LSI is proud to welcome refugees and newcomers to Iowa.
Our communities are stronger and more vibrant when we embrace the humanity and uphold the dignity of those seeking asylum among us. As an officially designated resettlement agency, LSI partners with Global Refuge to provide resettlement services in Iowa. LSI has a long legacy of welcoming refugees, beginning with resettling displaced persons after World War II, in 1947. Since that time, LSI’s services have expanded to include a broad array of post-resettlement services.
This work takes a community. We need you.
WAYS TO HELP
DONATE
There are multiple ways to financially support LSI’s efforts to welcome refugees and immigrants to Iowa through one-time and recurring contributions. Every dollar donated goes directly toward welcoming, equipping, and uplifting new Iowans to build their lives and homes here. You can also donate new or gently used items with newly arrived individuals and families. Please explore our options below and learn how you, your family, or your church or work group can help.
FUND A FAMILY
While LSI receives some federal financial assistance to resettle refugee families, this reimbursement does not begin to cover all expenses associated with supporting their needs. We are committed to providing newly resettled individuals and families with all of the resources needed to thrive here in Iowa. It costs about $10,000 to resettle a family of four. Through Fund a Family, you can directly help offset these costs.
While newly resettled arrivals in the U.S. receive funding from the federal government to help with expenses for their first 90 days, it is not always enough to meet the needs of amilies until they become self-sufficient. LSI has seen that an extra $ 2,500 per family is typically needed to help families get a new start in Iowa.
This opportunity is perfect for youth groups, corporate partners, congregations, families, or faith communities. Individuals are also encouraged to sponsor and fundraise to individually fund a family!
To learn more or to sign up to Fund a Family, e-mail Nancy.Strutzenberg@LSIowa.org.
IN-KIND GIFTS
In both Des Moines and Sioux City, LSI is in need of a large variety of in-kind items to equip and support resettlement efforts. These items, including cookware and dish sets, bedding and linens, and cleaning supplies, will be directly given to individuals and families.
NOTE: Unfortunately, we cannot accept clothing. Please donate clothing to local organizations that do accept clothing; we advise our clients to utilize these resources.
We have organized these needs into Welcome Boxes explained here or can accept individual items listed in our Amazon or Walmart wishlist’s
For list of urgent needs or to coordinate drop off, contact Nancy.Strutzenberg@LSIowa.org.
VOLUNTEER
It takes a community to welcome new arrivals to Iowa. We are stronger together! Much of our work with newly resettled individuals and families is led by LSI staff; however, we need the support of volunteers to organize donations, set up apartments, and more.
All volunteers will be processed through an application system and will undergo a background check and reference review in order to keep our clients, volunteers, and staff safe. All positions will receive proper training for the tasks assigned. There is no long-term commitment for volunteering at LSI. Click here to see our current volunteer opportunities.
For questions about individual volunteer opportunities or to set up a group volunteer activity, email Volunteer@LSIowa.org.
Refugee Resettlement FAQ
It’s natural to wonder how the refugee process works. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about refugee resettlement.
Q: Who is considered a refugee?
A: Refugees have been forced to leave their home country to escape persecution, war, or violence. They often flee their homes without much preparation, taking only what they can carry and crossing an international border to find safety. Unfortunately, the violence or persecution back home makes it impossible to return, as doing so may have deadly consequences. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is charged with protecting and managing refugees, a status which is defined and protected by international law.
Q: Where do refugees come from?
A: LSI has a long legacy of welcoming refugees, beginning in 1947 with resettling displaced persons after World War II. In the early 1970s, Iowa Governor Robert Ray welcomed Vietnamese and Laotian families caught up in those nations’ conflicts, even as other state governors refused to do the same. In the 1990s, Iowa welcomed many Bosnian families fleeing the war in former Yugoslavia.
World events and conflicts typically spur refugee resettlement, which can change from year to year. In 2022, Iowa welcomed refugees from:
- Africa: Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan,
- Asia: Nepal, Myanmar (Burma)
- Central America: El Salvador, Gatemala, Honduras
- Middle East: Afghanistan, Syria
Q: Do refugees speak English?
A: LSI welcomes and helps resettle refugees from various educational and economic backgrounds. Some refugees need to learn English, while others speak and read in multiple languages, including English.
