Information

Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc. is the refugee resettlement office in the state of Kentucky for two national church-based programs: The Episcopal Migration Ministries
and Church World Service. Kentucky Refugee Ministries is authorized by the U.S. Dept. of State to assist refugees who have been legally admitted to the United States, as victims of warfare or other forms of persecution because of their religious or political beliefs.

Our program began in 1990 as an outreach of the Presbyterian denomination, shortly after the location of the Presbyterian Church (USA) headquarters in Louisville. It then expanded to include all of the Protestant denominations which make up the National Council of Churches, and then in 1994, added affiliation with the Episcopal Migration Ministries, the resettlement program of the Episcopal Church.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries now employs 25 people, who work both full and part time
to serve refugees. Our staff includes caseworkers, job developers, and translators. Refugees themselves have been hired on our program staff and serve on our Board of Directors. Our staff speaks English, Spanish, Bosnian, French, Slovak, and Chinese, and also works with contract translators who speak other languages native to the refugees
we serve. Our main office is located at 1516 Hepburn Avenue in Louisville. The English
as a Second Language school is located above the church office of Highland Presbyterian Church at 1009 Cherokee Road.

Refugees come to this country as victims of trauma, as people who have lost their homes and families because of war, as people hoping for peace and freedom as they begin life anew. Our program provides them with apartments and furnishing, helps
enroll children in school, get families to medical treatment, and secures employment
for family members who are able to go to work. Refugees come from very diverse educational and skill backgrounds, and we attempt to place the refugee in the best jobs available, given the client's language ability, background, training and experience.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries benefits from the help of many volunteers from service
and educational institutions in the Louisville community. We are a church-based program, and we initially work to link refugees with church congregations who will
sponsor them.

Since we began our work in 1990, we have placed over 3000 refugees in various Kentucky communities, representing 25 different nationalities and ethnic groups including Vietnam, Haitian, Cuban, Iraq, Somalia, Kurds, Bosnia, Kosovo, Russia, Ethiopia, Romania, Sudan, Benadir, Barawan, Togo, and Rwanda. This year we
expect to resettle 500 refugees throughout the state.

For additional information, please contact us.

 

Kentucky Refugee Ministries
1516 Hepburn Ave.
Louisville, KY 40204
502-581-8541 ext. 23
fax 502-581-8552