More than 1,000 Connecticut residents have stepped forward to help Ukrainian refugees find housing, government benefits and other services, according to a refugee support group.

Many of those offering to help are members of the state’s Ukrainian community, but others are affiliated with churches, mosques, synagogues, fraternal groups and other community centers, said Chris George, executive director of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services.

“What’s unusual about this is that Ukrainians are not being resettled like traditional refugees,” he said. “Refugee resettlement agencies were totally exhausted settling 80,000 Afghans in a short period of time.”

Since June 29, 1,123 applications as part of the Uniting for Ukraine applications have been submitted in Connecticut, George said. The federal program provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members to come to the United States and stay for two years. Ukrainians participating in Uniting for Ukraine must have a U.S. supporter who agrees to provide financial support during their stay.

The commitment is significant. Residents who agree to help Ukrainians find housing, enroll children in school, find health care resources, help with English instruction and applications for work authorization and benefits such as food stamps.

“It takes a group to do this well,” George said.

President Joe Biden announced in April the U.S. would accept up to 100,000 people and Gov. Ned Lamont said Connecticut would welcome Ukrainian refugees.

A Hartford immigration lawyer is heading up an effort of her own to find homes and sponsors in Connecticut for Ukrainians who were forced to flee their country.

For Dana Bucin, a lawyer at Murtha Cullina and chair of its Immigration Practice Group, the first step is to find Connecticut sponsors for Ukrainians who are at the southern border and hope to come to the United States. Sponsorship and a pledge to provide housing are her first concerns, she said.

“Without that I can’t bring them here,” Bucin said.

Her next step is to connect Ukrainian refugees to Connecticut’s job market, asking business executives about possible employment. Business owners and managers want to hire, but the work permit process takes a long time, she said.

Jobs are available as welders, electricians, plumbers, information technology, human resources, hearing aid specialists and in dental offices, Bucin said.

In an emailed statement, a spokeswoman said Friday the Lamont administration is working with the federal government to ensure Ukrainian refugees “who need a home have one in Connecticut. and is working through the Uniting for Ukraine program supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state’s largest business group, featured Bucin’s work on its website, presenting Ukrainians as a “golden opportunity for employers.” A spokeswoman said CBIA is developing policy priorities for the 2023 legislative session to address barriers to employment for legal immigrants.

More than 5 million Ukrainians, or about 10% of the nation’s population, have escaped to Poland, Romania and other neighboring countries since the start of Russia’s invasion Feb. 24. The Biden administration is seeking to admit more into the U.S. and also control the growing number of migrants from Ukraine and Latin America seeking entry at the southern border.

Bucin, who is from Romania, has done pro-bono legal work for Ukrainian refugees and Connecticut sponsors.

“I have contact on both sides,” she said. “When you have both sides reaching out to you what are you going to say?”

In April, she visited a Ukrainian refugee camp in Tijuana, Mexico, providing legal assistance to Ukrainian nationals seeking humanitarian parole. Refugees with U.S.-based sponsors are eligible, she said.

“My main purpose is get them out of refugee camps to Connecticut,” Bucin said. “If we cannot take 100 refugees, who can?” she said.

Once in Connecticut they can apply online for work, possibly capitalizing on connections made by their sponsors, she said.

The names of as many as 100 refugees are furnished to her every week, and she said she hopes to have at least 25 sponsors who agree to provide oversight.

“Sponsors are still unclear about what to do. It’s not much,” she said. “It’s a moral duty, not letting refugees end up in a homeless shelter.”

Sponsors provide housing and would be “the person who welcomes them in and introduces them to the U.S.,” Bucin said.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.