A New(comer) Program at CRIS
CRIS Expands Program Services to Meet Needs of Haitians, Cubans, and Others
Over the last several months, the Columbus area has seen an increase in Haitian residents. This trend is likely to continue as political instability, governmental and economic collapse, natural disasters and other significant challenges have displaced thousands in the region. In January of 2023, the U.S. extended the Humanitarian Parolee program to include eligible Haitians, Cubans, and select Latin American countries. We are pleased to announce that CRIS is developing a new program to serve Haitian and Cuban entrants.
As the U.S. began to welcome Ukrainians fleeing war in 2022, the CRIS team responded with the development of the Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolee Assistance (UHPA) program. A multilingual team of case managers was brought together, led by long-time CRIS staff member Emily Hardy, to meet the needs of Ukrainian Parolees. Over the last 18 months, this team has served hundreds of Ukrainians in Central Ohio, including assistance with public benefits applications, school enrollment, and referrals to other programs (English classes, employment, health and wellness, etc.) as needed.
In light of the additional community needs that have arisen recently in the Columbus area, CRIS is expanding and renaming the UHPA program. It is now called Newcomer Support Services. While this new(ish) program will continue to serve Ukrainian Parolees (who arrived in the U.S. between February 24, 2022, and September 30, 2023) it also has the capacity to support eligible Cubans, Haitians, and other ORR-eligible populations who do not qualify for Reception and Placement.
New CRIS team members Guerling Saint-Louis and Frantz Cadet with Haitian Columbus residents.
In the last eight weeks, CRIS has been fortunate to add four Haitian-Creole-speaking members to our staff. CRIS’ Associate Director of Programs Karina Harty-Morrison explains, “CRIS is committed to evaluating and evolving our services to meet the changing needs of immigrant and refugee communities in Central Ohio. Countless community members have responded to the needs of local Haitians and we feel privileged to now call some CRIS colleagues, working together to assess how we can best support newcomers.”
Emily shares, “I started at CRIS as a refugee health caseworker and have had the privilege of transitioning into new roles each year of my employment here. With each role, I’ve learned so much and feel so grateful for all of the staff who work with me to care for our clients. Our hope for this new program is to support individuals who previously didn’t have access to services so that they feel empowered to build a life here that meets their needs. I’m excited to be a part of our expanding service provision for Cubans, Haitians, and others!”