To help refugees adjust to their lives in Iowa, LSI offers free English classes through its Community Based English Language Learning program. Our English classes are among our most popular community classes.
Q: How many refugees does LSI resettle?
A: LSI expects to help welcome a few hundred newly arrived refugees to Iowa in the federal fiscal year 2024, from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Refugees are currently resettled to Des Moines and Sioux City and, starting in 2024, to Waterloo.
In 2022, LSI helped welcome a total of 296 refugees to Iowa. That included welcoming 234 newly arrived refugees to the Des Moines area and 62 newly arrived refugees to the Sioux City area.
Each year, the United States sets a ceiling on the number of refugees it agrees to accept. The U.S. President establishes the number in consultation with Congress. For the 2024 fiscal year, the federal ceiling was set at 125,000 refugees. They will be welcomed and resettled across the country based on factors such as whether they have family in a specific community and whether the community has the capacity to welcome them.
Q: Where does LSI resettle refugees in Iowa?
A: We currently resettle refugees in and around the Des Moines and Sioux City communities and will begin welcoming and resettling refugees to the Waterloo area in early 2024.
Q: Where do refugees live once they resettle?
A: LSI partners with landlords to secure housing for newly arrived refugees. Renting your property to refugees is one way to help your community and welcome new arrivals in Iowa.
When refugees arrive in the United States, LSI ensures they have legal status and work authorization. We work closely with U.S. government partners to coordinate the placement of individuals and families invited to live here.
As a landlord to refugees, you can receive:
- Rental assistance from a resettlement agency
- A tenant with access to case management support and interpretation services
- A tenant with a strong desire to create a home and a future
- A tenant who received cultural orientation on maintaining an apartment, leases, and tenant rights and responsibilities
Q: How are resettlement communities selected?
A: Resettlement programs are designed as a public-private partnership, and we are thankful to the Des Moines, Sioux City, and Waterloo communities for being supportive and collaborative partners.
Resettlement communities must have the backing of their local and state leaders, as well as approval by the U.S. State Department. All three communities we partner with have the following key indicators, which are typically found in communities where resettlement is successful:
- Employment opportunities
- Lower cost of living
- Availability and access to social services
- Affordable and available housing
- Supportive public schools
- Supportive community college
- Access to health care services
- Access to public transportation
- Support by local governments
- Support by community organizations
- Support by faith communities
Q: What legal status do refugees have?
A: Refugees who arrive through our resettlement programs are coming through the US Refugee Admissions program. Their immigration status is “refugee” and is a coordinated process in partnership with US Department of State and USCIS. You can read more about the program here.
Refugees are authorized to work immediately and indefinitely once in the US and one of LSI’s primary service goals is to help each family become self-sufficient through employment within their first 6 months. Refugees adjust their status to Lawful Permanent Residents after one year and then are eligible to become US Citizens after 5 years.
Q: What’s the difference between a refugee and an immigrant?
A: Refugees are forced to flee their home country to escape persecution, war, or violence. Newly arrived refugees are vetted by various federal agencies before they are admitted to the United States and are part of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.
Immigrants consciously decide to leave their homes and move to a different country to settle there. Some immigrants live and work in Iowa with different types of immigrant visas, such as spousal visas or employee-sponsored visas.
A humanitarian parolee is a person granted temporary permission to move to a different country because of an emergency and urgent humanitarian need. Humanitarian parole status is typically granted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A migrant moves from place to place, whether in their own country or across the border, usually for economic reasons or seasonal work. Unfortunately, many migrants fall victim to human trafficking. LSI partners with the U.S. Office Committee for Refugees and Immigrants to provide services to victims of human trafficking; victims of human trafficking are eligible for visas. Sadly, Iowa is at a crossroads for human trafficking because two significant interstates run through the state. Learn more about human trafficking in Iowa through the state’s Office to Combat Human Trafficking.
An unaccompanied migrant child is someone under 18 who has crossed the United States border without a parent or guardian. LSI serves migrant children seeking to safely reunify with their families in Iowa through federal referrals from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement. Unfortunately, many unaccompanied migrant children have fallen victim to human trafficking, making them eligible for visas and our services for human trafficking victims.
Q: How do refugees support themselves?
