Tucson Refugee Ministry

Program service accomplishments: Tucson Refugee Ministry (trm) builds bridges between the church and refugees. Waiting an average of 17 years, these refugees went through a rigorous selection process first with the united nations high commission for refugees (unhcr). Once approved by the unhcr, they then had to pass strict security screenings by multiple u.s. Agencies before being placed in cities throughout the u.s. When refugees arrive in Tucson, trm welcomes them with love and compassion by partnering with resettlement agencies, training volunteers from churches, and befriending the refugees. Specific accomplishments during 2022 include the following: we connected with 320 families with over 120 events as well as 100's of individual meetings. We also vetted and trained about 250 new volunteers this year alone, increasing our volunteer base to over 700. We opened a community center that serves as a space for our 20+ programs as well as space for the resettlement agencies to do events and have meetings. We started our arrive & thrive program that helps refugees gain life skills including, learning how to drive, job interviewing skills, resume assistance, job assistance, english language learing/practice, starting a business, time management skills and money management.