Agency gives refugees more time to adapt

By Craig Learn and Taylor Steinberg
Bengal News Reporters
 The West Side is known for the amount of refugees that it receives. There are specific organizations, called resettlement agencies, which take care of the refugees. However, due to funding issues, these agencies can only help them for six months.
 This is where Jericho Road Ministries takes over.
 According to Suzy Derksen, program support coordinator of Jericho Road Ministries, this is not enough time to integrate into communities.
 “Things like learning English, getting their kids registered for school, getting all those things takes more than six months,” Derksen said. “Jericho Road is the only post-resettlement organization. We are walking with refugees in the two- to three-year period after their resettlement. Doing more than relief work in terms of giving them things, but empowering them, trying to empower leaders into the refugee community.”
 Due to the lack of money, Jericho Road Ministries and Jericho Road Family Practice are in the application process to become one federally qualified health center.
 “The family practice and ministry will merge together to be a 501(c)(3) status,” Derksen said.
 The 501(c)(3) status means the organization is not-for-profit.
 “It allows us to get a $600,000 federal grant,” she said.
 The application process takes a year to 18 months to come through, Derksen said, and they are hoping to have the grant by 2012.
 Located at 301 14th St., there is a facility that holds an after school

program for refugee students to help develop their skills. The program is called Hope Refugee Focused Learning for Youth (F.L.Y.), which is run through Jericho Road Ministries. This year the program holds 32 middle school students.
 This program is strictly funded by grants. With only two working computers, F.L.Y. is in need of funds that can only be received if the government thinks they need the funds.
 Erika Grande is the program coordinator for F.L.Y. and is always looking for grant opportunities.
 “You might know that after school programs that serve students age 12 and under must get licensed by New York State and monitored regularly so it was a really long eight month process,” Grande said. “We finally just got licensed Dec. 23. Now we’re a licensed program and we are hoping this will open up some grants opportunities.”
  According to Grande there is one cost this year that they did not have last year.
 “Right now we need to pay rent, and it is big strain on our budget, and we have to constantly apply for grants,” Grande said. “It’s something that we are trying to make part of our minds set, every day thinking about options.”
 Not all of the $600,000 grant money would go to the F.L.Y. program.

Erika Grande talks about how to use a possible grant:


 AmeriCorps, a national funding and community service agency, also provided four student teachers for the F.L.Y. program.
 One of the student teachers, Nathan Forschler, sees the progress the students make.
 “There is a change that takes place,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to notice because you’re working every day, but the most obvious way is their willingness to do work and figure stuff out, which is exciting to see.”

Edited by Mike Meiler and Samantha Murphy