MCC Refugee Services

03/18/2025

Thank you Twin Cities Presbytery for a grant of $10,000 to support emergent housing and basic of refugee clients in light of federal funding suddenly not being available!

11/20/2024

We faced the busiest year in our program history with over 800 arrivals, and we couldn't have done it without you! As we enter a new year with new challenges, help us continue to support the many communities of Minnesota by Donating to MCC Refugee Services on Give to the Max Day!

Donate here: https://www.givemn.org/orga.../Minnesota-Council-Of-Churches

10/04/2024

Check out this article about an event that is put up by MCC and other resettlement agencies and join us on October 7th at 12pm, for a webinar on renting to refugees in Minnesota: https://sahanjournal.com/housing/minnesota-landlords-refugee-resettlement-rental-housing/ #:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20point%20of%20this%20landlord%20outreach%20forum%20is%20to%20get

"Twin Cities resettlement agencies are urging more Minnesota landlords to join a network of property owners who provide shelter to refugees."

Several resettlement agencies in Minnesota are asking landlords to rent to refugees as demand grows.

09/19/2024

Calling all property owners, property managers and landlords: safe inexpensive housing is a key need for refugee resettlement and there are many benefits of having refugee tenants.
Join Twin Cities resettlement agencies on October 7th at 12 pm for this webinar on renting to newcomers arriving to Minnesota through the official government-funded refugee program. The agencies typically cover the deposit and several months of rent, provide case management, housing education and employment services. Register here to learn more: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc1_VraKBhMK9jEz8O6tSZWj2lCk41LW93uY0fsTK7cx2MD4A/viewform

07/19/2024

We have welcomed a record high number of families this year since our founding in 1984 and our donations have been flying off our shelves! Help us continue our work by replenishing our much-needed donations. Here are some of our high demand items.

You can support us by donating with our Amazon and Target Wishlist.

https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/mcc-refugee-services-wishlist

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/X16D1HBWD6N6

Or feel free to bring supplies to our office, located at 122 Franklin Avenue W, Suite 100, Minneapolis MN, 55406.

06/26/2024

Twin Cities World Refugee Day was on Saturday June 22nd! MCC Refugee Services celebrated at Centennial Park along with many community organizations. Thank you for everyone that was able to make it- we had a blast getting to talk to community members and connect with organizations that share our mission.

World Refugee Day recognizes the thousands of refugees that live in our state and celebrates the diversity of cultures that they bring.

Join us in our mission to support refugees on World Refugee Day by donating household and hygiene items using using our amazon/Target wishlist

https://www.target.com/.../mcc-refugee-services-wishlist
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/X16D1HBWD6N6

06/20/2024

Now that the snow has finally melted, MCC is looking for bicycles to give to refugee families! For almost all our clients, finding regular transportation can be a barrier to feeling at home in the Twin Cities. Not only can a bicycle help them commute to work, but it can also give families a way to explore their new home with comfort and confidence. Do you have an adult bike (in good condition!) that’s been sitting in the garage all winter that you’re interested in donating?

Reach out to Noah at [email protected] or 651-724-0944, or feel free to drop it off between 8 am and 6 pm weekdays at our offices, located at 122 Franklin Avenue W, Suite 100, Minneapolis MN, 55406.

06/14/2024

Our next MCC Staff that we are featuring in our Staff Spotlight is Ta Porar

Ta is a case manager in our Intensive Case Management (ICM) program. ICM works with especially vulnerable clients to build self-sufficiency by connecting them to mainstream resources, public benefits, healthcare, and through teaching skills to navigate the US systems independently. Ta first joined MCC RS as a temporary Case Aid in October 2019 and was hired as a full-time staff in 2020, but her involvement with resettlement work started well before that. Ta and her family arrived as refugees in 2009. She remembers going through the resettlement process herself, and ever since she was a child she has wanted to give back to her community.

“Personally speaking as well, my mom has a lot of health issues, and she has a case manager- someone helped her navigate these things. What if I grew up to be that person, you know, for someone else that are vulnerable, that are in need, that had like health issues and a lot of things going on. That was what got me started.”

Ta’s day to day work varies a lot based on her clients’ needs – she helps connect clients to medical and social services, makes home visits, and assists clients in getting to important appointments.
When asked what common challenges she faces in her work, she explains “a lot of challenges with my role is that a lot of our clients have like very intense, complex cases. It's a challenge, like to give all of your time to all of your clients equally. Like sometimes you got to prioritize one case more than the other because you just have so many needs. It really depends.”

Working with slow moving systems is a challenge as well. When the county delays in processing Supplemental social security benefits or county benefits, that can pose a serious roadblock to client’s path to self-sufficiency. “It's just the system that's the challenge. Like sometimes they're not as easily accessible – how we would like, or we would have thought”.

Ta loves her work and continues to carry on her passion for helping her community that she held when she first got resettled in Minnesota.

05/31/2024

Thank you Period Kits MN for your donation of 1,698 pads! Your contributions will directly support nearly 100 refugee people who menstruate.

If you would like to support incoming refugee families through donations or volunteering, please email: [email protected] or call 612-874-8605

05/22/2024

Our staff work very hard to ensure our clients receive the services they need. To celebrate their efforts, we will be recognizing staff in our staff spotlight!

This week, our staff spotlight is on Emily Titus! Emily is the manager of our extended services, which includes Intensive Case Management (ICM), Ukrainian Navigation Services, Refugee Entrance Assistance, and our education team. She has been at MCC for 3 years- 2 years as an ICM case manager and 1 year as head of extended services. Emily initially got involved in refugee work in her undergrad interning for a local resettlement program, where she fell in love with the work and developed a passion for working with people who are new to the US and working cross culturally.

When looking back on memorable moments during her time at MCC, she recalls providing support to a family as they navigated a serious surgery for one of their 5 sons. The surgery required the son spend a few days at the hospital recovering, and transportation to and from the hospital was difficult for the family. Emily worked together with them and a group of volunteer befrienders to develop a plan to support the mother while she was in the hospital with her son, while ensuring the family at home had the help they needed. Emily enjoyed watching a friendship develop between the family and the volunteers that were helping them.

A common challenge Emily finds in her work is that the available staff support doesn’t always meet the needs of clients. Coming from difficult situations compounded by the English language barrier can put a lot of stress on clients. That’s why she says, “volunteers are really needed because there's only so much our staff can do.” “Clients need social support too; they need people who are just their friend in the community.”

Despite the difficulties, Emily enjoys working with different religious, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds and loves getting to be a part of a client’s journey towards self-sufficiency and success!

To volunteer, co-sponsor, or donate, please email: [email protected]

05/17/2024

Come work with us! Are you passionate about working with refugee communities? Consider joining our team at MCC! Multiple positions are now open, including

-Housing Specialist
-Refugee Program Specialist: Resettlement Case Manager
-Community Connector: Fluency in Pashto & Dari preferred- other languages considered
-Director of Mankato Refugee Services

Apply on our website at mnchurches.org/employment

04/23/2024

Last Sunday, April 14th, members of our Outreach Team tabled at the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church Opportunity fair. We had the chance to speak to community members about our volunteer, co-sponsorship, and donation opportunities! Thank you Oak Grove Presbyterian Church for inviting us!

To volunteer or donate, please email [email protected] or visit our Target registry: https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/mcc-refugee-services-wishlist

or Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/X16D1HBWD6N6