Providing Basic Human Needs Comcast Newsmakers
This piece originally appeared on Comcast Newsmakers on Oct. 2, 2019.
There are more than 600,000 foreign-born individuals in Michigan, 70 percent of whom who live in southeast Michigan. Michigan is ranked fourth in the country for the number of refugee acceptances since 2012. The number of refugees entering Michigan has declined by 85.7 percent since fiscal year 2016. Mariam Noland, President of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan discussed the importance of coming together as a community to make a long term difference with Comcast Newsmakers.
Noland spoke on the changing needs facing immigrants and refugees that have developed in recent years.
As the need for support continues to evolve, nonprofits are working hard to effectively deploy resources, such as conducting “know your rights” campaigns; providing direct human services and referrals; serving as a hub for community activities; providing direct legal services, and much more.
The Community Foundation, along with Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees and The Kresge Foundation, have partnered to form the Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative to help address these issues.
The current total investment in the Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Funder Collaborative is $450,000 over two years — a small figure compared with the overall need. But it is an important first step in bringing the philanthropic community together to strategically address the needs of immigrants and refugees in our region.
In the coming months, the Collaborative will work with key stakeholders and community members to determine the most impactful way to provide support.