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Services to Older Refugees

Purpose

​The goal of the Services to Older Refugees (SOR) Program is to ensure that older Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations have access to appropriate knowledge and resources to integrate into their communities and create pathways to connection, access mainstream and refugee-specific services, and naturalize, thereby enhancing civic engagement and financial security. Individuals who do not meaningfully connect with their communities or naturalize have fewer opportunities to engage in the civic life of their surroundings. Additionally, those who do not naturalize find themselves at risk of reduced financial stability due to the loss of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other federal benefits.

Eligibility

  • Immigration Status – All ORR-eligible populations, described in Immigration Status

  • Time in the U.S. – Clients within 5 years or 60 months since their original date of eligibility

  • Residency – Must reside in the state of Kansas

  • Age = 60+ years of age

Services

  1. Assisting older ORR-eligible populations with access to mainstream aging services in the
    community, through activities such as providing information about, or improving access to
    information about supportive services, nutrition services, meal delivery, prevention of elder abuse, senior community centers, and intergenerational activities.

  2. Providing older ORR-eligible populations with appropriate services that are not available in the
    community, such as interpretation and translation services.

  3. Creating opportunities for older ORR-eligible populations to live independently as long as
    possible, through forms of assistance such as transportation, home care, adult day care, and respite care.

  4. Developing opportunities for older ORR-eligible populations to connect with their communities
    to avoid isolation, through resources such as mental health support, community navigators, and
    opportunities for engagement in social and cultural activities.

  5. Assisting older ORR-eligible populations on the path to citizenship to naturalize, especially those
    at risk of losing SSI or other federal benefits, through activities such as civics instruction, counseling, and application assistance.

Measurable Outcome

  • The client successfully passes the citizenship and naturalization exam.

  • The client can access SSI and other mainstream services.

  • The client is self-sufficient or able to access appropriate services.

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