A: LSI has a strong track record of providing the services and support needed for refugees to quickly become self-sufficient, meaning they earn enough from their jobs to pay for their housing and other necessities. We also offer additional career and employment support, as some individuals need more than the 90 days allotted through the resettlement program. For example, our Career Pathways program offers career and employment coaching to eligible refugees.
We are proud of the success refugees have in the workplace. In 2022, 80% of refugees served by LSI were self-sufficient after six months; the percentage rose to 94% after eight months.
Q: What type of security screening do refugees undergo?
A: Newly arrived refugees undergo a 12-step screening process by U.S. and international authorities, including the following:
- United Nations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. Department of State
Refugees undergo background checks, fingerprint verifications, medical screening, and in-person interviews. Learn more about the screening process here.
Q: How is a refugee selected for resettlement?
A: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is the lead international agency charged with protecting refugees. The agency runs many refugee camps worldwide and coordinates with countries willing to invite refugees to resettle and start their lives in a new home. Being invited to resettle to a new country is a complex process. Refugees undergo multiple security screenings. Some wait years or even decades before they are selected for resettlement.
Q: What happens when a refugee arrives in Iowa?
A: Refugees arrive in their new community by plane, and many describe the moment they land as one of the best moments of their lives. LSI staff greets them at their airport and finds them temporary housing. LSI partners with LIRS to provide resettlement services. Our case workers help newly arrived refugees navigate their first 90 days in Iowa, from finding and furnishing housing to making medical appointments to finding jobs. Volunteers are critical to refugee resettlement; they help set up and furnish homes and help new arrivals feel welcome.
Q: How does LSI pay for resettlement?
A: While LSI receives some federal financial assistance to resettle refugee families, this reimbursement only begins to cover some expenses associated with supporting their needs. It costs about $10,000 to resettle a family of four. While newly resettled arrivals in the U.S. receive funding from the federal government to help with expenses for their first 90 days, more is needed to meet the needs of families until they become self-sufficient.
We are committed to providing newly resettled individuals and families with the resources needed to thrive in Iowa. LSI has seen that an extra $2,500 per family is typically necessary to help families get a new start in Iowa.
Please contact us to learn more about Fund a Family to help directly offset these costs. Learn more by contacting Nancy.Strutzenberg@LSIowa.org.
Q: Does LSI provide additional services to refugees?
A: We strongly believe services and support should not stop after the 90-day federal resettlement program. As we begin working in a community to offer resettlement, we continue to find ways to expand our empowerment programs for local immigrants and refugees.
For example, in and around the Des Moines community, we offer extended case management, senior services, therapy, career and employment coaching, English classes, citizenship classes, small business support, and garden and farm business support, among other services. We have seen more refugees succeed in their goal of self-sufficiency due to the additional services and support LSI provides. We have also expanded our services in recent years to better serve existing immigrant communities.
In 2022, LSI served nearly 3,000 refugees and immigrants across Iowa.
Q: How can I learn more about immigrant and refugee services?
A: Sign up for our newsletter to receive stories and program updates. You can also select whether you’d like information specific to a community, emails with advocacy alerts, or news from the LSI Global Greens program.
We also share stories, news, services, and upcoming classes on social media. Follow LSI – IRCS on Facebook and Instagram.
Q: How can I help welcome refugees to Iowa?
A: There are multiple ways to support LSI’s efforts to welcome refugees:
- Through one-time and recurring contributions
- Through Fund a Family, which helps offset the cost of welcoming a refugee family (contact Nancy.Strutzenberg@LSIowa.org to learn more.)
- By volunteering your time and talent
- By giving in-kind gifts based on specific needs in the Des Moines, Sioux City, and Waterloo communities [link to community resettlement pages]
Please contact Nancy.Strutzenberg@LSIowa.org to learn about ways to help make Iowa a more welcoming place!
Stories of Resettlement
Click on the images below to view personal stories about individuals resettling in the U.S.
Media Inquiries
If you are a member of the media, please contact Brenda.Myers@LSIowa.org for all inquiries relating to LSI Immigrant and Refugee Community Services.
Advocacy matters. We need you.
Sign up for LSI Advocacy Alerts to learn more about how you can advocate for issues that impact refugees and immigrants.