Relief,  Revolutionized 

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Established in 2018, the Chicago Refugee Coalition is dedicated to innovative, dignity-driven, and community-led relief services for  Chicagoland refugees. Our organization is informed by the community whom we serve and we seek to actively dismantle the systemic barriers faced by refugees and serve to be a conduit for a paradigm shift away from the Global North. 
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​We believe in the decency of humankind and our capacity to welcome. The Chicago Refugee Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the alleviation of human suffering through compassionate poverty relief services and community empowerment. 

Research

We ask big questions and we're not afraid to dig deep and look for creative solutions to our most pressing problems. We believe in accurate reporting and judicious data collection to foster a more robust, and informed, debate regarding the modern refugee experience in the Chicagoland context.
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Our research will culminate in articles, white papers, and reports focusing on immigration/human migration, international development, conflict studies, defense policy, women's rights, and developing economies.

Advocacy 

Chicago is a city of refugees. From the time of the Great Migration to the present day, the city has always been a welcoming harbor to those seeking refuge from persecution and danger. Life in the United States is a major adjustment from life in a conflict zone. The goal of the Chicago Refugee Coalition is to partner with community stakeholders and work to provide comprehensive resettlement services. Our organization takes an innovative multi-pronged approach to resettlement to ensure that we can provide the most complete levels of care during the resettlement process while maintaining the refugee's sense of dignity and honor. 

Community Empowerment

​Think global: act local. This is our approach to our development development initiatives. We believe that working one-on-one in local communities yields a much greater impact and fosters a sense of community empowerment, innovation, and upward mobility. 
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The Chicago Refugee Coalition believes that through prudent community development, with a primary focus on poverty alleviation, refugees in the Chicagoland area will be better equipped to become more economically independent and self sufficient. 

Our impact

The Chicago Refugee Coalition aims to provide the highest quality services in the most effective and efficient way possible. Since August 2018, we have been able to distribute over 65,000 meals to the refugee community in Rogers Park and the best news is that we're just getting started. While it's important to quantify our work, we also must remember that the people whom we're serving must always come first. We invite you to hear about our work in their own voices in this short video below -- thank you!

Frequently  asked  questions

​Why a "Coalition" approach?

Successful resettlement takes a lot of effort and it's a task we can not do alone. We believe in furthering the creation of a welcoming space for refugees/asylees in the Chicagoland area. Therefore, we partner with organizations that are better equipped to assist with special matters such as housing, mental health, and legal services. We aim to raise funds to supplement, or fully cover, the cost of these services to ensure that our refugees are getting high quality assistance with minimal financial impact. 

Does the Chicago Refugee Coalition offer services for newly arrived immigrants or asylum seekers?

Our commitment is to the holistic welfare of Chicago’s refugees who have previously navigated the resettlement journey and will benefit from further assistance post-resettlement. We stand in solidarity with and advocate for all partner agencies who work in the fields of immigration and asylum.

How do you identify refugees to assist?

We believe in taking a coalition style approach and we find families to assist through community outreach, referrals, or direct contact. The Chicago Refugee Coalition is not a resettlement agency funded by the U.S. Department of State nor does our organization assist in pre-arrival procedures. 

Do you identify and support refugees overseas?

We provide transitional assistance to refugees in need once they have reached the United States. Through community-based needs assessments, we have identified key issues relating to fostering upward economic mobility and independence post-arrival.

What services does the Chicago Refugee Coalition offer?

When a refugee family is referred to a resettlement agency, the United States government provides baseline cash assistance for a period of ninety days. We work to address the issues of support post-resettlement, after that ninety-day period has ended. Transitioning to a new country, culture and community presents many challenges, as well as opportunities. Through corporate partnerships, we address food scarcity through our food distribution program, while managing a first-of-its-kind Resource Center designed for those who have a lived experience of displacement. Through a strong coalition, we can support a holistic approach to meeting the full spectrum of refugees’ needs. We will work to ensure that the most vulnerable or invisible among us have an opportunity to achieve their hopes and dreams

Is my contribution tax deductible? 

Yes, the Chicago Refugee Coalition is a non-profit organization as classified under IRS Code 501(c)(3). Regardless of contribution amount, you will receive a digital receipt within twenty-four hours of contribution deposit which will serve as a record for your tax filing. 

​Is your organization religiously or politically affiliated?

While the Chicago Refugee Coalition works with interfaith groups and assists refugees from a wide breadth of  religious backgrounds, our organization is, and will always remain, secular. Additionally, CRC is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse any candidate for public office.