Christchurch Resettlement Services

General information

CRS was formed in 1992 and was known as the Resettlement Family Support Project. It initially assisted 5 Cambodian families, and offered family support and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages).

Soon after that a social worker who had been providing voluntary community support was employed. This service was provided under the umbrella of the Refugee Migrant Service (now Refugee Services Aotearoa).

The project became an incorporated society in 1994, assisting 55 families, and by 1995 a second part time social worker, 2 Somali bi-lingual workers, and a social services coordinator were employed. In 1997 the project became Refugee Resettlement Support.

Between 2000 and 2005 the service continued to grow through Health Promotion and Migrant Social Work contracts, as well as funding for Mental Health work with people from refugee backgrounds.

To reflect the work the agency was doing with people from migrant and refugee backgrounds, the name was changed to Christchurch Resettlement Services, and due to increased staff numbers a move was made to new premises in Addington. A partnership was then formed with English Language Partners to deliver an ESOL literacy programme for pre-literate refugee women, with on-site care for pre-school children.

CRS is now almost 25 years old, but this is just the beginning for this amazing organisation.