PC supports individual clients who are navigating an intensive medical or well-being need or experiencing a challenging life event within 5 years of arrival to the U.S. This program provides 1:1 support, working alongside the enrolled client and in partnership, as we develop a goal plan aimed at addressing current areas of instability, which may include healthcare navigation, ESL learning support, mental well-being needs and referral support, etc. While most clients are enrolled for 1 year, the program supports individuals requiring at least 6 months of extended support.
New Americans Program
A New Home. A Fresh Start.
Millions of people worldwide have been forced to flee their home countries due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.
These individuals are granted legal “refugee” status by the UNHCR and the U.S. government. Many have to live in designated refugee camps or move from place to place seeking shelter for years, even decades. While getting here is difficult, it accounts for only part of their journey.
LSC’s New Americans Program is designed to welcome New Americans to our country and help them on their journey to achieve self-sufficiency. LSC offers the New Americans Program in Raleigh, Salisbury, and Asheville, North Carolina, and in Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Greenville, South Carolina.
You can help support LSC helping refugees in need by clicking below. You can also subscribe to our newsletter here to keep up with all of our news across both states!
Donate NowNew Americans Program
How Does
Resettlement Work?
The US government determines the number of New Americans permitted into our country each year. After a lengthy referral, interview, and screening process, New Americans are assigned to one of ten U.S. voluntary resettlement agencies.
Unfortunately, Lutheran Services Carolinas is not able to independently sponsor individuals or families outside the United States through Uniting for Ukraine. Should you be located in North or South Carolina and desire to sponsor a family member or friend, please reach out to Immigration@LSCarolinas.net for more information on how we may be able to provide assistance with this process.
All New Americans are enrolled in the Reception and Placement Program. This program helps new arrivals acclimate to life in the US. Lutheran Services Carolinas case managers work with families and co-sponsoring organizations to help facilitate the following services for New Americans:
- Arrange housing
- Coordinate access to social services and public benefits
- Arrange health screenings and access to healthcare
- Assist with school enrollment
- Provide cultural education and self-sufficiency planning
- Assist with communication needs
- Ensure access to English classes or one-on-one language tutoring
New Americans Program
Employment Services
Obtaining stable employment in the United States is one of the most critical steps a New American must take on the path to self-sufficiency. The LSC Job Development team works hard to assist New Americans by helping them find employment through skills assessments, job placement, job upgrade support, interpretation support, documentation support, employment and skills training, and ongoing follow-up.
Extended Services
Extended services support the long-term success and integration of New Americans into the community through case management, employment and group activities that promote learning, social support, and new skills.
The Refugee School Impact Program is designed to ease the transition of refugee children into the American school system and to empower parents to be effective partners in the education of their children. The Refugee School Impact Program helps bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps that can exist between refugee families and the North and South Carolina Public Schools. This program offers a unique opportunity to community volunteers to become mentors for refugee children.
Please contact the local resettlement office in your region to learn more. Click here to sign-up to volunteer.
Interested in donating through New Americans Program at LSC?
Help LSC provide refuge and opportunity to people from across the world.
Support For New Americans
Feeling At Home In A New Home
LSC has been resettling New Americans since the 1970s. With offices in both North and South Carolina, we do everything the US government requires to help a family get situated in the US.
LSC receives and resettles hundreds of people from regions all over the world. We can’t do this without our amazing volunteers, who bond with our clients and serve tirelessly on Circle of Welcome teams.
Support For New Americans
The Circle Of Welcome
The Circle of Welcome is a Global Refuge initiative designed to help New Americans adjust to their new lives in the U.S. It is a wonderful opportunity for groups to engage in the work of welcome.
A Circle of Welcome team consists of 6-10 people who have committed to walk alongside a matched New American family for six months. In addition to assisting with all areas of acclimation, our teams are a welcoming group of friends who serve as an invaluable support system for their assigned families.
Sample Activities for Circle of Welcome Teams:
- Gather furnishings and supplies for the house
- Stock the pantry with culturally appropriate foods
- Provide seasonal clothing for family members according to their needs
- Help the family learn more about their new community
- Assist with transportation
- Help with the development of conversational English
- Work on financial education and literacy
Would you like to know more about the Circle of Welcome? Your group can be a great resource for newcomers to our country.
Volunteer SignupPlease contact the local resettlement office in your region to learn more. Click here to sign-up to volunteer.
Family Reunification for Unaccompanied Children
Home Study
Lutheran Services Carolinas provides case management services in North and South Carolina to minors who enter the US without a parent or legal guardian. The Lutheran Services Carolinas Home Study program ensures that children are released to safe homes and appropriate sponsors by conducting assessments and home visits.
Post Release Services
Through the Post Release Services program, case managers connect minors to culturally and linguistically appropriate community resources such as schools, mental health, medical, and legal services and encourage their involvement in social activities like volunteering. Case managers also ensure that the minor is safe and in a stable, supportive environment.
You can help support LSC by donating money or by checking the
list below for items on the program wish list.
Immigrant Services Programs
Safe Release Support
Safe Release Support sites perform background checks on potential guardians to ensure unaccompanied children and youth are reunited with safe and secure homes. Lutheran Services Carolinas has two sites:
Raleigh, N.C. Site
Columbia, S.C. Site
IMMIGRANT SERVICES PROGRAMS
Survivors Assistance Program
The Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP) is a grant program that funds comprehensive case management services for foreign national victims – adults and minors- of a severe form of trafficking in persons, potential victims of trafficking seeking HHS Certification, and their qualified family members through a national network of service providers.
The case management team provides community-based follow-up services afterward, connecting the client with legal, medical, mental health, and other services. Lutheran Services Carolina’s Survivors Assistance program provides trauma-informed, person-centered care to victims of human trafficking through the TVAP and Aspire Programs.
If you believe to have identified a victim of trafficking, Lutheran Services Carolinas receives internal referrals by submitting an email to survivorassist@lscarolinas.net.
IMMIGRANT SERVICES PROGRAMS
Home Study And
Post-Release Services
This program partners with the Lutheran Immigration Refugee Services network. Our post-release case managers conduct home studies before reunification, and provide community-based follow-up services afterward, connecting children and their families with education, legal, medical, mental health, and other services. This program and services ensure that children and families receive the support services they need as they integrate with their families and communities. Lutheran Services Carolinas provides services in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
For further questions and information please contact:
Nix Ruiz – Immigrant Services Program Coordinator
Phone number: 980-234-6449
Email: nruizperez@lscarolinas.net
IMMIGRANT SERVICES PROGRAMS
Legal Services
The immigration process is increasingly difficult and ever-changing. Immigrants face not only the challenges of settling in a new home, finding work, learning a new language but also unraveling the complex bureaucracies of documentation. LSC legal services specialists help documented immigrants navigate the complex immigration system and help people who want to become U.S. citizens.
LSF counselors assist clients with:
- Work Permits and Employment
- Immigrant Petitions
- Application for Permanent Resident status
- Applications for the US Citizenship
- Family Reunification
For more information, please contact our legal services team: immigration@lscarolinas.net.
