GREENSBORO, N.C. — By August, almost 80 Ukrainian refugees had resettled in Guilford County through the 'Uniting for Ukraine' program, according to the North Carolina African Services Coalition.
'Uniting for Ukraine' was created by the federal government after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Ukrainians participating in the program must have a supporter in the U.S. who agrees to support them financially for their stay -- including resettlement and housing costs.
But once they get here, the North Carolina African Services Coalition says there are a lot of programs accessible to them, but they're not being taken advantage of right now.
"It is very important for us to get this information out there, making sure everybody knows that we have these resources for these people," said Million Mekonnen, the executive director of the North Carolina African Services Coalition. "They can come to our office to be enrolled in the program, to be connected to the resources and be situated so that they don't fall through the cracks."
Services available to Ukrainian refugees in the Uniting for Ukraine program include:
- Employment help
- Job training
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application access
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- School enrollment
- ASL classes
- Mental health care
- Youth services
- Microenterprise program
Mekonnen said there is a time limit on some service provisions. The Office of Refugee Resettlement gives people up to 8 months to register, so if you or a family member came to the U.S. through Uniting for Ukraine, Mekonnen recommends getting in touch with the African Services Coalition as soon as you can.
"People don't understand that they're eligible for these services, that's why we'd really like them to come to us, either call and make an appointment or walk in," said Mekonnen.
Their office is located in downtown Greensboro at 122 N. Elm Street, Suite 1010. You can call to schedule an appointment at 336-574-2677, or you can reach out to the Coalition's operations manager directly at 336-814-3864.