Home / Arriving in South Bend

Arriving in Greater South Bend, Indiana

This page is written to provide potential arriving refugees, their helpers, ties, and the community to know what to expect from the United Religious Community of St. Joseph County (URC).

While URC will not reach out to arriving refugees under most circumstances, we are aware the refugees assigned to our community will seek information about our area, the URC, and what to expect.

The URC has worked with arriving refugees, parolees, special immigrant visa holders, and others for many years. The URC is an affiliate of Church World Services, one of the national ‘voluntary agencies’ (VOLAGS) that work directly with the US State Department and the Office of Refugee Resettlement to help place individuals.

Questions? Email urc@urcsjc.org

General Information

The URC follows the required stages of the 90 Day Reception and Placement (R&P) resettlement period.

  • Refugees and their families are assigned to URC by CWS.  These allocations may relate to the arriving people having ties to the area, previously arrived members of the same ethnic/country of origin/religious groups, languages, or the available capacity.  After URC ‘assures’ cases, CWS works with the federal government side as the families conduct final preparations such as medical screening.

    In general, the URC will try to meet the anticiapted, likely needs of the families arriving.  This will include:

    • Recruiting and assigning volunteers to assist

    • Finding temporary and/or longer-term, affordable housing

    • Exploring school needs for families arriving with school-aged kids

    • When appropriate, furnishing the apartment with required furniture, stocking food, and other welcome activities

    Funding for these activities comes from US Government sources that are assigned to URC for the families.  Each arriving member of a refugee family has the same amount of funds assigned to them which is spent on behalf of the family. 

  • Families will generally learn of assignment to US communities and travel plans with sufficient time to learn about their new community.  At the same time that refugees assigned to URC learn of their travel plans, URC will get the itinerary and arrival date.  This is when plans on where to house the family and initial appointments becomes a priority. 

    Where possible, URC staff and the arriving family will trade contact information in order to facilitate communication during the travel time.  While most arriving families will not have US equipped cell phones, most airports and flights have access to Wi-Fi and can contact URC via WhatsApp or email. 

  • URC will meet arriving refugees at their arrival point, generally the South Bend International Airport.  On rare occasions, due to flight disruptions, clients may arrive by ground transportation, but URC will ensure that families are met at the airport or alternative location. 

    Upon arrival at South Bend Airport:

    • Refugee families, after all the family members are accounted for, should follow the signs and other passengers to the exit that points to ‘Baggage Claim/Ground Transportation’; the SBN airport is small and has one exit. 

    • Families will be greeted near the security checkpoint, luggage claimed and then they’ll be  transported to their housing

    • Arrival funds in the form of cash will be provided and signed for by the family and URC representatives

    • A temporary phone(s) will be provided to the family, if needed, to ensure they have access to 911 emergency services and staff

    • An appropriate warm meal will be provided at the housing site

    • The arriving family members will provide access to their arrival documentation and will be asked to provide authorization to URC to begin applying for new addresses, benefits, etc.

    • If needed, clothing for cold weather will be provided if it is a cool part of the year

    • A short orientation to the housing, community and URC will be conducted

    Within 24 hours:

    URC staff and volunteers will visit with the family at their housing at an agreed upon time and go over (in more detail)

    • Orientation to URC services and the community

    • Applications for service (medical, food benefits, and others)

    • English skills initial assessment

    • Work readiness

    • School plans for children

    • Health care appointments

    • Other appointments