Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service invests in Baltimore welcome center for refugees
BALTIMORE -- The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is opening its doors to a new location on Light Street.
The space will be used to connect refugees with the services that they need to start over in the United States.
The service intends to provide legal assistance, healthcare and education services to anyone who comes to Maryland looking to build a better life.
The ribbon has been officially cut at 700 Light Street, opening the doors to a new safe space for asylum seekers and refugees in Baltimore.
Members of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service say the third floor of the Baltimore Welcome Center will serve as a one-stop shop, providing social services, education, legal assistance, and healthcare resources.
"They're resilient. They're excited. They want to become contributing members of their community," Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, the president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said. "So, for us, it's being there in those first few days, those first few months, connecting them to the resources, their neighbors who are going to be there for the next 20 years."
Additionally, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service will provide mental health services to refugees given that many families experienced trauma on their journey to the United States.