Shaheen Visits St. Raphael’s Parish to Meet with and Discuss Efforts to Support Ukrainian Refugees
(Manchester, NH) – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, visited the Community Center at St. Raphael’s Parish to learn more about its work with St. Anselm College’s Meelia Center for Community Engagement to support refugee and immigrant families that have resettled in the Manchester area, including Ukrainian refugees. Shaheen was joined at this event by families from Ukraine, Peru and Honduras. Photos from today’s event can be found here.
“Today, I was glad to meet with individuals from Ukraine, Peru and Honduras to hear about how St. Anselm’s Meelia Center for Community Engagement is providing support and resources for those who were forced to flee their home countries—some that are ravaged by war like Ukraine,” said Senator Shaheen. “I'm pleased to have secured federal funds to support this important program and am proud of the work being done to help welcome these families to the Granite State.”
In government funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2023, Shaheen secured $600,000 for St. Anselm’s Meelia Center to expand their staffing and operational capacity in order to provide more support for refugees and their families, particularly Ukrainian families that have resettled in the Manchester area. These funds are being used to build on existing Meelia Center programs that provide support for families during their transition to life in New Hampshire, including resources to meet their basic needs and connecting them with essential services.
A member of the U.S. Senate Ukraine Caucus, Shaheen has led action in the Senate to support Ukraine in response to Russia’s assault. Shaheen has led multiple bipartisan delegations to Ukraine and met with President Zelenskyy and members of his Cabinet. As Co-chair of the bipartisan U.S. Senate NATO Observer Group and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee that oversees U.S. policy towards Europe, Shaheen is a leading policymaker on efforts in defense of democracies around the globe amid Putin’s efforts to destabilize the continent.
###
