Lancaster, one of the oldest inland cities in the United States, has welcomed people for hundreds of years.

As the city’s website notes, “German immigrants, known as Pennsylvania Dutch (from “Deutsch” meaning German), were the first to settle in the area in 1709.”

Because of its long history of welcoming people, and because it had resettled 20 times more refugees per capita than the United States as a whole from 2013 to 2017, the BBC labeled Lancaster America’s “Refugee Capital” in 2017.

Pennsylvania and the Lancaster region have welcomed religious communities beginning with the Amish and Mennonite communities fleeing persecution in Europe in the 18th century. And they now serve as a safe harbor for refugees from beleaguered nations including Afghanistan, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Ukraine.

As a public regional university, Millersville University supports our region’s economic and social fabric. Now, with the assistance of Lancaster’s strong infrastructure in support of refugees, Millersville University is hosting a refugee family: a Syrian family of five — a mother and her four children — who have been granted refugee status by the United States.

It is important to note that a refugee is different than an immigrant. The United Nations defines refugees as “people forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as a result of who they are, what they believe in or say, or because of armed conflict, violence or serious public disorder.”

The main difference between immigrants and refugees is choice. A migrant is someone who chooses to move, and a refugee is someone who has been forced from their home.

Church World Service Lancaster is one of the leading agencies helping our new neighbors. The nonprofit organization declares on its website that it is “committed to showing welcome to refugees, immigrants, asylum-seekers and other uprooted people within the United States who are seeking safety and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. We believe all families deserve safety and dignity.”

The rich tapestry of the Lancaster area adds to the region’s uniqueness and assets. Lancaster has benefited greatly over the years from being a welcoming community. Immigrants and refugees have helped to stem population loss, and have brought new businesses and taxpaying workers into the county’s economy.

Among Millersville University’s core values are public mission, inclusion and compassion. Millersville is proud to be part of a growing and diverse community in Lancaster County and to support the region as an anchor institution. We have the expertise and capacity to support the area and remain committed to building the region’s workforce. We have outstanding students, faculty, and staff, some of whom are refugees themselves.

In keeping with our core values, I recently signed an agreement with the higher education initiative Every Campus A Refuge to make the university a partner that provides housing and resettlement services to refugee families with assistance from Church World Service Lancaster.

That initiative’s mission is to encourage colleges and universities to host refugees on campus grounds and support their successful integration. Millersville became the first university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to sign on. We hope other institutions in the state system will quickly follow suit and participate in this innovative community engagement model that changes lives.

The families we host on campus stay with us temporarily until they can find permanent housing in the Lancaster area. They live in a vacant single-family house on the north side of campus — away from academic buildings and student housing. It is a temporary living space while they settle into the Lancaster County community. To build their long-term development and self-sufficiency, the family receives educational and job training support from the university, Church World Service, the Penn Manor schools and other organizations.

The university has a long history and strong educational mission, with roots in addressing community needs. We have outstanding programs in education and human services. Our students, particularly in social work, benefit from working with Church World Service and other organizations. Interacting with Church World Service and refugee families allows our students to gain invaluable skills and real-world experience as they prepare for their careers in human services.

As the county’s largest institution of higher education, Millersville University’s faculty, staff and students are committed to making the region a better place. After a successful pilot program with our initial family, we are pleased to welcome a second and perhaps a third refugee family to our region. Together, we all benefit from having a welcoming and caring Lancaster!