Who We Are
We are the Center for the Empowerment and Development of Asylum-seekers, Refugees, and Sojourners. (CEDARS)
Since 2021, a welcome team with members from area churches have worked with Church World Service (Lancaster) to resettle refugees in Lebanon County, PA. Given the changes to immigration policy that began in 2025, funding for Church World Service has been significantly cut and immigration services have largely been halted, even while current refugees living in the US continue to need support as they work toward self-sufficiency. Therefore members of our welcome team formed a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to provide refugee resettlement services such as housing, transportation, benefit enrollment, job placement, language training, etc. to refugees, asylum-seekers, and other displaced persons. In addition to Church World Service, we now partner with other refugee resettlement and service organizations including No One Left Behind and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).
What We Do
Through our networks of relief services, employment specialist, property managers, and benefit coordinators, the CEDARS helps to resource newly arrived refugees.
The first year for any new family is critical in establishing themselves in the US. Our objective is to get them self-sufficient and connected to the communities and services they need to be successful in their new lives.
Job Placement
We help refugees secure employment by assessing their skills, work experience, and language ability upon arrival. Volunteers work closely with local employers to identify suitable job opportunities and often assist with applications and interviews. Ongoing support such as transportation, ESL training, and career development services helps ensure long-term success.
Case Management
We support refugees in obtaining permanent immigration status and meeting their current refugee requirements. Our team assists with scheduling, paperwork, and navigating immigration processes. Financial assistance is regularly provided to offset application fees and medical exams.
Community Integration
Everyone desires to feel connected. Refugees and those displaced by violence and conflict are no different. But many times it takes a village, or a small town, to help newcomers feel welcome. Therefore we host social functions and other activities to help new families feel valued and welcome in the communities where we serve.
Transportation / Logistics
Life outside of a major metropolitian area can be a challenge without a drivers license or vehicle. Therefore we help resettled families get to their appointments, interviews, and even jobs in their first transitional months in the US. We also work with community partners to find affordable used vehicles to bring families one step closer to independence.
Remembering our Roots…
Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!
– Emma Lazarus (The New Colossus)
…and our Deeper Roots
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself.
– Leviticus 19:33,34