LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Imagine leaving your home, moving to a new country and starting all over again - learning a new language, a new monetary system, new laws, customs and cuisines. A nonprofit organization in Lawrence is dedicated to helping newcomers adjust. Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees, or AIR, is in this month's KPR Community Spotlight. KPR's J. Schafer spoke with AIR's president Chuck Olcese to find out how his organization is helping new arrivals.
Last year we launched a new program to help spread the word about local community organizations, and we're nearing the end of our second year! KPR’s Community Spotlight gives these organizations an opportunity to spread awareness using KPR’s airwaves each month. Our October 2025 spotlighted partner is Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees.
Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees is a private sponsor group intending to resettle refugees and other immigrants in the Lawrence, Kan., area. We partner with and empower immigrants and refugees by assisting with finding housing and jobs, obtaining social services and education, and assimilating culturally. Our goal is to help families and individuals to recover from the trauma of being displaced from their homes because of war, famine, persecution, or other events: and to become fully independent, responsible members of our community.
You can follow Assistance for Immigrants and Refugees on their website.
To learn more about KPR's Community Spotlight program, visit our webpage.
