias' gbv prevention, risk reduction, and response programs help forcibly displaced women, girls, and lgbtqi+ people access human rights, live free from violence and oppression, and pursue their potential. Our programs are driven by the needs of survivors and shaped by their voices and perspectives. We prioritize their leadership in program design and implementation. We prevent gbv by reducing risk; helping survivors, women, girls, and lgbtqi+ people find healthcare and safety; and challenging beliefs that perpetuate violence. We reduce the risk of gbv by building women's and girls' economic assets, supporting safe spaces for them to forge bonds of solidarity and trust, and raising awareness of their rights and the services available to them. We also train community leaders to recognize and work with women, girls, and lgbtqi+ individuals to ensure they are safe. We help survivors improve their well-being, find solidarity, and heal through case management, psychosocial services, and referrals to legal services and women's gathering places. We address the root cause of gbv by working with men and boys to build healthy norms around masculinity and understanding of their role in promoting the health and safety of women and girls.our services and support are driven by the needs and voices of survivors to enhance social and economic protection for women, girls, and lgbtqi+ refugees and migrants. We design interventions through a regional continuum of care while working to change the beliefs that perpetuate gbv. Hias uses a multipronged approach in partnership with local ngos to meet immediate lifesaving needs of survivors while building medium and longer-term resiliency. We focus on risk reduction by building safe spaces and economic well-being, responding to cases of survivors through mental health and legal services, and promoting preventative measures to address the root causes driving gbv by engaging men and boys to learn new norms. Our community-based mental health and psychosocial support programs help individuals and families recover from the stress of displacement and develop healthy coping mechanisms. We train key community members to recognize how people of all ages respond to traumatic events, provide basic psychosocial support, and refer people to specialized care. We create short-term and intensive care mechanisms within communities so that our clients can access the support they need urgently. To build connection and resilience, we create and promote support groups based on language, gender, age, and other facets of identity. These groups provide a safe forum for sharing experiences and healing.through our economic inclusion work, we enable refugees to work toward financial independence and contribute to their community. We provide cash assistance to refugees in emergency situations and to those living in extreme poverty and offer education and coaching on establishing healthy financial habits, like the importance of saving and how to navigate banking institutions. We partner with private sector employers to offer vocational training and professional skills -- building opportunities for refugees. We also strengthen the capacity of these companies to recruit and retain refugees as employees.we support entrepreneurship by delivering seed capital and mentoring refugees who are starting businesses in their host countries.examples of Hias' impact in 2023:- Hias reached over 2.25m forcibly displaced people worldwide, including the provision of direct services to over 1.2m individuals.- Hias' mhpss reached over 330,000 people both directly and indirectly.- Hias' gbv prevention and response programs reached over 530,000 people both directly and indirectly.- Hias reached over 200,000 people directly and indirectly with legal assistance services globally. - in 2023, Hias provided cash and voucher assistance to meet the basic needs of forcibly displaced people, reaching over 215,000 people globally.