Amid federal funding cuts forcing staff reductions, Ascentria Care Alliance is working to maintain its ability to provide refugees coming to New Hampshire with services.

“Our office is still open. We’re still there, and we’re doing our best to pull together resources and plans for the individuals who we continue to serve,” said Gary O’Neil, chief social innovation officer at Ascentria. “The resolve that individuals in our organization have demonstrated has been both remarkable and inspiring.”

Ascentria, which is the primary resettlement agency for refugees coming to Concord, announced this month that it would be forced to lay off staff in that department. Five of those staffers are based in New Hampshire and 14 in Massachusetts, according to O’Neil.

The organization will maintain its presence in the capital region, and remains committed to continue serving families in New Hampshire, both by pulling in help from other parts of its organization and by collaborating with community partners, O’Neil said. In the first 90 days after a refugee arrives, Ascentria helps to connect them with housing, job opportunities, healthcare, English courses and school enrollment. It currently supports 90 families statewide.

Having to scale down staffing levels wasn’t their choice, O’Neil said.

“It was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make as an organization,” he said. “These cuts are incredibly painful for us. These employees are dedicated staff members who are committed to the refugees and the immigrant communities that they’re serving… they’re really not just employees. They’re truly the backbone of our mission.”

A lawsuit by multiple service agencies, including Church World Service, an affiliate of Ascentria, led a federal judge to block the Trump administration’s suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. But funding and arrivals have not resumed.

Refugees are legal U.S. residents and often wait years in refugee camps during a lengthy application and clearance process. Around 1500 have come to Concord since 2011, per state data.

Alongside its dedication to maintain its services, O’Neil said, Ascentria has a strong network ready to jump back in when resettlement programs resume, whenever that may be. Many of its staff working within this area were refugees themselves, he explained, and their connection to the work is deep.

“We have the infrastructure, we have the framework, we have the experience, we have the passion, the commitment,” he said. “A lot of this will come down to the federal government stepping in to restart what we believe is a critical component of America.”

Catherine McLaughlin can be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com. You can subscribe to her Concord newsletter The City Beat at concordmonitor.com.