Once refugees get settled here, the agencies don’t leave them on their own. “I think what we can do locally is know that there will be refugees from Afghanistan who are coming, prepare for that, build up our language competencies, our cultural orientation competencies, and certainly we can offer our thoughts and prayers for them,” Hudnall says. Ryan Hudnall, executive director at Della Lamb, said there’s a lot of uncertainty right now in the vetting process, so agencies like his are preparing however they can, so that they’re ready by the time refugees get to Kansas City. For example, Catholic Charities in Kansas City, Kansas, handles refugee resettlement in Wyandotte County. Singer says many of the refugees being airlifted out of Kabul are being processed through Fort Lee, Virginia, where they’re provided with temporary shelter, food and health services.įrom there, approved refugees will be relocated by nongovernmental agencies around the country. Between last October and July 31, 2021, the state welcomed 51 of those applicants and their family members.įor new Afghan refugees, though, it may take more than a year before they reach a new home. Louis.Ĭostigan says that since 2016, Missouri has received 615 Special Immigrant Visa applicants. State Department, says Paul Costigan, the senior vice president for operations and Missouri refugee coordinator at the International Institute of St. Some of these refugees may eventually show up to Kansas City on their own, while some are placed here by the U.S. “And because of that affiliation, their lives are in danger.” troops, either as an interpreter or an engineer or security personnel, something like that,” Singer says. “They come here because they've qualified for Special Immigrant Visa status, which means that they have verified that they have provided support to U.S. JVS and Della Lamb are the primary organizations in Kansas City for resettling people with Special Immigrant Visas - immigrants who worked as translators, interpreters or other professional roles for the U.S. “But we are anticipating getting, hopefully, a whole lot more folks who are able to make their way to safety.” “So we've worked with about, I would say 15 or 20 in the last couple of months,” says Jewish Vocational Services executive director Hilary Singer. Kansas City would proudly accept refugees from Afghanistan who have served bravely by our side over the past generation.- Mayor Q August 16, 2021ĭella Lamb Community Center and Jewish Vocational Services are two agencies in Kansas City who receive refugees through the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.ĭella Lamb resettled two families in the past 60 days and Jewish Vocational Services received one family last week.

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