U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants / Erie Field Office (founded as the International Institute of Erie)

Your gifts support people who are highly vulnerable for a temporary period, but who quickly become integrated into the beautiful fabric of Erie; strengthening this hardworking community along the Great Lakes. 

The Erie field office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI Erie) was founded over a century ago in 1919 as the International Institute of Erie.  In its early days, the Institute helped immigrant women and children to learn English and prepare for citizenship. Today, it is the most comprehensive refugee resettlement agency in Northwestern Pennsylvania, located in the heart of Erie.

The agency has a staff of expert resettlement case managers, instructors, foreign language interpreters, and coordinators for specialized programs that bring hope and opportunity to Erie's newest residents. Core services include helping refugees to:

• establish a first home and prepare for their first winter on the Great Lakes
• recover from trauma or injuries in their journey
• access English language classes and cultural orientation
• enroll children in school and high quality early learning childcare
• prepare for employment and financial self-sufficiency
• start small businesses or agricultural ventures

Refugees often come in waves, based on world events. At the end of World War II, the agency was resettling mostly refugees from war-torn Europe. A few decades later, new arrivals were coming from Southeast Asia, West Africa, the Balkan peninsula, and the Middle East. Currently, USCRI Erie is primarily serving refugees from Afghanistan, Central America, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan / South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. While populations and world events will change, the mission of USCRI Erie is steadfast - to "protect the rights and address the needs of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide and support their transition to a dignified life."

www.refugees.org