A Rough Landing

Ahmed Javed Naseh’s arrival in the United States could hardly have been better scripted. He was greeted at the airport by a friend from Afghanistan and by a staff member of the International Rescue Committee, a charity that resettles refugees like Mr. Naseh.

After helping to secure the youngest of Mr. Naseh’s three children in a car seat, they drove the family through this pleasant college town to their new two-bedroom apartment. The charity had not only found the apartment, but also made sure a hot meal was awaiting the Nasehs when they walked in.

But nearly six months after trying to start a new life, Mr. Naseh is still looking for a job. Government money he receives as a new refugee is scheduled to end next month.

Like so many others, he is a victim of the lousy economy, which has gobbled up jobs and made it even more challenging for those who lack a work history and face language barriers.

“Before, people were saying there were a lot of job opportunities available here and you will get a job like this,” says Mr. Naseh, snapping his fingers. “But when the people who are the citizens of America are losing their jobs and are ready to do whatever they can, for others it is difficult.”

Seeking Aid From Relatives

Stories like his are playing out in the International Rescue Committee’s 23 offices across the United States. In response, the charity, which has built its reputation on its work overseas, is emphasizing to donors the importance of giving to its domestic programs. Support for its work in the United States has typically made up 25 percent of the charity’s budget.

The economy’s impact on refugees is stark. In the last 12 months, the percentage of refugees who found work within four months of arrival dropped from 74 percent to 51 percent. At least 12 percent of refugees are at immediate risk of losing their housing. Some have grown so desperate they are asking relatives who still live in refugee camps for money.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on giving them a soft landing,” says Susan Donovan, who directs the charity’s Charlottesville office. “But the landing now is rougher by the day.”

The International Rescue Committee embarked on its fund-raising push last fall, based not only on the greater needs but also on conversations with donors.

“We have a sense now that people are turning their attention to domestic issues,” says Janet Harris, the charity’s vice president of development, “so the question is whether we can capture their attention and tell them about a part of our program that they, perhaps, have not been aware of.”

The charity has sent out e-mail and direct-mail appeals to new donors and people who have long supported its work abroad.

Ms. Harris and others have sought money from foundations that have previously supported the organization’s work. A direct-mail appeal featuring a caseworker in Salt Lake City who specializes in maternal and child health will be delivered near Mother’s Day.

The group has slowly begun to see some response, although its overall donations remain about 10 percent below last year’s level.

A board member put up a $500,000 matching gift to help the organization subsidize housing for refugees. The insurance company ACE, in Philadelphia, has pledged $500,000 to help refugees in four cities where it has operations. Neil and Peggy Otto, two longtime donors who serve on the charity’s donation committee, say they are trying to find new ways to help the charity’s San Diego office. Mr. Otto, an expert in fuel-cell technology, and his wife are organizing a film festival to raise awareness about global issues and also benefit the office.

In addition to the matching gift, the International Rescue Committee has raised about $863,500 so far through such efforts at the national and local level.

The new fund-raising push is not without challenges. Ms. Harris says it will be important for the national organization to avoid stepping on the toes of local offices such as Charlottesville that have been successful in raising money and have strong ties with donors.

“There’s a sincerity and an understanding that they bring to a solicitation that is impossible for us to have by swooping in from New York,” she says.

The International Rescue Committee is still trying to figure out exactly how to use the matching gift. Local offices have the chance to compete for the money based on how much they raise. Cash that comes in through the national office will probably be divided among different offices by employees in New York.

Cutting Programs

Despite fund raisers’ efforts, the recession has already forced cutbacks and will almost certainly require greater reductions in the months to come. In January, the charity closed its Boston office. Its leaders are considering possible cuts to programs overseas.

Meanwhile, the workload for resettlement charities is increasing not only because of the economy, but also because the U.S. government has slowly begun admitting more refugees after a clampdown following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Last year, Congress passed legislation that allows for the resettlement of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans whose safety is at risk because of their work with the U.S. military.

Refugee advocates are hoping the Obama administration will further ease restrictions, and will increase the amount of government support for new refugees, which has risen only slightly in decades.

Mr. Naseh, who served as an interpreter for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and was admitted under the new special visa program, says he has tried not to get discouraged by the lack of opportunity. “When Sarah asked me, if I found any kind of job, what will be your reaction, I told her, I’m not the kind of person to feel shame,” he says, referring to the charity’s employment coordinator. “Of course, you can’t find the job you want, but I am ready for any kind of job.”

“Whenever we get to a good economy, and when I achieve my goal of a job, I would like to one day come in to help other people like I’ve been helped,” he continues. “It’s good we have an organization beside us. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for a person, for a newcomer.”

Mr. Naseh, a small man who wears khaki pants and sneakers and speaks with a slight twang picked up from U.S. servicemen, recently had to postpone his job search because of a kidney problem. He is scheduled to receive surgery this month. But his wife has started looking for a job for herself, with some luck. She has a second interview with a hotel this month.

Worst Crisis in Decades

Ms. Donovan, who began her career with the International Rescue Committee in 1980, shortly after graduating from the University of Virginia, says she has never seen a situation as difficult for refugees as the one facing them today.

Her contacts with local employers have dried up, and she’s been placing refugees in positions she would never have considered a year ago. A handful are working at a chicken-processing plant that is a two-hour drive away in West Virginia. Others who were placed last year in full-time jobs at hotels and restaurants have now had their hours cut back to a few days a week.

But she remains optimistic about the future of the Charlottesville office. The town has more wealth than many U.S. cities where International Rescue Committee works, yet it does not have as many charities, nor as much competition for dollars, as a city such as Los Angeles.

The group has a fairly high profile in Charlottesville. Its office is in a former publishing plant just a block off the outdoor mall in the center of downtown, a space it shares with a Pilates studio, a pan-Asian restaurant, and a handful of other tenants. Employees work in a six-room office on the first level, and refugees take English classes and receive help applying for jobs and preparing for interviews in a room on the second floor.

On a recent Friday, a class concluded in the small room. As students filed out, one refugee asked another to translate her question to the teacher.

“He’s out today, but I know he hasn’t forgotten about you,” the International Rescue Committee employee replied to the refugee, referring to one of the charity’s job coordinators. “He is looking.”