Griffo, Brindisi and Miller: $2 million in 2018-2019 state budget will help provide opportunities for refugees in the Mohawk Valley and other regions of New York
Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is utilizing funding to help recent arrivals gain employment skills
State Senator Joseph Griffo (R – Rome) and Assemblymen Anthony Brindisi (D – Utica) and Brian Miller (R – New Hartford) announced today they have secured $2 million in the 2018-19 state budget to support the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, and other organizations that helps new arrivals gain the skills they need to find jobs and contribute to the regional economy.
The three state legislators said the Refugee Center has been awarded $200,000 to help refugees settling in the Mohawk Valley to become self-sufficient.
“The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees offers a variety of important services to refugees and their families,” said Griffo. “This funding will help refugees to better settle into the community and will help to provide them with the training, skills and support needed so that they can thrive in their new home.”
“Many refugees who have made the Mohawk Valley their home have found employment and purchased a home, and have truly become a part of the community,” Brindisi said. “Their achievements have in turn contributed to the economic revitalization of the Utica area. This funding is a good investment in the future of our area, because it will give them the training they need to become productive citizens.”
“This funding will provide refugees who have come to the Mohawk Valley with the opportunity to learn and gain employment skills that will help them provide for their family and contribute to the local economy,” Miller said. “The Mohawk Valley, especially the Utica area, has become home to people from many countries who are looking for a better life and a sustainable source of income. This funding and the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees will help turn this dream into a reality for many refugees.”
“The funding we have received will provide essential services like employment counseling and job placement, enhanced cultural orientation and case management,” said Shelly Callahan, Executive Director of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees. “Recently, we hosted a job fair featuring 10 local companies and over 100 refugee job seekers with staff positions we were able to maintain with this funding. We are grateful to Senator Griffo and Assemblymen Brindisi and Miller for their continued support of our agency, and our community.”