Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries

FIRM  serves the needs of over 6500 refugees in the Fresno area of the California San Joaquin Valley, primarily refugees of Southeast Asian, Slavic, and African origin.   We’ve developed a number of programs to meet specific needs. .

Employment Program Our Employment Program builds family independence through job development and placement, training, coaching, and mentoring.  Paula Cha is the Employment Program Director. .

Healthy Homes The Healthy Homes Program works to educate, empower and engage neighborhood residents through community organizing for healthier communities. The program teaches residents to use participatory action research to assess housing conditions for health impacts in their own homes.  Rev. Sophia DeWitt is the Healthy Homes Program Director. .

Slavic Family Support The Slavic Family Support Program implements the “Parent-Child Home Program,” a proven national early childhood and parenting program, focusing on refugee families with children ages 2-5 years in the home.  This program aims at English language development and readiness for preschool and kindergarten.  Andrey Kovalenko is Slavic Family Support Program Director. .

Hmong Health Collaborative Together with Hmong-serving organizations across the Central Valley, FIRM’s Hmong Health Collaborative organizes and educates community members around Health Access issues, as well as other relevant health concerns.  Using culturally appropriate and faith-based PICO community organizing, the programs guide New Americans to become leaders and solve health care access problems for their communities.  Rev. Sophia DeWitt is the Hmong Health Collaborative Program Director. .

Preschool Program The Family and Community Partners Preschool offers culturally relevant, high-quality, preschool services to children from underserved refugee and immigrant families in Fresno County.  The primary goal of the preschool is to prepare children to be ready for formal education.  Linda Conde is the Director of the Preschool Program. .

FIRM Family Festivals Family Festivals are our annual summer outreach programs to the Somerset community (across the street from FIRM).  We invite groups of volunteers (both local and visiting mission groups) to join us as we sing songs, play games, make crafts, and of course, slip and slide! Usually conducted over several different weeks every summer, contact FIRM to see if your group can join us.  Maggie Jamison is FFF Program Director. .

Elder Services FIRM Elder Services provides daily hot lunches to refugee senior citizens through Fresno County EOC.  FIRM provides ESL/Citizenship classes in partnership with Fresno Adult School.  An elder dance group occasionally performs at cultural and community events.  Rev. Sophia DeWitt is the Elder Services Program Director. .

Community Gardens Collaborating with churches across Fresno, FIRM facilitates community gardens for refugee families in order to support food security, physical and mental health.  Rev. Sophia DeWitt directs the Community Gardens Program. .

Lead Programs FIRM’s Lead Programs strive to educate parents, caregivers, merchants, contractors and other stakeholders about the dangers of lead to children’s brain development. Rev. Sophia DeWitt directs the Lead Programs.

.