Warren County Nonprofit Aids Ukrainian Refugees
The Warren Area Refugee Resettlement Network (WARRN) is making significant progress in its mission to support Ukrainian families fleeing the ongoing war with Russia.
With the help of a local attorney who provided pro bono services, WARRN has officially established itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The group has also launched a website, weresettle.org, hosts free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, and recently purchased a multi-family home in Warren.
This property will serve as temporary housing for refugee families, providing free rent and utilities for a year.
“Thanks to generous donations and grants from local businesses, organizations, and individual donors, we were able to purchase a multi-family home right here in Warren. The plan is that the families or individuals we help, will be able to stay here for one year, rent free,” explained Tom Pierotti, President of WARRN. "This will allow them time to learn our language, get adjusted, and even get a job here."
Generous contributions from the Warren County Community Foundation, Jefferson DeFrees Foundation, Lutheran Foundation for Long-term Living, and individual donors made the purchase possible. The home will help WARRN fulfill its goal of giving refugees a safe and stable start in the United States.
Lead volunteer Gladys Archer has been instrumental in assisting families with legal processes and ensuring they have the resources needed to settle safely. “We’re here to make sure these families have the support they need to start over with dignity,” Archer said. "This building is just one of the many pieces that show how generous the Warren community has been, and how much can be done when people from all different paths work together in support of a group of people who have quite literally lost everything."
The network’s efforts are deeply connected to Warren’s history. One board member recently discovered that her grandmother had helped a Latvian family resettle in 1949. A letter written by the family, the Baumenis, recounts their journey to Warren on Christmas Eve and their gratitude for the assistance they received from the Lutheran church.
“When I learned about the letter, and my grandmother's connection to helping a family in 1949, it was very moving," stated Linda Kemick, WARRN Board member. "I do not live in Warren, but when I found out that there was a group in Warren through the Lutheran church, helping people out again, like my grandmother had 75 years ago, I wanted to be involved."
Through community collaboration and a commitment to supporting those in need, WARRN is building on Warren’s legacy of providing hope and opportunity for families in crisis.
For more information about the Warren Area Refugee Resettlement Network, visit their website, here.