Refugee Youth Services Program Wins National Award and Annie E. Casey Foundation Grant

Nashville, TN – Refugee Youth Services, an innovative program launched six years ago in Nashville by Catholic Charities of Tennessee, is the recipient of the Family Strengthening Award from Catholic Charities USA. The prestigious national award is accompanied by a $25,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Refugee Youth Services is one of only three programs nationwide chosen to receive the award and $25,000 grant, which recognize and reward exemplary family strengthening programs.


“We began this program with a vision to meet the many special needs of refugee youth and their families by providing multi-faceted services,” said Jennifer Escue, program director who helped launch the program in 2004. “This award is confirmation that visions can be transformed into actions and those actions can transform lives.” Escue will accept the award in Washington, D.C. at the Catholic Charities USA Centennial Celebration in September that will be attended by several thousand people from across the nation.

When the Refugee Youth Services program began in 2004, it had one full-time employee and one intern who primarily provided tutoring and socialization services to 16 teens. Today, more than 200 young refugees and their families are helped each year through a comprehensive program that employs five people full-time. Currently, the program serves young refugees, ages 5 to 18, and their families from Burma, Burundi, Congo, Sudan and Somalia.

Success in school is a major focus area of the program. Staff members help children and youth navigate the public school system through a range of programs that include training for school personnel, parent and student orientation, school liaison services and case management, academic enrichment and tutoring, mentoring and a variety of additional cultural enrichment opportunities to help prepare everyone for success. Last year, several Somali Bantu teens who had participated in the program graduated from high school. The staff also focuses on cultural orientation and socialization skills for youth and their families. For example, resettled families are taught how to use American-style toilets and appliances. They are helped to understand American laws, holidays and traditions.

“This program is about helping refugee youth get used to a new culture, learn a new language, and feel more comfortable in a new country,” said Josh Tinius, an employee of Catholic Charities who has worked with Refugee Youth Services for four years. “Children and teens naturally face many challenges in life. The refugee youth we serve have to face and overcome additional challenges and obstacles.”


Catholic Charities Refugee Youth Services is grateful for the support of a variety of community resources as it works to meet the needs of the young refugees and their families. For example, a classroom at Hillcrest United Methodist Church is the location of a summer session for children from several countries who play with puppets to act out situations such using a telephone to call the police or going to the dentist or doctor for a checkup. Other churches and various community centers also offer space for meetings. Throughout the year, the young refugees visit places such as The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the public library, YMCA, and Adventure Science Center.