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Community members are vital to welcoming newcomers to Washington - so we asked a handful of volunteers why building a welcoming community is important to them.

It's been well over a year since the Taliban took control. At that time, it was unimaginable for Rahila and many others, but a matter of weeks, her whole life changed. She had to make the difficult decision to leave her home and her family.

Naimat grew up in a small province in Afghanistan called Ghazni with his parents, three sisters, one brother, and his uncles. With the hope of pursuing higher education and starting his own business, Naimat came to the United States where he earned a Master’s degree in Accounting.

The past year has presented many challenges for our community, but it’s also shown us the tremendous power we have when we come together as neighbors to support one another. Read about how the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ - with help from our partners and supporters - has helped newcomer families cope with the health, social, educational, and economic impacts of COVID-19.

Growing up in exile, Mulu Bahre found his place in the world when he became an American citizen. He is now eager to give back to the country that accepted him and his family.

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, dedicated to educating the public on how to prevent human trafficking. Through two anti-trafficking grants, the Ì½»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Silver Spring provides survivors of trafficking with rental assistance and case management services. Last year, the Ì½»¨¾«Ñ¡ in Silver Spring supported 43 survivors of trafficking to rebuild their lives in Maryland. 

The ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡'s Connect2Work program - a career exploration and prep program for refugee teens - took a field trip to La Marzocco Cafe & Showroom and KEXP.