A warm welcome for refugees

The Catholic Collaborative Refugee Network (CCRN) was established more than four years ago as a result of discussions among CHA, Catholic Charities USA, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' office of Migration and Refugee Services. The dozen CCRN sites each provide an organized response to the social, economic, and health problems often faced by refugees. Although the sites differ in their services, they typically help refugees prepare for and find work, preferably work with health insurance coverage. Serving both immediate and long-term needs of refugees by consolidating services and forging partnerships with local groups, the CCRN helps refugees to become self-supporting. This article introduces the work of CCRN by highlighting recent success stories from Baton Rouge, LA, and from Joliet, IL. The CCRN site coordinator for Amityville, NY, provides guidance in identifying victims of trafficking.