̽»¨¾«Ñ¡

Dear friends,

From Friday, March 13 and until further notice, the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s offices in Tallahassee and Miami are closed and our staff is working remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ will continue to serve our clients while the physical office is closed. In fact, many families need our support now more than ever—and you can help!

Refugee families, survivors of human trafficking and other vulnerable populations that we serve will be disproportionately affected by the impact of COVID-19 on our community in the coming weeks. Please donate to the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Florida’s Crisis Prevention Fund and help us ensure our newest neighbors have the resources and services they need to get through this trying time. No donation is too small!

Together we can:

Make up for reduced access to essential services

When schools and daycare centers close, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients often do not have other options for childcare and will have to miss work to care for their children. There will be many cascading impacts of this outbreak over the weeks and months to come, which will result in our clients needing increased help from ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡.

Help families impacted by interruptions to employment and unexpected leaves of absence

Many ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients work in industries being hit hardest by COVID-19, including hospitality, food service, airports and others. Newcomers do not qualify for unemployment benefits or other COVID-19 employment-related benefits because they have not yet worked in the U.S. long enough. This means many families will need extra support with rent, utilities and other basic needs in the coming weeks and months.

Support people at higher risk for COVID-19

One of our first priorities is ensuring people at higher risk for the illness have the information and resources they need to stay healthy. ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ case managers are providing individualized outreach to all clients sothat they understand COVID-19, how to contact their doctor,and how to keep their families safe. Together, we can all support this resilient and resourceful community who are rebuilding their lives in our state. 

The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Florida is here for refugees, immigrants, survivors and other vulnerable populations no matter what. Thanks for being here with us.

J.D. McCrary, Executive Director, and the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Florida team.