New Americans Grand Rapids

  • Community
  • Crisis
  • Employment
  • Equality
  • Family
  • Housing
  • Refugees

Who We Are

Samaritas Refugee Resettlement Programs in Michigan

Refugees are people of all ages who are forced from their own countries by war or political unrest and who cannot return for fear of persecution because of their race, ethnicity, religion or political affiliations. Many spend years in refugee camps before they are given permission to enter the United States. They arrive with little more than the clothes they are wearing.

Refugees come here seeking protection and a chance to build a new life. They are eager to learn, to work and to become productive contributors to society. As they become settled, they build businesses, create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, fuel the economy and strengthen the tax base, enriching their communities.

refugees welcome

What We Do

Largest Refugee Resettlement Agency in Michigan

As one of the largest refugee resettlement agencies in the state, Samaritas has resettled thousands of people from dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. Samaritas has been the Michigan affiliate of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service since the 1950s.

We serve as a liaison with local K-12 schools, helping students with English instruction, translation and social adjustment. We help refugee parents understand the school environment and become more involved in their children’s education, and also provide support and resources for teachers of refugee students.

We can translate documents from the following languages into English: Arabic, Bosnian, Croatian, Russian and Serbian. Documents can also be translated from English into any of these languages.