Local refugee resettlement nonprofit Refugee Services of Texas to close offices statewide
Texas nonprofit Refugee Services of Texas will permanently close its doors after 45 years of service, the agency announced Friday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we have come to this decision,” said David McKeever, CEO of Refugee Services of Texas. “This agency has faithfully carried out its mission to serve vulnerable populations since its founding in 1978 and has touched thousands of lives along the way. This decision was not made lightly.”
The closure is effective immediately.
The agency has dedicated its service to helping refugees resettle in the state and to serving victims of human trafficking.
In recent years, the agency helped resettle refugees who fled Afghanistan when that country fell to the Taliban in August 2021 and people from Ukraine in the wake of that country’s war with Russia. But the agency receives refugees from all over the world, including from countries with internal conflicts and other humanitarian crises.
Refugee Services of Texas served 976 refugee resettlement clients between Oct. 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023. Since its founding in 1978, the agency says it has resettled more than 26,000 refugees.
Clients often came as families, and some with pregnant women. With the help of volunteers, refugees were resettled into apartments usually with access to public transportation. Ahead of arrival, volunteers would help stock pantries and refrigerators with food and set up apartments with basic needs like furniture, appliances and beds.
Additionally, volunteers and other organizations helped fund other needs like clothes and shoes, and helped connect them with other social services like food stamps, low-income medical care and educational programs.
More: Religious groups in western Travis County help Afghan refugees settle in Austin area
McKeever said the board of directors carefully considered every option, “but we are now forced to close our doors,” he said.
In May, the agency announced it was restructuring its offices and staff to account for the budget shortfalls. That included dramatically cutting staff, closing offices in Fort Worth and Houston, and pausing resettlement efforts.
But those measures were not enough. The closure will affect about 150 employees.
All current refugee clients are being overseen by other existing refugee resettlement programs in Texas or national refugee agencies. Any remaining clients will be referred to the state’s other existing refugee agencies or to national agencies.
“We wish to thank all of our employees and the thousands of supporters and volunteers who have helped Refugee Services of Texas touch so many lives over the years,” McKeever said. “We urge them to continue this important work and find ways to volunteer at other resettlement agencies who will certainly need their help.”
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Nonprofit Refugee Services of Texas to close offices statewide
