Feds Grant Towns Money For Settling Refugees

Six Wisconsin communities are receiving $1.5 million to pay for about 1,000 refugee resettlements this year. The federal grant awards were announced Thursday (1/24) by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.

United Asian Services of Wisconsin, based in Madison, is receiving $83,000 to help pay for costs related to refugees from Africa and Nepal. Executive Director Koua Vang says the money will be used for a wide-variety of services: “We try to help them to get some public benefits, to help them to pay rent and foods, and also to help them enroll in school, for children high school, elementary school and middle school. And for the adult, try to get them into an ESL class, those who don’t know much English.”

Agencies in Milwaukee, Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh and Barron County will also share in the money.

Refugees are also expected to arrive from Burma, Iraq and Afghanistan this year.