The Junior League of Cincinnati (JLC) is pleased to announce the hiring of Robyn Steiner Lamont, who will serve as the first Program and Administrative Director for the organization’s RefugeeConnect project.

Lamont will be responsible for responsible for the implementation, management, supervision and evaluation of RefugeeConnect’s programs. She will work collaboratively with project leaders and committee members to implement quarterly Refugee Empowerment Initiative forums at Xavier University, manage the virtual resource center as well as physical aspects of meeting and connecting refugees to necessary services and volunteers, and will be integral in RefugeeConnect’s leadership and development of ESOL programming for refugees in Greater Cincinnati.

Lamont comes to the Junior League of Cincinnati Robyn Steiner Lamont comes to Refugee Connect with expertise promoting diversity initiatives and working with international populations locally and abroad since 2007. Robyn’s previous experience with the refugee community includes managing the Refugee Resettlement employment programs at Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio where she focused on engaging local businesses and improving the quality of life for refugees in Cincinnati. She launched a holistic job readiness curriculum, grew volunteer and intern training and participation opportunities, and empowered over 80% of newly arrived refugee adults to meet their self-sufficiency goals through over 100 job placements in less than one year.

Additionally, she brings dynamic policy experience having educated the Ohio State Legislature on nonpartisan health outcomes research as a member of the team at Health Policy Institute of Ohio.

Robyn holds her MSW (Master of Social Work) from The Ohio State University, BA from Miami University and is a licensed social worker. With experience in micro and macro approaches to problem solving and community building, Robyn has over 10 years’ experience working with children and young adults from early childhood through college with much of her career focuses on supporting others through life’s transitions.

Robyn was nominated and awarded as a YWCA Rising Star in 2014, is a member of National Association of Social Workers, and is a graduate of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati’s LEAD (Lead, Education, Act, Develop) program, where she now serves on the Planning and Allocations committee.

About RefugeeConnect:
The RefugeeConnect project educates, unites, and engages Greater Cincinnati to improve the lives of resettled refugees. Its primary goal is to construct a sustainable support system through a physical and virtual resource center, which will connect refugees with available resources in the community.

At any given time, there are from 12,000 to 25,000 refugees who live in the Greater Cincinnati area, primarily coming from Bhutan, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burma, Vietnam, Russia, and Iraq. Annually, approximately 200 refugees are relocated to the Greater Cincinnati region through resettlement agencies.

In the U.S., resettlement agencies assist refugees to relocate by providing three to six months of government-funded assistance. However, this time period does not adequately address refugees’ longer-term acculturation needs. RefugeeConnect was established to focus on closing this gap by assisting refugees to overcome language barriers and access needed services. Bridging these gaps for a time period unique to each family helps refugees attain self-sufficiency and build a more productive life in Cincinnati.

No other organization is holistically looking at these issues across Greater Cincinnati. RefugeeConnect is the only organization focused on education and advocacy for refugees in all of Greater Cincinnati.

About the Junior League of Cincinnati:
The Junior League of Cincinnati has been a part of the Greater Cincinnati community for more than 95 years and has almost 1,000 members across all social and professional strata. It is committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. As a service-based, non-profit organization, the Junior League of Cincinnati educates its members and the community about current public affairs to strengthen its ability to make an impact on the lives of those it serves. For more information, please visit www.jlcincinnati.org.

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JLC Media Contact: Emily Ryan, Emily.ryan3@gmail.com, (513) 205-9176 (cell)