Hope Refugee Drop-In Center
The Hope Refugee Drop-In Center is open by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or ask a question, please call us at 716-881-0539. (If you are unable to reach us, we encourage you to call again or leave a voicemail. Our front desk staff is responsible for regularly checking and responding to voicemail messages.)
*Please note: Hope does not accept any in-kind donations. Please review our Vive Shelter wishlist for opportunities to donate clothing, home goods, and other supplies.*
Our focus at Hope is strongly rooted in providing tools for self-empowerment for refugees and immigrants who now call Buffalo home. The Drop-In Center provides non-traditional case management. Utilizing a participatory development model, clients identify their own needs and Hope helps provide a path to meet those needs. Sometimes this means filling out forms or showing clients how to do it on their own. We handle everything from interpreting WIC checks, paying bills, and filling out job applications to medical appointments and requesting translation services. Hope’s staff comprises culturally diverse caseworkers who speak multiple languages and assist clients in connecting with available community resources.
Hope has become an active voice in the community by strengthening relationships among those that are equally dedicated to assisting a similar population. Some of our partnerships include community health worker training, participation in domestic violence awareness, good tenant trainings, and providing access to resources for parents of school-aged children.
THURSDAYS
Immigration Consultations – Consultations are by appointment only on Thursdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. (We make every effort to accommodate requests for a consultation outside of this time frame if it is needed.) Call 716-881-0539 to schedule.
- Appropriate for anyone who would like advice regarding U.S. citizenship, green cards (adjustment of status), Temporary Protected Status (TPS), travel documents and re-entry permits, and U.S. work authorization.
- Our program serves low-income individuals; however, anyone can schedule a consultation.
Our community partner, Journey’s End, is at HRDC, providing clients with a variety of additional services on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Services are available by appointment only.
AS NEEDED
Center for Elder Law and Justice – on-site appointments are canceled until further notice but CELJ has a helpline you can call (1-844-481-0973). The line is open to all NYS residents, regardless of age or income level. The helpline is staffed Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Callers contacting the line outside this timeframe are encouraged to leave a voicemail and an attorney will return the call. Alternatively, you can email helpline@elderjusticeny.org.
- Appropriate for seniors seeking information or help with guardianship, advance directives, elder abuse, consumer protection, housing, foreclosure prevention, and long-term care.
Frequently Asked Questions
A refugee is a person who fled their homeland, crossed an international border, and cannot return home due to fear of persecution or death. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Refugee status is a specific legal status granted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and is recognized by the United States. Refugees entering the country through the resettlement program are legal immigrants.
Refugees undergo the most rigorous screening process of any traveler to the U.S., involving years of background checks, biometric screening, in-depth interviews, and reviews by multiple U.S. security and intelligence agencies.
Security screenings are intensive and conducted by U.S. government authorities, including the FBI, DHS, the Department of Defense, and multiple security agencies. The process typically takes up to 36 months and is followed by further security checks after refugees arrive in the U.S. Refugees undergo biographic and biometric checks, medical screenings, forensic document testing, and in-person interviews.
Once refugees have been cleared for resettlement, the U.S. government works with national resettlement agencies to help them restart their lives in America. Refugees may be placed in a city where they have relatives or friends, or where there’s an established community that shares their language or culture. Other considerations include the cost of living and a community’s ability to provide medical services. However, as legal U.S. residents, refugees may live in any state they choose.
Before refugees leave the countries where they temporarily reside, they sign promissory notes agreeing to reimburse the U.S. government for travel costs. They also attend a class to learn about what to expect when they arrive in their new country, with briefings on American culture, U.S. laws, health benefits, and other critical information. Officials conduct a final screening and additional security checks before departure.
Refugee processing is an international bureaucratic process that takes several years to complete. First, one is granted status and resettlement by the United Nations. Each government that accepts refugees decides annually the number of refugees that they will take. In the United States, our president announces the number of refugees that we will take every September. Cases are then distributed from the United Nations to the U.S. State Department. The State Department works with a number of national agencies called Voluntary Agencies (Volags). These Volags take responsibility for the cases and redistribute them to local partners across the country. In Buffalo, we have four resettlement agencies (Catholic Charities, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service, and Journey’s End Refugee Services) that represent five national Volags.
The City of Good Neighbors has become home to thousands of refugees over the years and is home to vibrant immigrant communities. Buffalo has two major attractions for refugee resettlement. First, we have a lot of entry level jobs. Second, we have cheap housing for both renting and home ownership. Resettlement across the country has moved toward sending refugees to mid-sized cities, rather than large cities.
An immigrant is any person that moves from one country to another. Refugees are a specific category of immigrant that meets the above qualifications. All refugees are immigrants, but not all immigrants are refugees.
Please call us (or have your referrals call us) at 716-881-0539.
At Hope, we focus on refugees who are past their resettlement period. The resettlement period lasts between three and six months. During this time, refugees are still actively working with their resettlement agency. If you are unsure if a person qualifies, you can call us or have your referral call us and we will screen for eligibility.
Hope Refugee Drop In Center
248 West Ferry Street
Buffalo, NY 14213
716-881-0539
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday-Friday | 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m |
| Saturday & Sunday | Closed |