What makes a house a home? While many associate “home” as a place you return to every day to rest, home can also be a sense of comfort, stability and belonging. Many clients resettled by the ̽ѡ in Silver Spring come to the U.S. searching for this stability, with only their suitcases and immediate family members in tow, leaving behind loved ones, a support system and their homes. 

A group gathered in a living room
Photo: Noah Klose/Home Not Borders

Upon arrival, resettlement agencies, such as the ̽ѡ, ensure that housing for refugees is ready to live in, complete with beds, linens, storage, tables, chairs, cookware, towels, cleaning supplies and more. 

The ̽ѡ in Silver Spring partners with to furnish homes for incoming families prior to their arrival. HNB is a community-based organization that provides the refugee, Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) and asylum-seeking population of the D.C. area with what they need to thrive and feel at home in the U.S. HNB accepts of household items and recruits volunteers to set up the apartments, transforming vacant units into inviting and safe spaces for families to call home. 

HNB has provided a tremendous service to the ̽ѡ’s clients, even during times when resources were stretched thin and the number of arriving clients surpassed those of previous years. In August 2021, when thousands evacuated Afghanistan, HNB quickly mobilized their team to support the ̽ѡ and other resettlement agencies. Since then, HNB has furnished over 200 homes for ̽ѡ clients.  

The ̽ѡ in Silver Spring is proud to partner with HNB in creating a welcoming community for all beginning with the building block of long-term self-sufficiency – a house that is a home.