Bridging the Gap Helps Refugees in Charlottesville

The Cavalier Daily included Madison House's Bridging the Gap program in its recent article about refugees in Charlottesville.

The Charlottesville branch of the  International Rescue Committee has welcomed almost 2,000 refugees since it opened in 1998. Between Oct. 1, 2014 and Sept. 30, 2015, the IRC resettled 241 refugees from 12 different countries in Charlottesville.

“[One challenge is] figuring out a way to incorporate refugees into the economy in ways that are beneficial to them and to the city,” said Bridging the Gap Program Director Katrina Boyd, a fourth-year College student. “That’s a really big challenge, finding places for everyone to fit and feel as though they have a place here and can have a purpose.”

Bridging the Gap is a youth mentoring program that focuses on refugee children in our community. About 60 University of Virginia students volunteer with Bridging the Gap every week. Youth participating in the program hail from many countries, including Burma, Congo, Iraq, Liberia, Nepal, Russia, Sierra leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Tongo.

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