OUR
STORY
MISSION & VISION.
Mission:
To bring people & resources together to empower refugees to thrive.
Vision:
To see all refugees in Corvallis as valued, thriving, contributing members of our community.
CORE DISTINCTIVES.
Mutually Transformative
Relationships:
We believe the relationships between refugees who resettle in Corvallis and the volunteers and community members who welcome them are transformative for all parties.
Empowerment:
We believe the role of Corvallis For Refugees is to help our new neighbors discover the tools and resources they need to become confident in making their own decisions and achieving their own goals as they resettle in Corvallis.
People of Faith & Goodwill:
We believe our community is made stronger as people of faith and people of goodwill work together towards a common mission of welcoming our new neighbors.
WORLD RELIEF.
In early 2021, Salem for Refugees was approached by World Relief about becoming an affiliate site. As one of the 9 State Department-funded refugee resettlement agencies, this affiliate relationship has allowed Salem For Refugees, and now Corvallis For Refugees, to receive cases directly through World Relief and bring long-term refugee resettlement directly to Oregon.
HISTORY.
In 2016, Salem For Refugees began as a community response to Catholic Charities, piloting resettlement in Salem. For the success of this pilot, it required the community to rally around families, form mentor teams, resource teams and work together to create systems that supported refugees. This approach is called co-sponsorship. This community support helped resettle hundreds of families. As Salem For Refugees grew over the first 5 years, the desire to see resettlement as a permanent fixture in Salem grew and led Salem for Refugees to become its own resettlement agency through an affiliate relationship with World Relief and contract with the State Department.
It is from these origins that Corvallis For Refugees was born. This effort has expanded into the Corvallis community and continues to expand. There has always been interest from surrounding communities to engage more directly in resettlement, and Corvallis is a city that has an established resource network, job market and community support. Further, there have been a handful of families resettled in Corvallis over the previous years, giving some experience to community partners and potential volunteers.
Corvallis For Refugees began resettling families in partnership with Salem For Refugees in 2023 and continues to grow as staff are appointed and services expanded. We have already seen our courageous new neighbors positively impact Corvallis in many ways. It is an incredible privilege to walk alongside them and learn from them as they establish their lives in our community.