TULSA, Okla. — Rising Village is not new to helping refugees and other immigrants find footing in Green Country.
Its founder Lisa Tresch told 2 News its free sewing classes help guarantee a basic need: income.
"They (go) through our training program. They would get a sewing machine at the end of it," Tresch said. "And they could take that and earn money in their homes."
In 11 years, the group has worked with more than 400 people from 27 countries.
Starting next month, the international charity World Relief which Rising Village is affiliated with will hand some of its refugee cases to the Tulsa non-profit to coordinate housing, jobs, schooling, and cultural barriers.
"We saw a spot in Tulsa where we could really help the population. We have a rockstar staff," Resource Coordinator Nathan Hughes said. "They could be any number of people, from Congolese people, to people from Burma, or Nicaragua, or Ukraine."
One of the first chances many immigrants and refugees have to get comfortable in their new home is through a Rising Village program called "Conversation Cafe", held weekly at sites like South Tulsa Baptist Church and Church That Matters.
"People will talk on the topic which is preset by the teacher," Conversation Cafe participant Yana Sherdis said.
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Sherdis has called Tulsa home for eight years after moving from Kyiv, Ukraine. The meetups have boosted English skills of almost 200 people so far, the group said, all for free.
"Once your English level is more proficient you don't have to go to English classes, but you still need some place where you can practice English," Sherdis added.
She now works full-time with refugees at YWCA. She added Tulsa is a much easier place for those seeking the land of opportunity from when she first arrived, and welcomes Rising Village's new status as a resettlement agency.
"It's a developed city. Tulsa can offer a lot of jobs for all levels of education," Sherdis said. "I think Tulsa is a good place for refugees."
Hughes said the group's biggest need from the community in the coming months will be volunteers.
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