GCCSA’s Resettlement Program
GCCSA’s Refugee Resettlement Program encourages and guides displaced persons in a compassionate and respectful manner during their resettlement process in the Houston area. Newly employed refugees will receive incentives in the form of gift cards to alleviate financial needs while they settle into their new place of employment. Our agency will encourage each individual to access our financial workshops and employment counseling services so that they may continue to find better employment opportunities.
GCCSA has established partnerships with refugee resettlement agencies throughout Harris County and will provide services such as food pantry access, rental assistance, electricity assistance, financial and employment workshops, and scholarships to eligible refugee families in Harris County.
Our goal is to help over 50 refugee households transition from below the poverty line within the first year of our program. GCCSA offers the following services:
- Financial Assistance
- Employment Assistance
- Food Pantry Services
- Case Management
What Does it Mean to be a “Refugee”?
A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Typically, they cannot return to their home country or are afraid to do so because of a real fear of being harmed. War and ethnic, tribal, and religious violence are leading causes for people to flee their countries and seek refuge in others.
When refugees arrive in this county, they come with a desire to establish a new life and build a new home. They are legally permitted to work.
Refugees in Texas
Texas has received more displaced persons between 2010 and 2021 than any other state in the country, with nearly 57,000 recorded arrivals. Houston receives around 2,000 refugees per year.
Texas has welcomed refugees from the following countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Iraq, Mexico, Mozambique, Eritrea, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Venezuela.
Our Partners
GCCSA is partnering with two agencies to better reach this population and who will allow us to provide services to families that have just arrived and need help resettling in the city.
Houston Welcomes Refugees (HWR)
Houston Welcomes Refugees is a non-profit organization that assists refugees by pairing each newly arrived family with a Houston volunteer for the first six months. Each volunteer treats the new family as friends, making them feel welcome and advocated for; showing them compassion, honor, and hope.
Hope Clinic
Hope Clinic is a health center that provides physical and mental care in a culturally and linguistically appropriate way. Staff members speak over 50 languages. The majority of the population served are low-income immigrants and refugees.