Princeton Human Services Helps Resettle Ukranian Family

Princeton NJ

01 April, 2022

11:46 AM

Description

PRINCETON, NJ — President Joe Biden recently announced that the United States would accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees and donate $1 billion to European countries facing the humanitarian crisis. But before the Biden administration could make the announcement, Princeton was well ahead of the curve. Princeton Human Services (PHS) recently helped a Ukrainian family resettle in the United States. The family was able to enter the United States because their son studied at a private school. "The family arrived in the U.S., departing from Poland in early March," Rhodalynn Jones, director of Princeton Human Services said. The family then approached Princeton Human Services in search of long-term housing, as they were unsure of how long the war would prevent them from returning to Ukraine, Jones said. "Fortunately, the family was able to secure housing in a neighboring town for the next few months." Currently, the department is helping only one family. But with the Biden administration's commitment to accept more Ukrainian refugees, Jones anticipates PHS to be assisting more families. "Now that the family has housing, Human Services is working to connect the family to legal and immigration services," Jones said. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, over 4 million people have fled to neighboring countries. The United Nations Refugee Agency said that more than 10.5 million people have been displaced either within Ukraine or abroad as refugees. The federal government is yet to provide a timeline for refugee resettlement, but many Ukrainians at the U.S.-Mexico border are currently stuck in immigration limbo, according to news reports. In a statement, the Biden administration said it will explore a "full range of legal pathways" to bring Ukrainian refugees to the United States. PHS is accepting donations from the community to help those fleeing Ukraine. "The community can help those fleeing Ukraine by making monetary donations in the form of VISA gift cards to Human Services or making monetary donations to humanitarian relief organizations such as the Red Cross, Save the Children or UNICEF," Jones said. Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email [email protected] Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news