Efforts to improve the lives of Utah's 20,000 refugees got organized Monday at the first meeting of the new Office of Refugee Services governing board.

With the backing of the Legislature, the governor and the Salt Lake County mayor, an 11-member board began a statewide effort to coordinate and better underwrite refugee assistance programs.

Board members committed to filling gaps in services to refugees as well as raising public awareness of the daunting task people face trying to find a new life after being displaced by dangerous social strife in their home countries.

The difficulty for this board will be dealing with a list of issues like housing, employment and language training that are each a top priority, said Palmer DePaulis, facilitator and executive director of the Utah Department of Community and Culture.

"Today is the start of officially closing the gaps in refugee services and a fulfillment of an obligation given to us to develop the comprehensive plan to do so that Governor Huntsman and Mayor Caroon have been calling for." DePaulis said the effort to coalesce work for refugees would be greatly assisted at the start if Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker joined in as well. Other officials as well as the general public will be asked to donate time and money to the effort. "We're very interested in people getting involved, but we'll wait to put out that call when we're at a point we can put it to most immediate and effective use." The needs of refugees have become as diverse as their increasing numbers, said Aden Batar, a board member and director of immigration and resettlement for Catholic Community Services in Salt Lake. "There are a lot of services and a long list of needs that need to be unified and prioritized," said Batar, a refugee from Somalia who fled to the United States 10 years ago.

The focal point at the beginning will be "capacity building," Batar said, including building the capacity of the refugees to help other refugees through their association. "Looking back, we have come a long way, and we have never had as much support, so we must make the most of the most of the political strength of this moment," he said. "Today we have people coming from all over the world. Making sure we not only offer the help but actually provide assistance in plugging into those services are the key issues to me." The general goal of the new refugee services coordinating effort is to facilitate the standing goal of helping refugees become self-sufficient within six months after arriving.

All existing state, county and private-service providers are being asked to make a "good faith effort" to hold themselves accountable for the successful delivery of services to refugees throughout the state, DePaulis said. "Each government entity dealing with refugees is to report back to the new state office the steps they intend to take to fill in or reduce the gaps cited by the working group."

Resettlement can be anything but settling for refugees, who find themselves suddenly destitute and alone, unable to speak English or negotiate what can be daunting tasks in a new culture and place — from finding housing to getting to the grocery store.

"We can't do everything, but the things we do and services we provide need to be as available and efficiently run as possible," he said.

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