‘We’re not going away:’ Refugee resettlement program to continue with help of private donors
Apr 28, 2025, 1:00 PM
FILE - People look at exhibits and learn about the life of refugees during Catholic Community Services of Utah's second annual refugee camp exhibit at Gallivan Plaza in Salt Lake City on Monday, June 10, 2019. Participants heard personal stories from refugees and learned about the conditions endured in refugee camps across the world.
SALT LAKE CITY — Although its federal funding was cut earlier this year, Catholic Community Services will be able to continue its refugee resettlement program now that a few donors have come forward.
Private donors reached out after the news broke and were able to raise $1.5 million of the $2.5 million in lost federal funding. It will allow the refugee resettlement program to keep serving the families it already helps.
“We are transitioning to a smaller refugee resettlement program scale, community-supported model focused on sustaining services for over 300 refugee families,” Refugee Services Director Aden Batar said.
Catholic Community Services is asking the public to help fund the other $1 million to keep the program running in its entirety until 2029.
Refugee resettlement program helps with self-sufficiency
Batar said the program helps refugees with all kinds of things.
“Case management, employment services, mental health services, youth programming and then volunteer and engagement. So many things that we need to do for these families that would help in their paths to self-sufficiency. We want to make sure that they keep their housing, they keep their job.”
Batar said the way people reached out after hearing the news of the funding cuts fills them with hope, and they do not plan on going away anytime soon.
“No refugees that are here in Utah will go without services. As long as they need us, we will be here to support them. And we’re not going away.”
