BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio – One refugee hopes to make Belmont County his home.
A man from Haiti recently resettled in the St. Clairsville, Ohio area and is adjusting well to life in the Ohio Valley, according to Shelley Schramm, Public Assistance Administrator for the Belmont County Department of Job & Family Services.
The man is in his twenties and has a sponsor in St. Clairsville, according to Schramm.
Belmont County Department of Job & Family Services (BCDJFS) is providing refugee services to him including Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) payments. Schramm said the man will receive $363 per month in RCA and the payments are limited to 12 months.
Schramm explained that BCDJFS does not deal with refugees often, so they sought guidance from Allen County, Ohio, where Lima is located, since that county has a large refugee population.
Schramm says the man already had documentation to allow him to work. He is now working for a retail chain in Belmont County, she said. The man also speaks English and even taught English in his native Haiti.
The State of Ohio provides refugee services to all 88 counties with federal funds. On Monday, Nov. 18, the Controlling Board of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management granted approval to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to increase appropriation authority in the amount of $17 million in 2025 to continue to provide federal funding for services to refugees in the State of Ohio.
Ohio Department of Job & Family Services approved for $17 million increase for refugee services
ODJFS says most refugees in Ohio decided to live in five specific metro counties: Cuyahoga (Cleveland), Franklin (Columbus), Hamilton (Cincinnati), Montgomery (Dayton), and Summit (Akron).
Schramm said the Haitian man loves Ohio and hopes to live here forever. She describes him as very “pleasant” and “motivated.”
