Over the last decade, Louisville Metro has seen an enormous growth in its first-generation African community. This growth, sadly, is in large part due to years of war and political strife on the continent, and the resultant numbers of refugees forced to flee their homelands in search of safety, shelter, and some sense of normalcy. Louisville Metro’s three outstanding refugee resettlement agencies have been at the forefront of welcoming and assisting many of these refugees. Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Catholic Charities of Louisville, and Jewish Family and Vocational Services have all provided services to refugees from many parts of this vast continent: Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Togo – just to name a few. Each group that arrives in Louisville brings its own set of traditions, beliefs, religions, and customs and have, although small in numbers, had a huge impact on the lives of the people they touch every day. Louisville Metro proudly welcomes these diverse cultures into its communities, neighborhoods, schools and places of worship.