news-record.com

Hilary and Marius Andersen, founders of Creative Snacks Co., deeply appreciate the help the nonprofit organization Church World Service gave them with their business.

Last fall, they were ready to hire several new employees for their company when they read an article in the News & Record about the challenges refugees face when they come to America. They learned that more than 15 million refugees worldwide have been forced to flee their homes and communities to escape war and persecution, often to save their own lives or the life of a family member.

The Andersens, moved by the story, called Valerie Coll, employment specialist with Church World Service in Greensboro. Coll explained that the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program, through partnerships with local nonprofit service providers such as CWS, offers safety and a chance to start anew to just less than
1 percent of the global refugee population.

Greensboro, one of eight communities in North Carolina with such programs, has been welcoming this population for more than 30 years. Coll explained that the refugee program at Church World Service was able to offer supportive services to more than 200 such individuals in the past year to help the refugees begin new lives in peace and dignity.

“In addition to providing initial assistance with housing and case management, our organization offers employment services to help refugees prepare for and become successful in the U.S. workplace,” Coll said. “In the last year, our clients have found positions in hospitality, manufacturing, food service and packaging industries.”

Coll said in the past year, about 80 percent of CWS’s clients achieved self-sufficiency within their first six months in the U.S.
“This tremendous accomplishment is directly attributed to the resiliency, motivation, skills and determination of our clients: families who have been waiting a long time for the opportunity to work,” she said.

The Andersens wanted more details on the employment services of CWS.

“By working with Church World Service, you receive the benefit of candidate screening, services of a trained employment specialist and access to interpreters if needed, and any other specific support that a company might need throughout the hiring, placement and post-placement process,” Coll said. “It saves companies time and money that would normally be spent running advertisement or working through staffing agencies. CWS charges no fees for services and offers assistance and support for both the employer and the employee to make each hire a long-term success.”

Creative Snacks Co. hired eight employees from CWS and described them as hard, smart workers who want a brighter future.
“They are so motivated to make a change in their lives, and all do a phenomenal job for us,” Marius Andersen said. He said Creative Snacks has not only hired great workers, but also has gotten to know some “really wonderful people” from all over the world.

He said that they feel “good about reaching out to those who might not have much of a chance to find work” and credits the services of Coll at the Church World Service for the support throughout the employment process.

Coll said companies that employ refugees have lower turnover. She said refugees are willing to accept entry-level positions, even though many come to this country with professional credentials.

CWS encourages refugees to become full members of the Greensboro community and invites the community to become part of this process by offering welcome and support for newly arrived families, said Kelly Dent, Greensboro sponsorship developer for the CWS.

Refugees spend many years overcoming past trauma, locating family members and adjusting to American culture, and they also work hard to build new lives here by working at rebuilding their careers, raising families and working toward their first dream home, Dent said.

Dent extols the generosity of the Greensboro community in helping refugee families. In the past year, Dent said more than 150 individual volunteers have helped with their various programs. They also have had 10 congregational co-sponsor and 10 community groups who have co-sponsored a refugee family. These volunteers and co-sponsors offer friendship and support to newly arrived refugees as they learn to navigate the day-to-day complexities of our community.

Marius Andersen said that this is a “win-win-win” formula.

“It’s a 'win-win’ for our business because we get great workers,” he said. “It’s a benefit to the workers because they get the opportunity to work. It’s a benefit to our community because these workers now go from receiving financial aid, food stamps and Medicaid to paying taxes and accessing private health insurance.”

Ruth D. Anderson is executive director of The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro and chairwoman of programming for the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium.