Liberal to Host World Refugee Day Community Celebration

Liberal’s World Refugee Day Community Celebration. A celebration of refugees will take place June 20, 2015 from 11:00a.m till 2:00p.m at the Liberal Chamber of Commerce. World Refugee Day, observed June 20 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world. The publicis invited to celebrate the contributions of refugees in Liberal, KS.

Thousands of refugees are brought to the United States every year because they cannot return to their home country and do not enjoy basic rights in the country where they sought refuge. Hundreds, maybe thousands are resettled in Kansas. The International Rescue Committee’s office in Liberal and Seward County Community College/Area Technical School’s Colvin Adult Learning Center helps these refugees integrate quickly into our community by providing them with the tools of self-reliance: housing, job placement and employment skills, clothing, medical attention, education, English-language classes and community orientation.

The office in Liberal, KS has helped resettle 29 primary refugees and has provided services to over 100 secondary refugees. Since the office opened in January, over 90 refugees from five countries have embarked on a path to reach their full potential and enjoy safety, security, and a second chance in life.

Nearly three million people have found safety and begun new lives as a result of the United States work to welcome refugees. The USRAP was established by an Act of Congress in 1980 and is an integral part of U.S. foreign policy that is rooted in communities. The program is a highly successful example of public-private partnership, where federal assistance is augmented by funds raised by communities across the country. Refugees have opened businesses, revitalized towns, and become productive members of communities that welcomed them. Many become American citizens and see their children graduate from U.S. schools.