Founded in 1997, the Refugee Empowerment Center provides holistic and culturally effective refugee resettlement services that empower newcomers to thrive in their new lives.
“Well definitely more people should know about it because we are in the process right now, over the next year and a half of getting in a lot more refugees around the world,” said Mitch Strong, project refugee and volunteer coordinator.
They also aim to meet the needs of newcomers within 90 days including settling into a home and establish provider. But they have been impacted by the pandemic.
“We have a lot of our clients that unfortunately work in industries that have been greatly affected by COVID, meat-packing, places like that,” Strong said.
Recently they have started working with UNO classes in service learning opportunities to help raise funds for their program. Last semester they came up with unique ways to do that, including selling candles.
“I know Mitch was the starter of that and he has been doing it for a long time,” said Grant Polenz, a UNO student and volunteer. “It is just something for the refugees to do and I think it is one of Refugee Empowerment’s primary ways of collecting income.”
