Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection

Yes! We received nonprofit status on January 27, 2015.

Much of the funding CRIC receives is donated by private community members. However, we have also received grants from private corporations, foundations, and state government to support specific programs or relief efforts. In addition, much of our programming is supported through partnerships with other nonprofit organizations.

We do not have any paid translators on staff. However, we have staff, board, and volunteers who speak Spanish, Tigrinya, Karen, Somali, Pashto, Dari, Ukrainian and other languages.

For languages we do not speak, we have amazing community volunteers who are often willing to help us translate, as well as access to paid interpretation services for critical situations. If you are interested in helping with translation, let us know on our volunteer page!

A refugee is someone who had to leave their home country and cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Refugee status is granted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and provides a path toward employment authorization, permanent residency, and eventual citizenship in the United States.

While individuals fleeing violence and persecution are all living the refugee experience, occasionally their statuses and corresponding eligibility for services can vary. Click here to see a list of Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) - eligible statuses.

Refugees and immigrants that we work with come from all around the world; countries like Burma, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Philippines, Thailand, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya, Haiti, Syria, Cote D'Ivoire, Ukraine, and various Latin America countries.

Once approved for refugee status through the long UNHCR resettlement process, refugees may be assigned to come to the US. Various agencies and nonprofits work together to decide which resettlement city that a family or individual should go to. Many of the families with whom we work first arrived in Salt Lake City, Denver, San Diego, or Boise, and started learning about their new country. They then moved to Logan for employment opportunities or to be closer to family.

This support is different in every state. Refugee resettlement agencies match a caseworker with families and individuals when they arrive. The caseworker helps line up housing, schooling, and employment for adults. In Utah, refugees can access a caseworker for up to 2 years if needed. 

We try our best to connect anyone who comes to CRIC to the resources they need. We do not ask a person their immigration status when they come to our office, unless they specifically need assistance that requires us to know that information.

Once a refugee has fled their home, the next step for most is to register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the country to which they have fled and explore available options. Unfortunately, only 1% of refugees worldwide have the opportunity to be resettled. If refugee status is granted, their case is referred to a country that is accepting. If that is the United States, they are referred to the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This begins a process that ranges from months to years and includes interviews to determine refugee status eligibility, fingerprinting, intensive screening, background checks, medical examinations, and cultural orientation about life in the United States.

During this process, a refugee's case is placed with a resettlement agency in the United States that accepts responsibility to help the refugee begin their new life once they arrive. In Utah, the only agencies participating in this program are the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Catholic Community Services (CCS) and now CRIC!

Upon arrival, the refugee is greeted at the airport by a representative of the resettlement agency and taken to their new home. Over the coming days and weeks, a case manager will provide essential services outlined in the Reception and Placement program to help the newcomer adjust to their new life and integrate into the new community.

Click here to check out a great summary explaining the resettlement process!

Click here to learn more about what services are provided in the Reception and Placement program!

As a resettlement agency, we do accept certain types of donations. Visit our Physical Items Donations page to learn more about what and how.

We also have partnerships with Deseret Industries and Somebody's Attic here in Logan. This allows us to give refugee and immigrant families vouchers for those stores, where they can shop for their specific personal needs. 

Please refrain from bringing items to our office. We've had a problem with people dumping items at our office. In these cases, we often don't need these certain items, leading us to donate or throw them away. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Much of the work we do is people working with people, so donations are particularly helpful for supporting our very dedicated staff members. Donations also go toward overhead costs so that we can keep our doors open for those who need help. Monetary donations to CRIC may also support specific program costs, such as drivers license course materials, community garden supplies, walk-in hours, the money management program, and citizenship exam study guides.

CRIC works in partnership with many other organizations in Cache Valley to ensure that the New Americans in our community have access to resources and connections they need. We strive to connect people to existing resources, and fill needs ourselves only when those resources do not exist elsewhere. We have many partnerships throughout the community. For example, the English Language Center of Cache Valley is a leader in adult English education, and also teaches computer and citizenship classes. Athletics United, a local nonprofit, is a running and soccer club for young refugee athletes. The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99 assists employees at the local JBS meat packing plant. The Bear River Association of Governments (BRAG) helps with housing and numerous other services. We refer to many other agencies and organizations depending the circumstances.

Many of our programs developed out of volunteer projects, and we love the enthusiasm for helping that we have in our community. We have limited capacity to oversee and assist with project development, however, so we may not be able to accommodate your idea, particularly if it is on short time frame or requires us to recruit community members to participate. Feel free to email us using the contact form, however, and we will be happy to discuss the possibilities with you.