Blog

Mental Health Awareness Month

May 30, 2025

As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, Jeanne Martin, our Associate Director for Integration, shares her reflections on the importance of connected communities for mental well-being: In my first role at CWS, serving as an Intensive Case Manager, I often received referrals for clients who were having a more challenging time integrating into their communities. As friends and supporters...

Update: Honoring Our History & Our Communities

April 29, 2025

April 2025 Dear friends, Honoring Our History & Our Communities For the last two centuries, long before the creation of the United States Refugee Admission Program (USRAP) in 1980, Lancaster County has been a place of refuge for individuals and families fleeing persecution and violence. CWS Lancaster has been honored to stand in that tradition, providing hope & home to...

Neswil | Health & Family Wellness

December 10, 2024

Neswil’s journey to the United States began in his home country of Venezuela, where he lived for 21 years before fleeing to Colombia in search of safety after receiving injuries in Venezuela that resulted in the loss of his eyesight. After spending six years in Colombia, Neswil resettled in Lancaster in October 2023 with hopes of new opportunities and potential...

Ghebreslase | Legal Services

December 10, 2024

Ghebreslase, known as “Gabby,” was forced to flee Eritrea and leave his pregnant wife behind as he sought safety in the U.S. “I didn’t know she was pregnant – she had our child while I was in a refugee camp and prisons,” he shares. After arriving to the U.S. seeking asylum, Gabby was detained at the York Detention Center for...

From Security Guard to General Manager

December 10, 2024

Mohammad Jawad Matin arrived in the U.S. from Afghanistan with the hope of transitioning to an office-based career. Having previously worked as a waiter, he faced challenges in pursuing his dreams due to limited English proficiency and a lack of formal digital skills. Jawad enrolled in CWS Lancaster’s Afghan Career Pathways program this summer and worked closely with Ahmadullah Waziry,...