Dear Friends,

It is my pleasure to invite you to the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) 2010 National Consultation, Honoring 30 Years of Service: Commitment, Hope, and Dignity, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. on Monday, June 7, 2010 and Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

As you may know, for the past three decades, ORR, in partnership with states and non-profit agencies, have helped refugees and other vulnerable populations achieve self-sufficiency and resettle in the United States by providing short-term cash and medical assistance, employment services, transportation, translation/interpreter services, English language instruction, case management, vocational training, and many other services. In an effort to better support the refugee community, ORR hosts a national consultation with its federal, state and local partners each year. This year’s consultation will feature several small-group dialogue sessions to facilitate consultation between ORR and its stakeholders and a listening session dedicated to refugee leaders and refugee community members. Your participation in these sessions, as refugee resettlement professionals and refugees, is critical to the success of the consultation.

Immediately following the consultation, ORR will host a working session on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 and Thursday, June 10, 2010, also at the Grand Hyatt in Washington D. C. I encourage State Refugee Coordinators, Refugee Health Coordinators and individuals working in the Wilson/Fish and Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) programs to participate in these sessions.

I hope that you will be able to join us at ORR’s 2010 National Consultation and the training days that immediately follow. I look forward to your participation in helping to expand the national dialogue on the refugee program as we highlight innovative programmatic directions, address current challenges facing incoming populations, and celebrate 30 years of refugee resettlement.

Sincerely,

Eskinder Negash
Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement