Francis Bencik
February 21, 2016
(Note: Voting for the HCSV Board of Directors will occur immediately before this Forum. See the Feb. 7 Forum write-up.)
There are approximately 19.5 million refugees worldwide and a staggering 51% are under the age of 18. A high percentage of those children, whether in refugee camps or urban centers, have lost or been separated from their families. Francis Bencik, the Community Coordinator for the Refugee Foster Care program at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, will provide an overview of how unaccompanied refugee minors arrive to the Bay Area and how one can become a foster parent or volunteer. Francis grew up in Croatia following the end of the Croatian War of Independence, and is the co-founder of Migrants Matter, an EU advocacy organization aiming to advance migrants’ rights as part of the EU agenda.