Refugee and Immigrant Support and Engagement
The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, Ohio
Innovation Synopsis
We are partnering with a variety of organizations including Refugee Connect, The Immigrant and Refugee Legal Center, The Jewish Federation and Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio to offer resettlement services including citizenship application assistance, accepting MARCC (Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati) IDs for library cards and helping immigrant families obtain passports for their children.
Challenge/Opportunity
Greater Cincinnati has approximately 25,000 refugees, with 200 to 300 new arrivals every year. The need for support of refugees and immigrants was revealed in a 2011 study by the Junior League of Cincinnati. The research found a lack of coordinated services for refugees in particular. In 2017 the city started an Immigrant Friendly Task Force to take concrete steps to make Cincinnati a welcoming city for immigrants.
Key Elements of Innovation
The MARCC ID provides identification to city residents, many of whom are immigrants or refugees, without other alternative ID options. Recognized by all municipal departments within the City of Cincinnati, the MARCC card was introduced in August 2017. The library was among the first organizations to recognize MARCC IDs. We host citizenship application events, events that help immigrant families obtain passports for children and multiple Refuge Connect speaker events.
Achieved Outcomes
The library is positioned as a leader for supporting refugees and immigrants. At our recent passport event for immigrant families, 30 passport applications were accepted. Typical citizenship application assistance events, which offer legal and resettlement help, see 15–25 customers. We will be participating in the Fifth Annual World Refugee Day Cup this summer which brings refugees and their supporters together for a soccer tournament on the campus of Xavier University.