KENTWOOD, MICH. — In January, President Donald Trump indefinitely suspended the U.S. refugee admission program. Despite this, support for legally residing refugees continues, thanks to the Refugee Education Center here in West Michigan, with sites in Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Wyoming.
The dedicated staff at the Refugee Education Center in Kentwood is personally invested in the well-being of their community.
Florence Umutoni is one of the center's workers, and she understands the struggles that many refugee families are facing. arriving in the U.S. in 2017.
“As a parent who's struggling, who doesn't know where to start. That's how we love our job: helping the community and be there for them," Umutoni said.
Umutoni reflects on her own experience: “As a new mom, I didn't know where to go. I didn't have that money for daycare, but because we have, we had the program that was taking this kid, that was very helpful as a mother," she said.
The center provides essential support to families fleeing war-torn countries.
Meg Derrer, is the executive director at the center and highlights their educational programs.
“We have a program for kids in kindergarten through 12th grade, which is an after-school tutoring program, and then also a summer program to help them stay up on their schoolwork during the summer," Meg said.
To better assist the families, the center employs 11 refugee navigators who can communicate in a refugee's native language.
“I look at those parents like my own mom, who doesn't speak English, like who have a difficult time and maybe a language barrier," Umutoni said, emphasizing the importance of this role.
Although there are no new refugees entering the U.S. due to the admissions pause, the Refugee Education Center remains committed to helping those already in the community.
“All of us in the ecosystem have had to sort of step in and make sure that the people who are already in West Michigan, especially the refugees who've come recently, are being taken care of," Derrer explains.
Even amid challenges, workers like Umutoni remain dedicated to providing support.
“[Refugees] used to come to me with ease; Now they ask what is happening; Are you able to help; Do you still work at Refugee Education Center with all this happening in this country right now," Umutoni said. "It makes me feel sad because they are losing hope.”
Looking ahead, the early child center will relocate to Boston Square in the fall of 2025. The new center will serve as a multicultural, multilingual neighborhood hub dedicated to celebrating diversity while continuing to support local refugees.
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