About Us

Our mission is to empower refugees to become self-sufficient and integrated into their new communities. PRC focuses on three broad areas to achieve our mission and outcomes:

Direct Service to Refugee Families: Serving the needs of the refugee population in the areas of case management, education, health, cultural adjustment, and employment.

Education & Outreach: Creating opportunities for refugees and Pittsburghers to build relationships and become knowledgeable about one another.

Advocacy & Research: Advocating for refugees on a local, national and international level.

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1. Direct Service to Refugee Families

Case Management and Direct Service – working one-on-one with refugee children and families to respond to their concerns and needs with customized services.

Cultural Adjustment Services – culturally sensitive assessment and counseling for refugee families and individuals; bilingual dissemination of information on accessing community resources; follow-up of referrals for social, medical, education and employment services; translation and interpretation.

Health Promotion for Women and Children – prenatal and postnatal support for mothers and culturally sensitive workshops to educate parents on the importance of proactive, preventative healthcare.

Education and Employment Assistance – helping families to access affordable childcare, aid in applying for jobs in order to secure a steady income, and connect with advanced education opportunities.

2. Education & Outreach

Community Tutoring Program –an in-home supplemental English language tutoring program for refugees facilitated by community volunteers.

Mom & Baby Program – a volunteer program to link Pittsburgh mothers with refugee mothers with newborn babies. Volunteers collect items for newborns, share parenting tips, and provide mothers with some needed respite.

Community Outreach and Education – educational presentations to the broader Pittsburgh community in order to increase their understanding of refugee issues.

Training for Local Service Providers – customized training programs for education, healthcare, social service and other community professionals on how to work with refugee populations and how to address their unique needs.

Raise Public Awareness – encouraging community support of the refugee population through ongoing outreach and public education events, while promoting the benefits of living in a society rich with racial, religious, cultural, and language diversity.

3. Advocacy & Research

Linkages with Housing Resources – advocating for safe and affordable housing for refugees.

Educational Advocacy – advocating with schools and local agencies to ensure refugee children’s needs are being met.

Encourage Refugees’ Civic Participation – promoting the value of open communication, optimal decision-making, civil rights, and volunteerism.

Global Advocacy - assisting refugees in camps in their attempts to end warehousing

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Expertise in Working with Refugees

PRC leadership and board members have conducted community presentations, taught university courses on refugee issues, and coordinated a volunteer network for refugee families. To enhance the cultural adjustment process and promote cross-cultural understanding, PRC relies on the following resources:

• A network of native language speakers.
• Former Peace Corp volunteers knowledgeable about the culture, customs and traditions of specific refugee populations.
• Linguistically-appropriate and culturally sensitive instructional videos and written materials.

Leadership

PRC’s Executive Director, Khadra Mohammed, is a native of Somalia and has twenty years of experience in working with refugee populations, both in the US and in refugee camps in Pakistan and Kenya. In Pittsburgh, for the past eight years, she has advocated on behalf of local refugees and brought awareness of refugee issues to the attention of the greater Pittsburgh community.

Ms. Mohammed is also a published author of several children’s books. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction in 2005, and was honored with PUMP and Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2005 40 under 40 Award, celebrating 40 people under the age of 40 whose creativity, vision and passion enrich the Pittsburgh region.