Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune
Refugee Vanisi Ngirwanayo, from Congo, listens to English language teacher Sarah Glazer on Aug. 8, 2018, during a class at RefugeeOne in the Uptown neighborhood, one of the larger resettlement agencies in Chicago. Amid a historic decline in refugee resettlement, it has had to cut 10 positions, and once-packed English classes now have fewer than 10 students attending. 
Refugee agencies in Illinois and around the country are fighting to stay functioning and relevant as the Trump administration announces the lowest refugee admissions cap in U.S. history.
Refugees in Chicago, many of whom are already dealing with grief and trauma, have new worries of reuniting with their families.
![Talk about a cool project. Elgin-based food ingredient distributor St. Charles Trading helps provide fare for more than 1,000 people working in Antarctica. St. Charles Trading procures items for Kaiyuh Services, helping fulfill the food order for two out of three United States bases in Antarctica, said Vanessa Baker, the Elgin company’s marketing director. “McMurdo Station peaks out at around 1,000 people who rotate in and out and go into the field on different science projects, or support the other stations. South Pole Station maxes out at about 150 people,” Baker said. For this and other efforts, St. Charles Trading […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ECN-L-food-01.jpg?w=525 "Talk about a cool project. Elgin-based food ingredient distributor St. Charles Trading helps provide fare for more than 1,000 people working in Antarctica. St. Charles Trading procures items for Kaiyuh Services, helping fulfill the food order for two out of three United States bases in Antarctica, said Vanessa Baker, the Elgin company’s marketing director. “McMurdo Station peaks out at around 1,000 people who rotate in and out and go into the field on different science projects, or support the other stations. South Pole Station maxes out at about 150 people,” Baker said. For this and other efforts, St. Charles Trading […]")
![Clarendon Hills is hosting a community volunteer day May 18 as part of the village’s centennial celebration. Tasks, such as painting a church shed, collecting and transporting food donations and several spring yard spruce-ups, will be completed by participating volunteers. “It has been a great experience working with the various not-for-profit organizations in the area to plan the event as well as with the businesses that have so generously agreed to provide sponsorship,” said Lana Ferren, chairperson for the volunteer event. The committee chaired by Ferren is hoping to rally Clarendon Hills residents of all ages to sign up to […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2024/01/23/IQ6FLBJ6BZC4FCC7JQHABKXIS4.jpg?w=535 "Clarendon Hills is hosting a community volunteer day May 18 as part of the village’s centennial celebration. Tasks, such as painting a church shed, collecting and transporting food donations and several spring yard spruce-ups, will be completed by participating volunteers. “It has been a great experience working with the various not-for-profit organizations in the area to plan the event as well as with the businesses that have so generously agreed to provide sponsorship,” said Lana Ferren, chairperson for the volunteer event. The committee chaired by Ferren is hoping to rally Clarendon Hills residents of all ages to sign up to […]")