Refugee Services

Refugee Services HOME

 

Foster Care for Refugee Youth

 

Refugee Mentoring

  

Refugee School Impact Program

  

21700 Northwestern Hwy Suite 1300 Southfield, MI 48075 (248) 423-2790 207   Fulton St E 4th Floor Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (616) 356-1934   801 S Waverly Rd Suite 202 Lansing, MI 48917 (517) 321-7663 2 W Michigan Ave Suite 304 Battle Creek, MI 49017 (269) 282-8037

Refugees are people forced to leave their country of residence because of war or political turmoil. We are Michigan's largest private refugee resettlement organization. We provide sponsorship, immigration assistance, legal services and assistance with resettlement and acculturation. Since the mid-1970s, we have resettled thousands of refugees.

 

Resettlement Services

We lead newly arrived refugees through their confusing first months in the United States.
We:

• provide a furnished house or apartment
• enroll the children in school
• help the refugees apply for Social Security cards and other necessary documents.
• assist with cultural and social integration into the community
• refer the new arrivals to training in English as a second language
• assist with family reunification

 

Employment Services

We are Michigan's primary contractor for job development and placement, vocational English language training and citizenship services.
We provide:

• job skills training
• vocational English language training (VELT)
• translation/interpretation services
• help with social adjustment
• outreach and referral

Most refugees are punctual and reliable, honest and trustworthy, highly productive and quick to learn. They are very appreciative of the opportunity to work, so they are dedicated to their employers and get along well with co-workers. 

 

If you can employ refugees at your business in Southeastern
Michigan, contact Belmin Pinjic, bpin@lssm.org or (248) 423-2790.
In West Michigan, contact Chris Cavanaugh, ccava@lssm.org or (616) 356-1934. 

 

Employers who hire refugees may qualify for tax credits or grants to provide tools and uniforms for refugees. The federal Match Grant program in Detroit and Grand Rapids, offers incentives to refugees who find work quickly and do not need to rely on public assistance. The program provides employment training, placement and transportation.

 

Translation Services

We can translate documents from the following languages into English: Arabic, Bosnian, Croatian, Romanian, Russian and Serbian. Documents can also be translated from English into any of these languages.

 

Legal Services
We offer professional, immigration legal services for refugees, asylees and immigrants at nominal fees, to help them in achieve independence and stability in the United States. These services include assistance with adjustment of status, naturalization, travel documents, and family visa petitions. The program has an accredited representative on staff who is recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), as well as interns who are students at local law schools. Coming soon: citizenship training classes to prepare naturalization applicants for the Civics and English portions of the naturalization test.

 

School Impact Program
We serve as a liaison with local K-12 schools, helping students with English instruction, translation and social adjustment. We help refugee parents understand the school environment and become more involved in their children’s education, and also provide support and resources for teachers of refugee students.