There’s a new nonprofit in northwestern Pennsylvania to help war refugees resettle in the area. It’s called the Warren Area Refugee Resettlement Network, or WARRN.
Jeff Ewing is the pastor of the First Lutheran Church in Warren. It’s one of several organizations that came together to create the nonprofit.
“Basically what we're doing is trying to support refugees right now from Ukraine," Ewing said. "But we know in the future there's going to be refugees from other places in the world that are suffering from violence and war.”
Ewing said the First Lutheran Church, along with other area groups, have been helping Ukrainian refugees since 2022. But he said establishing a nonprofit helps streamline the process for everyone and helps to bring in funds.
The group helps provide plane tickets to the United States, transports refugees to doctor’s appointments and grocery stores, and provides free English classes.
Ewing says they’re currently looking to provide apartments for refugees in Warren.
“And all of that kind of takes money. So establishing the 501c3 nonprofit was a way for us to get our name out into the community and our efforts," Ewing said.
Ewing said there are already 18 Ukrainian refugees living in Warren, with at least five more on the way.
He said the community has been mostly supportive.
“We do get some pushback, but for the vast majority of people in Warren, I believe they're really supporting our efforts," Ewing said. "We have received donations from congregations, from organizations, [and] from businesses.”
WARRN has applied for several grants, but Ewing said they're still waiting to find out if they're accepted.
