Journey's End Refugee Services, Inc. is a Christian and community-based organization with a mission: to welcome refugees to Western New York without regard to ethnic origin or creed and to assist them to become healthy, independent, contributing members of the community.

Description:
Journey's End Refugee Services is a non-profit agency that offers an array of services to enhance the lives of refugees resettling into Western New York. Currently, services being offered include: initial resettlement, language interpreting and translating, citizenship assistance,and employment. For churches and community service providers, cultural training and public speakers are available. Besides assisting legal refugees, the agency can also assist asylum-seekers upon receiving their asylum in the US and victims of human trafficking having been trafficked to the US against their will. Journey's End Refugee Services is the local partner of two national organizations, Church World Services and Episcopal Migration Ministries, and seeks the direct involvement of local denominational and non-denominational churches and faith communities as co-sponsors of refugee families in their resettlement and assimilation.

History:
Journey's End Refugee Services, Inc. has its roots in the mid 1980's as a small but zealous effort of the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church and church member Phyllis Tompkins. Moved by the plight of Cambodians, Tompkins gathered local resources for the needs of refugees coming out of Southeast Asia and resettling into neighborhoods in and around Buffalo, New York. When it became apparent that other local churches could benefit from greater local guidance to help them best respond to refugees, the work of Journey's End broadened to include enlisting and empowering other congregations in the resettlement process.
Since incorporation in 1987, hundreds of refugees have found new life in and around Buffalo through Journey's End Refugee Services. As war and upheaval spread throughout the globe, Journey's End and local church partners have consistently responded with hope. In 1998, the organization forged a stronger and more direct relationship with two national voluntary agencies-Church World Service and Episcopal Migration Ministires-becoming their local affiliate in Western New York. Over the past 20 years, the organization has expanded the breadth of services to include resettlement of Cuban and Haitian "entrants"(2000 - 2006), asylum grantees, and victims of human trafficking. Subsequently, moving from a modest goal of resettling 50 persons each year, the agency now serves upward of 250 newcomers annually. More recent developments include offering employment services, English training, immigration services such as citizenship assistance, cultural/diversity training, health education, translation and interpreting services, and advocacy.

Contact people:

Robert Roggie, Exec. Director, (phone), (email) Elaine Smyth-Bogumil, Volunteer Cordinator, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (716) 882-4977

Address:

184 Barton Street Buffalo, NY 14213 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.jerswny.org