Stand with refugees

URGENT: The government has halted all funding for recently arrived refugee families. Your support is needed now!

The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Act Now Donate
Start of main content.

News // Immigration and Asylum

Global Refuge Launches Baltimore Welcome Center

Global Refuge logo

Global Refuge Staff

June 16, 2023

Contact: Tim Young | timothy.young@globalrefuge.org

Baltimore, MD– Global Refuge opened its newest Welcome Center in Baltimore with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Inner Harbor headquarters on June 13.

LIRS, which is the nation's largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving immigrants and refugees, operates additional Welcome Centers in six other cities in the U.S. Earlier this year, ELCA World Hunger provided Global Refuge a $400,000 gift to support programming in Baltimore.

The Baltimore Welcome Center will connect refugees and immigrants to community and social services, legal assistance, education, and healthcare as they rebuild their lives in an area ranked as the second-best in the United States for immigrants, according to a recent George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative report. Welcome Center programming will also feature mental health support, as many children and families have experienced trauma in their home countries and on their journey to the U.S.

“The life-changing services offered at our Baltimore Welcome Center will complement existing local resources currently available for immigrants and refugees starting their new lives in our community,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Global Refuge. “The Welcome Center will be more than a building, it will represent an opportunity to build a better Baltimore —not just for immigrants and refugees, but for all who call our city home.”

The Baltimore Welcome Center will further incorporate Global Refuge’s workforce development programming to help immigrants access meaningful career opportunities and assist employers in finding talent amid nationwide labor shortages that have left Maryland with more than 200,000 unfilled job openings, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“My first few months living in Baltimore were tumultuous times filled with uncertainty, but I began to feel empowered, motivated, and embraced when I started working with Global Refuge’s New American Cities team.” Norma Asimba, client of Global Refuge’s New American Cities program. “In a span of six months, Global Refuge staff helped me stabilize my living situation and finances and secure a job with a Fortune 500 company, which gave my life more meaning and purpose.”

“What Global Refuge does on a daily basis is truly world-changing. The assistance the Welcome Center staff will provide to refugees and immigrants settling in this area demonstrates the dedication and honor of what it truly means to care about another human being,” said Bill Ferguson, president of the Maryland State Senate.

Photo credits: Philip Laubner for Global Refuge

The Latest

  • News

    March 7, 2025

    Global Refuge Joins Interfaith Solidarity Statement on Refugees and Other Immigrants

    On March 7, Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah  joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and other faith leaders in affirming our solidarity with and support of refugee and other immigrant communities. 

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    February 27, 2025

    Global Refuge Responds to Sudden Termination of U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Grants

    Global Refuge today expressed deep concern over the U.S. Department of State’s sudden decision to terminate its grant agreements for the reception and placement of legally admitted refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    February 2, 2025

    Global Refuge Statement on Misinformation around our Humanitarian Work

    Global Refuge condemns in the strongest possible terms the false accusations lodged against our humanitarian work. As a faith-based nonprofit, we have faithfully walked alongside legally admitted refugees & immigrants for 85 years.

    Read More
  • Press Release · Refugee Resettlement

    January 27, 2025

    Global Refuge Condemns Federal Stop Work Order Halting Refugee Resettlement Assistance

    Global Refuge expresses deep concern and dismay over an unprecedented stop work order issued by the State Department, which halts all refugee reception and placement services under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

    Read More
  • News · Community Engagement

    January 25, 2025

    5 Ways to Help Refugees & Immigrants in 2025

    Discover 5 ways to help refugees and immigrants in 2025. From volunteering to advocacy, learn how you can make a difference through Global Refuge, the nation’s largest faith-based nonprofit dedicated exclusively to serving children, refugees, and immigrants.

    Read More

Share