KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — There are more than 90 Ukrainian refugees in East Tennessee as of Thursday night. That number keeps growing. This means the need keeps growing, too.
"The number is basically increasing daily," said Monica Harris, who is the programming HR manager with Bridge Refugee Services.
Ukrainians traveled more than 8,500 miles to get from their war-stricken home country to Knoxville. But, coming into the U.S. on refugee status carries a unique set of challenges.
Bridge Refugee Services offers services and support to refugees from all over the world. They frequently assist refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Cuba, Afghanistan and most recently, Ukraine.
"Our goal is to promote economic self-sufficiency and social integration, so they can become valuable contributing members of our society," Harris said.
For 90 days, Bridge provides assistance to refugee families by way of getting them connected with English classes, helping them secure a job and even applying for public cash benefits.
It's a process Bridge has developed over the course of several years, learning the intricacies of helping refugees apply for help. They've helped hundreds of refugees transition over the years. However, never quite so many at one time.
"The Ukrainians are actually more than all of our arrivals last year, for the entire year, last year," Harris said.
She said some of the refugees are coming through the United For Ukraine initiative. In this program, refugees have sponsors that support them financially through the transition.
Whereas, other Ukrainian refugees came legally through the Mexico border on humanitarian parole status.
"We've also been seeing a group of Ukrainians who came through the Mexico border," Harris said. "Their experience is a little more difficult because they don't have the same documentation."
Harris said that lack of documentation can make it harder for these refugees to afford necessities like housing, food and childcare.
"It's harder for them to access cash benefits. They can still get it, but it's just taking a little longer," Harris said. "So, gift cards, that we can give people in the meantime while they're waiting for the cash assistance to come through, are very helpful."
Bridge Refugee Services also said they could use the help of volunteers to form community assistance teams.
"We do always need volunteers to form community assistance teams to support all of our families," Harris said.
The teams will help the refugee family acclimate to American society by helping them apply for jobs, learn English, as well as get groceries and benefits. Bridge also needs volunteers that are willing to drive folks to job interviews and grocery stores.
Harris said the first few years are tough for many refugees, but her favorite part is watching them finally blossom.
"We have several former refugees on our staff here. And, they are just some of the very few examples of how far refugees can go if people believe in them and believe in their ability," Harris said. "It's been it's really great to see those success stories and to see what refugees can accomplish."
Bridge Refugee Services also has a "new arrival" needs Amazon Wishlist. It lists each item in terms of priority.
You can find more information about Bridge Refugee Services and how to help on their website.