Jamestown’s New Neighbors Coalition has assisted nearly two dozen families comprising of 89 individuals in resettling locally, the organization said in its first monthly newsletter.

To date, the coalition said families from Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Venezuela have become part of the community.

“These families have joined our workforce, enrolled their children in our schools, become volunteers at community organizations and joined houses of worship,” said the coalition, which is operated through St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown.

Volunteers have been assisting families with settling into their homes and the community; to address asylum-seeking individuals, St. Luke’s had been awarded $86,000 in the form of a state Community Service Block Grant.

“Between the months of April and September, these funds enabled St. Luke’s to employ case managers, assist with housing rental payments, provide necessities such as groceries and household items, and coordinate transportation to assist individuals,” the coalition said in its newsletter.

Members also helped in the collection of household furnishings. That included almost two dozen bicycles that soon will be donated to asylum seekers and refugees who have resettled in the Jamestown area.

The goal, according to the Rev. Luke Fodor of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, is to help the city’s “new neighbors” with transportation as some have started jobs locally.

“The socioeconomics of the community are that about 20% of those who live in Jamestown don’t have access to a car,” Fodor said recently, “so getting from point A to point B is a challenge. The city has been trying to figure out all kinds of ways of addressing this.”

He added, “Our new neighbors have the same problem. They come to this new city trying to navigate — getting from here to there for work; to get their kids to school, the same things that we need to do for our daily business. We’ve been trying to figure out how to assist them.”

St. Luke’s has played an important role welcoming asylum seekers and refugees to the community. The New Neighbors Coalition has been working with the Buffalo-based Journey’s End Refugee Resettlement agency.

To ensure the donated bikes are in good working order, the coalition has turned to Matt Canby, owner of Pearl City Cycle. Canby is donating his time and labor to inspect each bike, with about 20 already donated so far.

Mark Wilson with Wilson Endurance Sports is scheduled to host a safety seminar for recipients of the donated bikes this Saturday.

Meanwhile, the coalition said donations are still needed.

“Our grant funding has been completely expended, and new neighbors continue to arrive monthly,” the organization said. “With this sustained need, we continue to seek monetary donations to assist families.”

Items sought by the coalition include bedframes without headboards, dressers, dining and end tables, dining chairs, couches, coffee tables, floor and table lamps, and small appliances.”

Donation pickup can be scheduled for the third Monday of every month by calling 716-483-6405. Donations can be dropped off at the coalition’s storage facility between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. during the week.

The coalition also is looking to correct “misconceptions” with the city’s “new neighbors.” Among the provided talking points:

¯ all refugees who have received goods or services from St. Luke’s are here legally;

¯ all individuals have been assessed by Journey’s End Resettlement Services or by the coalition’s case management staff to establish eligibility;

¯ asylum-seekers must be physically present in the U.S. to initiate the asylum and citizenship process;

¯ refugees have been granted access and a pathway to citizenship prior to arriving in the U.S.