Programs & Services

Global Connections is a refugee resettlement support center located in Wilmington, North Carolina, to enrich the lives of refugees resettling from all over the world. Global Connections operates regular cultural orientation, educational and enrichment services for local refugees. Become a ‘global connector’ and help us make real social change, locally and globally, by supporting our volunteer or donor programs. 

Our number one goal is self-sufficiency– to empower refugees to reach their full potential. Our services and referral networks will help these at-risk populations overcome social barriers and find optimal success in the United States. Global Connections also provides case management, employment, and resettlement support services. 

Through empowerment and enrichment, Global Connections serves some of Wilmington’s most at risk and impoverished community members, living in displacement from their home country due to war, violence, and/or persecution. 

 We also fundraise, host community events and provide public presentations to raise awareness to the global refugee crisis.

Assistance with children’s and adults’ school and ESL enrollment is essential for successful refugee resettlement and community integration.

Case Management:     Provide assistance with school/childcare enrollment, healthcare, housing, family unification, and referral services (i.e. immigration & counseling)

Employment Support: Job training, resume, job search/interview services, and ongoing employment support (Work Opportunity Tax Credit, post-employment paperwork and employment check-in services/training, etc.)

After spending decades in Burma as a cattle farmer, adjusting to life and employment in the USA can be a challenge. Shown above, Kathryn Polk smiles with a former Burmese client after helping him earn a Cape Fear Community College certificate for employment.

Interpretation assistance: Spanish, Karen, Burmese, Thai, Swahili, Kinyarwanda (among other African languages), French, and Arabic.

Cultural Orientation Classes: Provide educational and cultural orientation classes for refugees and other immigrants to help empower and educate them for life in the United States.

Volunteer/Global Connectors’ founder Kathryn Polk teaching an ESL class to Burmese refugees in 2014.

Community Economic Support Initiative: Through fundraising and grant-writing we will provide ongoing and emergency relief to refugees resettling in our area. We acknowledge that many adults cannot increase employment opportunities without a driver’s license, so we provide [limited] assistance coordinating driving practice hours required for a driver’s license.

Global Connector Program: We provide volunteer and donation opportunities in Wilmington, NC to help get community members involved with our diversity and social justice initiatives. Sign up online through our volunteer calendar or contact Kathryn at GlobalConnectorsILM@gmail.com for more information.

Volunteer