Refugee Resettlement Services

Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS) welcomes individuals of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds. SFBFS’ 43-year history of responsiveness is manifested in our evolution from a food bank and pantry to a provider of services for lifelong Sacramento residents, as well as immigrants and refugees who wish to call Sacramento home.

Working in partnership with the Diocese of Sacramento, SFBFS began offering Refugee Resettlement Services in 2015 through a collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) Office. Using criteria established by the United Nations, “refugees” are designated as those who have fled their country of origin due to persecution based on race, religion, nationality, social group or political affiliation. Of the estimated 70.8 million refugees seeking asylum worldwide, less than 1 percent are able to earn the U.N. designation as refugees. Even fewer are able to resettle in their designated country.

Refugee admission quotas into the United States are determined annually by the U.S. president. Though the number of allowed admissions has plummeted in recent years, Sacramento continues to receive a high proportion of well-trained and educated Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders. These special visa holders and their families have served our country faithfully as members of the U.S. military, foreign embassies and various government agencies. Special immigrant status allows these highly trained men and women and their families to become legal permanent residents upon arrival. They can then apply for citizenship after five years of living in the United States.

USCCB is one of ten national agencies that contract with the United States State Department, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). SFBFS is the smallest of the five resettlement agencies located in Sacramento. From January 15, 2015, to June 15, 2023, SFBFS welcomed, oriented and resettled 1,254 newcomers to Sacramento County.

Other Sacramento Resettlement Agencies

• Opening Doors, Inc. (CWS)

• International Rescue Committee

• World Relief Sacramento

• Lao Family Community Development (USCRI)

National Resettlement Agencies

• Church World Service (CWS)

• Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)

• Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM)

• Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS)

• International Rescue Committee (IRC)

• U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)

• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS)

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

• World Relief Corporation (WR)

• Bethany Christian Services (BCS)

Services Offered

SFBFS is a place for hope and prosperity, a place where all who seek our services are offered the tools they may need to create their best life. SFBFS plans each refugee family's first 90 days after arrival to the U.S. Resettlement team members furnish appropriate housing, receive the family at the airport and provide them with essentials such as food, clothing and household needs. SFBFS also connects each family to valuable resources, assists with signing up for all applicable benefits including CalFresh, enrolling in English as a Second Language classes, job placement, training programs, scheduling medical appointments, adjusting to life in the U.S., registering children for school and much more. To learn more about SFBFS’ Refugee Resettlement Services, please call (916) 456-1980.

Click here for the step-by-step process for refugee resettlement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Donate to Support Refugees

Your donations are needed to support newly arriving refugee families. Please consider a financial donation as a way of helping refugee families arriving in Sacramento to settle in successfully and integrate into our community.