Sacramento resettlement agencies prepare for potential Ukrainian refugees

By Orko Manna

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — With waves of Ukrainians fleeing to nearby European countries, a big question right now is if any refugees will make their way to the United States – including California.

So far, more than two million people have left Ukraine. Now, people in Sacramento with family members in Ukraine hope Northern California can be their new home. Lao Family Community Development is one of five resettlement agencies in the Sacramento region tasked with helping refugees when they arrive.

“We are getting tremendous phone calls,” said Lao Family Community Development CEO Kathy Chao Rothberg.

Chao Rothberg says staff members set refugees up at apartments, help them obtain required documentation and even assist in school enrollment and career development. While Chao Rothberg wants to help local Ukrainians reunite with their loved ones, the timeline is not clear right now.

“We don’t expect, from a timing standpoint, it’s probably several months down from now,” Chao Rothberg said.

But when the time comes, Chao Rothberg says the agency will be ready to help. That is also the message from Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.

“If the Ukrainian people need Sacramento to be a place of refuge for people fleeing the war, we’ll welcome them with open arms,” Steinberg said.

Steinberg also told KCRA 3 that the city will work with local resettlement agencies, much like it did while handling the recent Afghan refugee crisis.

“We support, we uplift, we try to help on the resource side, all of that,” Steinberg said.

But there is an immediate need right now. The humanitarian organization Save the Children is doing its best to fill that need at the border of Ukraine and Romania.

Greg Ramm, head of humanitarian response for Save the Children, said the organization prefers to give cash to families in need, so they can choose what to spend it on. With so many people in Sacramento wanting to help right now, Ramm said that is where you can step in.

“They can get some of their basic needs of food and a warm place to be. They can get that assistance,” Ramm said. “A donation will make a real difference in their lives.”

The same goes for Lao Family Community Development. You can find ways to give here.

“If they want to help, and I’m sure that many do, they can give us financial support,” Chao Rothberg said.

Chao Rothberg said another way to help is to rent out your apartment or home to refugees who may come here. That is because it is sometimes hard for resettlement agencies to find affordable housing.

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