Refugee Services

As of October 1, 2022, Refugee Empowerment Center has officially merged under Immigrant Legal Center. Through this merger, we bring together a wealth of expertise, experience, and resources that allow our staff to provide a holistic blend of high-quality services to our newest friends and neighbors in Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

Refugee services are located at:
The Mastercraft in the Millwork Commons
1111 N 13th Street, Suite 128
Omaha, NE 68102.

Refugee Resettlement Services

Reception & Placement (R&P)

The R&P program is responsible through the Department of State to provide the following services to refugees during the first 90 days of their arrival to the U.S.:

Secure safe and affordable housing, furniture, household items, weather-appropriate clothing, and more
Applications for economic assistance programs available to newly arrived refugees
Medical screenings and referrals
Social security enrollment
Referrals to other REC programs for further services

Employment

Employment case management includes the following services:

Partnerships with local employers to provide first jobs placements to refugees including resume writing and application assistance
Transportation to job orientations
Creating connections between REC clients on the same employment sites
Preparation of household budget, monthly expenses, assessment of hourly wage needed to pay expenses and financial literacy/money management
Employer and new hire follow-up, transition, and compliance, troubleshooting employment issues, and employer cultural assistance and training (as needed)

Education

The Education program provides the following services to all refugees:

Educational case management (career and education planning)
ESL classes
Cultural Orientation classes (also includes Personal Finance class)
Job readiness class
School enrollment
After school program enrollment
Drivers Education
Entrepreneurial classes
Citizenship classes
Parenting classes

Preferred Communities

The Preferred Communities (PC) program serves refugees with more extensive barriers to achieving self-sufficiency, such as PTSD, medical issues, or older age. The PC program links refugees to assistance in the community and provides more intensive case management for a longer period of time to ensure that all refugees, regardless of their background, can achieve success.

Volunteer to help refugees in our community!

Refugees are most successful when communities welcome them and get involved in their integration and support them in becoming self-sufficient.

With so many new arrivals coming, we need everyone to pitch in to help our newest community members be successful! Questions? Email volunteers@refugeeempowerment.org