A group of parishioners have joined forces with the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program to form the Saint Clement Refugee Welcoming Committee (RWC). The RWC will work with Catholic Charities to help refugees from various regions of the world during the period of adaption to their new home, Chicago. Being the descendants of immigrants (as are all Americans), the committee will strive to help these refugee families achieve self-sufficiency through the giving of their various talents and gifts.

The weekend of June 31-May 1, the committee held three informational sessions during which the committee's goals were explained to interested parishioners. At the meeting participants learned that the refugee's first three months in the USA are the most crucial as this is the only period during which the refugees have their rent and expenses covered by Catholic Charities. After this period, they are expected to become self-sufficient and assume the responsibility of supporting themselves. This goal is often quite difficult to achieve, as many refugees have often never held a steady job, having lived in refugee camps much of their lives. To make things worse, most do not speak any English.

Together with Catholic Charities, the RWC identified four main needs of incoming refugees and created sub-committees to address each of these needs: employment, housing, financial responsibility, and educational advancement.

The employment sub-committee will help refugees find regular work that suits their skillset, which is normally unskilled labor. Parishioners who own small businesses, which need unskilled labor, would be particularly useful in this instance. The housing sub-committee will work to make sure refugees have affordable and furnished housing. The financial responsibility sub-committee will work with refugees to ensure they are responsibly managing their assets and preparing for the future. Finally, the educational advancement sub-committee will ensure that all members of refugee families are constantly advancing their level of education.

The informational sessions received a good amount of interest from parishioners; however more volunteers are still needed, especially in the areas of employment and housing. Parishioners interested in getting involved are urged to contact the Refugee Welcoming Committee for more information.