Vermont State Coordinators:

State Refugee Coordinator: Denise Lamoureux

State Refugee Health Coordinator: Martha Friedman

ORR Regional Representative: Julie Munro

Background Information:

Population in 2014: 42,211 (100% urban, 0% rural)
Estimated per capita income in 2013: $25,994
Median House or Condo Value in 2013: $259,360
Median Gross Rent (2013): $991
Racial Breakdown:

• White: 85.8%

• Asian alone: 4.6%

• Black alone: 3.7%

• Hispanic: 3.1%

• Two or more races: 2.2%

Land Area: 10.6 square miles
Population Density: 3,997 people per square mile (average)
FBP: 8.1% (State Average: 3.8%)
Unemployment Rate (September 2015): 3.1% (State Average: 3.9%)
Most Common Industries:

• Educational services: 16%

• Retail trade: 15%

• Accommodation and food services: 15%

• Manufacturing: 9%

• Professional, scientific and technical services: 8%

• Health care and social assistance: 7%

• Construction: 6%

        Local Agency Responsible for Settlement of Refugees:
Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program (USCIS)
Colchester, VT 05446,
Director: Amila Merdzanovic
About: VRRP is Vermont's local field office of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, and has been operating for over 30 years. Services are provided with the help of various local community organizations.

Some Services Include:

• Reception at the airport

• Interpretation and translation

• Cultural orientation

• Housing assistance

• Basic furnishings and housing wares

• English language training

• Employment counseling

• Professional, culturally appropriate support

        Secondary Organizations:
Associations-Africans Living in Vermont (AALV)
Burlington, VT
Leadership:
Executive Director: Yacouba Jacob Bogre
Program Specialist: Bhuwan Sharma
What They Do:

• Interpretation and translation services

• Health and behavior: This program focuses on domestic violence education and assistance and HIV prevention services for youth

• Workforce development

• Transition and integration: Connects immigrants and refugees with social service providers with the help of case managers

• New Farms for New Americans (NFNA): This program provides subsistence size plots of land to all participants to increase food security among immigrants and refugees. NFNA oversees six acres of farmland, provides workshops on the specifics of farming in Vermont, and helps farmers to overcome the barriers that may prevent them from receiving farming and gardening technical skills.

Somali Bantu Association of Vermont
Winooski, VT
Leadership:
Office Manager: Mohamed Muktar
What They Do:

• Adult literacy classes

• New Fathers Initiative program: Support group for refugee fathers adjusting to life in Vermont

• Knitting group project: Meant to create an environment where refugee women can socialize and form a bond over traditional crafts

• Tabar Women’s Leadership Program

• Youth Recreational Program

• Reparative Probation Project

• Community Support Program

• Community Farming Project

• Vital Information project

• Citizenship classes

• Interpretation services

Vermont Bhutanese Association
Winooski, VT
What They Do:

• Foster intra and inter-community communications

• Encourage cultural and religious identity, heritage and freedom

• Advance personal, educational and occupational growth

Islamic Society of Vermont
Colchester, VT
Leadership:
Vice President (Acting President): Br. Farhad Khan

Sara Holbrook Community Center

Burlington, VT 05401
Leadership:
Executive Director: Leisa Pollander
Associate Director: Jenny Evans
What They Do:

• Afterschool and summer programs

• New Arrivals summer program: Allows immigrant and refugee children to practice their English and continue to learn in between school years

• Free Adult English Classes

• Food assistance

        Newspaper Articles:
“Twenty-Five Years and 6,300 People Later: A Vermont Refugee Report”
Written by Kevin J. Kelley
January 15, 2014
This article looks at the refugee resettlement program in Vermont as a whole, including issues of backlash and discrimination as well as success stories of various refugees. It also discusses some of the barriers for refugees integrating into their new communities, and some of the ways local organizations are assisting them.
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/twenty-five-years-and-6300-people-later-a-vermont-refugee-report/Content?oid=2296187

“Out of Africa…. And Into Vermont”
Written by Kevin J. Kelley
April 4, 2007
This article discusses the resettlement process for African refugees arriving in Vermont, including some of the reasons Vermont is attractive for new Americans, such as the public education system and general social acceptance.
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/out-of-africa-and-into-vermont/Content?oid=2127066

“Adapting to Vermont’s growing refugee population”
Written by Tim Simard
Spring, 2012
This issue of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont newsletter features a section on growing refugee and foreign-born populations in Vermont. It focuses on the language barrier as a major concern for refugees adjusting to their new communities, and especially when it comes to navigating the healthcare system.
http://www.bcbsvt.com/wps/wcm/connect/d9989438-b7f7-4ce6-b934-a20922a91eac/finePoints_Spring_2012.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

“Exiles on North Street”
Written by Ken Picard
December 10, 2008
Tells the story of several newly arrived Iraqi refugees and their frustrations with VRRP and the
settlement process as a whole. They had once held high paying jobs and nice homes in Iraq and express their discontent and disappointment of what life in Vermont has been for them compared to their expectations.
http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/exiles-on-north-street/Content?oid=2135918