Local refugee program fears budget cuts

Refugee assistance organizations have only a few days to convince state legislators not to cut funding for the Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center and from an AmeriCorps program that helps refugees.

As now proposed, the state's Health and Human Services Committee budget for fiscal 2018 cuts the $300,000 statewide RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program by $100,000.

The budget will come before the Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday, according to Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, a member of the committee.

In February, advocates asked lawmakers to set aside $200,000 from the Education budget for community English Language Learning programs in central Iowa and $300,000 from the Health and Human Services budget for the RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps program, an initiative that helps refugees gain work and leadership skills by helping fellow refugees through community service.

Jill Niswander, director of communications for the Ethnic Minorities center, had said she felt the group made a realistic request by asking for the same level of funding during a tight budget year. RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps, a program run by Niswander's organization, expanded after the state approved $300,000 in funding for the program last year.

The program - with offices in Des Moines, Waterloo and Marshalltown - expanded from 17 RefugeeRISE employees at four sites to 37 members at 10 sites across the state. About 60 percent of the RefugeeRISE employees are refugees.

Bolkcom said doesn't want to cut the program's funding.

'We could easily expand RefugeeRISE,” he said. 'There's a demand in communities across Iowa. Cutting it makes no sense at all. It's really shortsighted to not work with people, and it's in our best interests to help refugees be members of the community.

Paula Land, executive director of the Catherine McAuley Center, said she doesn't yet know how cuts might impact the two RefugeeRISE AmeriCorps employees working at the center in Cedar Rapids. It's likely non-profit agencies would have to pay a higher percentage of RefugeeRISE wages. Currently, she said, the McAuley Center pays less than a quarter of those costs.

'They have been extremely valuable in developing programming and providing direct services to clients,” Land said. 'We certainly want to have RefugeeRISE members at our agencies.”

Fundraiser

Meanwhile, a group of Eastern Iowans are raising awareness about the Sudanese civil war's impact on the country's citizens through a Saturday event in Iowa City.

Speakers from the Lutheran Church of South Sudan and the Red Cross will be featured, along with local artwork.

Tom Sandersfeld, a member of the Lutheran Church of South Sudan, said the group is collecting medical supplies, food and funds to send to those suffering from famine and disease in Sudan.

The Art for Peace event will be 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center at 220 S. Gilbert St. in Iowa City.

l Comments: (319) 368-8516; makayla.tendall@thegazette.com