F E A T U R E
Finding New Homes for People in Danger
Kathy Cooper and Newcomer Services
by Annie Tobey
magine living in a country with no rights, no work, and no chance for responsible for the overall administration of the program, from reception to
I
education, where soldiers steal your food and demand slave labor from you assimilation—the puppeteers behind the screen, unseen but essential. They
and your neighbors. Imagine fleeing your homeland out of fear—with little contract out much of the work and oversee other organizations that work with
more than the clothes on your back—knowing that returning would result refugees—most notably the Catholic Diocese of Richmond and the Virginia
in death. Imagine living in an overcrowded camp with inadequate food Council of Churches.
and water, poor sanitation, and rampant disease. The United Nations Refugee “I may not be putting food on the table for a refugee family,” she says, “I may
Agency reports that the number of people forcibly uprooted by conflict and not be escorting them to the clinic for the inoculations, but I really take seriously
persecution worldwide was 42 million at the end of 2008, including 16 million and I do believe that the funding decisions that I make, the policy decisions that I
refugees and asylum seekers and 26 million people uprooted within their own make—they’re going to impact lives. And you know, it doesn’t get any better than
countries. that, to know that you can make a difference.”
Every year, the United States invites some of these displaced people in to As a seasoned coordinator—since 1991—Kathy is proud of what she and
find shelter. In Virginia, Kathy Cooper oversees the efforts to resettle refugees her office have accomplished. “Virginia has a very, very good program. We are
into homes where they can live, work, laugh, and love in safety. As Director held in high esteem, I think because we do have veteran programs that work very
of the Virginia Office of Newcomer Services within the Department of Social well, that really are in a groove about what works and what doesn’t.”
Services, Kathy and her office helped resettle 2,400 refugees last year: people This fiscal year, however, has been especially difficult. “Funding at the federal
whose homelands are racked by violence, war, and persecution; Afghanis and level has been insufficient—that’s number one—insufficient to really get a family
Iraqis who assisted U.S. troops and now must come to America for safety; in an apartment, get them stable, and then begin the work of finding work.”
unaccompanied refugee children; and victims of human trafficking. The goal Because of the high U.S. unemployment rate, refugees are having a tougher
is to integrate these newcomers into communities throughout Virginia, to help time finding jobs. Unskilled, service sector jobs are evaporating, with greater
them become economically self-sufficient as quickly as possible, through support competition for jobs from displaced American workers. The economy has also
services such as day care, translation, health screening, housing, and English hurt partner organizations, which have suffered staff reductions or even gone
lessons. under.
Kathy doesn’t work directly with the refugees, but she and her office are Problems outside the U.S. contribute, too. “Refugees are coming in sicker and

NOVEMBER 2009
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