Crossed flags pin with American and Syrian flags

Our Initiatives

Crossed flags pin with American and Afghan flags
Pin with crossed American and Ukrainian flags
Crossed flags emblem featuring the flags of the United States and Venezuela.
 

What We’re Doing Now

CAIRS is the ‘umbrella’ organization helping to coordinate resources for our local Sponsor Circles and provides support directly to refugees in the Carbondale, IL Area.

  • Our group was formed in response to the Syrian Refugee crisis in 2016. Unfortunately, no real method of direct outreach to refugees was possible at that time since most relocations were private or took place through a few national-level agencies.

    In 2022 the U. S. State Department announced a program that would allow local organizations like CAIRS to directly welcome refugees to their communities. Unfortunately, that program is only for Afghans but CAIRS offers support to all refugees in the Carbondale area.

  • In 2021 when a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan erupted, CAIRS members again felt called to respond.

    When the Sponsor Circle program was announced through an organization called React DC, our community immediately began organizing applications for Sponsor Circles. As of January 2024, Sponsor Circles in the Carbondale area have resettled 4 families locally.

  • In February of 2022, when yet another humanitarian crisis emerged, in Ukraine this time, after the Russian invasion - CAIRS members began exploring ways to help.

    A similar Sponsor Circle Program will be set up through React DC (as of May 2022) and CAIRS would like to extend support to Ukrainians in the same manner. If you would like to sponsor Ukrainians, see our How you Can Help Page.

  • As of January 2024, CAIRS is working with multiple organizations and community members to investigate ways to relocate Venezuelan Asylum seekers from Chicago to the Carbondale area. Our goal is to get people of off the cold streets, into housing and ultimate working productive jobs to enrich our community. See our How You Can Help Section for more.

 

Active Sponsor Circles:

The Carbondale area currently has 4 active Sponsor Circles:

  • The First Presbyterian Sponsor Circle - has resettled an Afghan family to the area.

  • The Saint Francis Xavier Sponsor Circle - has resettled an Afghan family to the area.

  • The Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship Sponsor Circle - has resettled an Afghan family to the area.

  • The Heartland Sponsor Circle - has resettled an Afghan family to the area.

  • Safe Arbors Carbondale - was comprised of several members of the Saint Francis Sponsor Circle and was working to bring the remainder of that family to Carbondale. Unfortunately, as of March of 2025 Executive actions made it impossible for the family to migrate to the U.S. Thankfully, they were safely evacuated to Australia and hope to remain there indefinitely.

Carbondale's Welcoming Response to Afghan Refugees - Presented by The Carbondale Public Library

 

Relevant Media

Below are some videos and articles you might find interesting or related to refugee resettlement.

The UN and Afghanistan: Connecting Global Roads to Local Goals (UNA-USA Annual Meeting) - The Carbondale Public Library

The LWV presents: Welcoming Refugees: What Past Experience Tells Us About What Afghans Can Expect - Presented by The Carbondale Public Library