Nebraska State Coordinators:State Refugee Coordinator: Karen PardeORR State Analyst: Rezene Hagos         Background Information:Population in 2014: 273,996 (100% Urban, 0% rural)Estimated per capita income in 2013: $25,745Median House or Condo Value: $148,400Median Gross Rent (2013): $722Racial Breakdown: White: 82% Hispanic: 7.0% Black alone: 4.4% Asian alone: 4.2% Two or more races: 1.9% American Indian alone: 0.5% Land Area: 74.6 square milesPopulation Density: 3,657 people per square mile (average)FBP: 5.9% (State Average: 4.4%Unemployment Rate (September 2015): 2.1% (State Average: 2.6%)Most Common Industries: Sales and Related: 11% Management: 10% Construction and Extraction: 9% Office and Administrative Support: 8% Production: 8%         Local Agencies Responsible for Settlement of Refugees (2):Lutheran Family Services (Lincoln, NE 68510)Refugee Resettlement Coordinator: Vanja PejavonicEmployment Specialist: Katey HulewiczRefugee Support Program Coordinator: Patrice McShane-JewellRefugee Support Specialist: McKenzie StaufferAbout: Lutheran Family Services is a faith-based organization responsible for aiding refugees in the settlement process across Nebraska. In Lincoln, refugee services are broken into 3 departments: Refugee Education & Employment, Refugee Reception & Placement, and Refugee Support.Some services include: Job Counseling Job Placement and Orientation Case Management ESL Classes Provide support for psychologically traumatized refugees, as well as those with physical disabilities health issues Catholic Social Services (Lincoln, NE 68510)Refugee Resettlement Director: Carmen LopezAbout: Catholic Social Services works with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. Department of State to resettle around 120 refugees per year. Some services include assisting with: Housing Education Employment Cultural Orientation Country of Origin #Settled 2002-2015 Afghanistan 14 Belarus 1 Bhutan 6 Bosnia & Herzegovina 25 Burma 748 Burundi 9 Congo 12 Croatia 4 Cuba 23 Dem. Rep. of Congo 45 Eritrea 12 Estonia 3 Ethiopia 4 Iran 98 Iraq 711 Ivory Coast 6 Liberia 23 Mauritania 10 Moldova 3 Nepal 1 Nigeria 3 Palestine 7 Russia 46 Serbia 38 Sierra Leone 4 Somalia 532 Sudan 84 Thailand 3 Togo 13 Ukraine 137 Vietnam 156 Zimbabwe 2 Total 2,351 Secondary Organizations: Center For People In NeedLincoln, NE 68521Leadership: Beatty Brasch, Founder (2003) & Executive DirectorWhat They Do: Refugee Resettlement Assistance Help provide community resources, instruction on how to use medical services, help applying for housing assistance, green card assistance, citizenship and travel documents, employment authorization card Interpretation services Free services assisting eligible applicants through the entire naturalization process, including classes and mock interviews to help pass the U.S. naturalization exam New American Task Force (NATF)Lincoln, NE 68508What They Do: A network of 40 public and private organizations that work together to support New Americans in Lincoln Collaborate to assist New Americans with overcoming the challenges of arriving in a new country, such as language barriers, finding employment, housing, and education Asian Community and Cultural CenterLincoln, NE 68510Leadership: Sheila Dorsey Vinton, Executive DirectorDuy Linh Bui, Programs Coordinator What They Do: Offer free language classes, advanced writing classes, and citizenship classes Organize cultural celebrations Good Neighbor Community CenterLincoln, NE 68503Leadership: Zainab Al-Baaj, MENA Hope CoordinatorWhat They Do: MENA Hope Project Provides assistance to refugees and immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa Collaborate with resettlement agencies to help them transition to their new homes Families given priority to shop for clothes and food at the center, as well as enroll in classes Friday Women Classes: cover many topics ranging from health, public safety, cooking, employment etc. English Classes, GED classes, Computer Classes MENACTIVITY: Program sponsored by the Community Health Endowment and KENO grant to help women and children get exercise at a local gym once a week. The program is in place especially for women whom cannot exercise in public due to their religious and cultural obligation to wear a hijab.         Newspaper Articles:“Lincoln Designated a Welcoming City for Immigrants”Written by Jordan PascaleJune 21, 2013Article on Welcoming America declaring Lincoln, NE one of the Top 10 most Welcoming Cities in America, and mentions some of the organizations in place that work to make the city “welcoming”, including NATF.http://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-designated-welcoming-city-for-immigrants/article_5ca2fb0a-e802-560d-b764-46a6a6d473f5.html “Arab Spring Refugees Bring Memories of War, Revolution to Nebraska”Written by Ben BohallMay 31st, 2012Tells the story of two refugees in Lincoln from Tunisia and Libya, and the civil wars and revolutions that both of their home countries endured during the Arab Spring.http://www.kvnonews.com/2012/05/arab-spring-refugees-bring-memories-of-war-revolution-to-nebraska/ “Lincoln High School Student Hopes to Help Refugees Connect”Written by Veronica OrtegaApril 4, 2016Discusses the current state of the refugee crisis in Europe, and a high school student’s effort to bridge the gap between the two student groups of the International Baccalaureate program and English Language Learner program.http://www.klkntv.com/story/31640728/lincoln-high-student-hopes-to-help-refugees-connect  “Lincoln Community Home to Refugees from Around the World”Written by Erin MyersDecember 5, 2011Article discussing some of the major challenges refugees face when first arriving, mainly language, and what resources are in place in Lincoln to help refugees overcome these challenges.http://www.newsnetnebraska.org/2011/12/05/lincoln-community-home-to-refugees-from-around-the-world/ “Lutheran Family Services Addressing Concerns for Resettling Syrian Refugees”Written by Marjorie SturgeonNovember 18, 2015Discusses the debate between Lutheran Family Services and Governor Ricketts on whether or not to settle Syrian refugees in Nebraska. The Governor is pleading to delay the resettlement of Syrians over security concerns.http://www.kmtv.com/news/local-news/lutheran-family-services-addresses-concerns-for-resettling-syrian-refugees