Local organizations roll out welcome mat for refugees

Harrisonburg’s reputation as “The Friendly City” was built on kindness not only toward our friends and neighbors, but also toward strangers in need. As an official Church World Service refugee resettlement community, the city has a longstanding tradition of welcoming people from countries ravaged by war, poverty and economic instability.

The Church World Service Harrisonburg Immigration and Refugee Program has been resettling individuals and families in the city and surrounding areas since 1988.

“We’re dedicated to helping new neighbors integrate and thrive, reaching their full potential as contributing members of the community,” said Emily Bender, CWS Harrisonburg’s associate director of development and communications. 

Bender said the region has a lot to offer refugee families. These families tend to do better in communities with access to public transportation, adult English-as-a-second-language classes, a school district that provides support for English language learners and available jobs, she said, adding that the food-processing facilities and distribution centers in the area attract a large immigrant workforce.

“This is also a friendly, welcoming and generous community,” she said.

Part of a faith-based global network, CWS Harrisonburg provides a wide range of services, including initial reception and welcome; basic needs like housing, clothing, food and medical supplies; employment and career training; children and youth programming; mental health and wellness; case management; legal services and emergency response.

To date, CWS Harrisonburg has assisted more than 200 local Ukrainians with finding work, enrolling in English classes, placing their children in public schools, health care appointments and other needs. The organization has several case managers who are focused exclusively on helping new arrivals from Ukraine.

Bender said the most recent wave of Ukrainians, who have been displaced by the ongoing war in their home country, have unique needs. “I think one of the things to keep in mind is that they aren’t arriving through the traditional refugee admissions pathways,” she said. They are here on what’s known as humanitarian parole, which allows them to stay in the U.S. for two years.

“Nobody chooses to flee their home when there is war or violence,” Bender said. “But certainly there should be access to permanent protection like the refugee and asylum program for all those who are in need.”

Village to Village collects items for new arrivals throughout the year, including clothes, toys, furniture and dishes.

Village to Village, a local nonprofit ministry founded in 2016, works hand in hand with CWS Harrisonburg to ensure people who are displaced feel welcome and have what they need to become contributing members of the community.

“Our goal [for them] is self-sufficiency,” said director Heidi Dove. “It’s not to give handouts; it’s not going in and trying to be their savior. It’s teaching them skills, so they can find their way in the community for however long they choose to be here.”

Village to Village started working with CWS five years ago, putting together welcome boxes for refugee families at Christmastime. The organization now collects items from the local community throughout the year — everything from clothes to toys to backpacks to furniture and dishes. Dove said tea kettles are a popular request from refugee families, as are bicycles, since most families do not have a car to get around town.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Village to Village began helping with local move-ins. In 2022, they helped more than 100 families relocate to the area. “We go in and make sure the place is clean, we wash all the dishes, we put sheets on the bed so they can come in and be ready to go,” Dove said. “We try to make it feel like home.”

As the organization has grown, it has added new services. Last year, Village to Village hosted a dinner that raised more than $15,000 to help local Ukrainian families with the costs of filing for visas and other paperwork. In September, it began providing monthly refugee meals. “The majority of the people right now are Ukrainian families,” Dove said. “We fix a meal for them. We sit and talk with them. We have activities for the kids. It’s really just a time for them to come together and have community with each other.”

Village to Village has a small staff and relies on volunteers. Dove said the most rewarding part of her job is the relationships she has made with the families and the impact the organization is having on the community.

“I’ve seen moms walk out of our warehouse sobbing, because they’re so grateful and they can’t understand why we do what we do. But we just love people and want everyone to feel welcome.”