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The ̽����ѡ in Richmond is committed to bringing our refugee clients from harm to home. As a part of that commitment, we provide them with necessities – such as clothing and household items – they will need to start rebuilding their lives here. To do this, the ̽����ѡ relies on donated items from community partners that are passed into the hands of our clients free of charge.

Living​ ​in​ ​the​ ​USA,​ ​particularly​ ​in​ ​the​ ​nation’s​ ​capital,​ ​provides​ ​endless​ ​opportunities​ ​to dedicate​ ​time​ ​and​ ​effort​ ​towards​ ​the​ ​refugee​ ​and​ ​asylee​ ​community.​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​summer,​ ​I​ ​was lucky​ ​to​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​this​ ​work​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Asylee​ ​Casework​ ​Intern​ ​with​ ​the​ ​International Rescue​ ​Committee​ ​(̽����ѡ).​ ​Kind,​ ​genuine​ ​and​ ​dedicated​ ​doesn’t​ ​begin​ ​to​ ​the​ ​scratch​ ​the​ ​surface of​ ​the​ ​̽����ѡ​ ​staff​ ​in​ ​Silver​ ​Spring.​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​privilege​ ​of​ ​witnessing​ ​and​ ​taking​ ​part​ ​in​ ​clients’ transition​ ​to​ ​the​ ​USA,​ ​and​ ​because​ ​of​ ​this,​ ​I​ ​can​ ​provide​ ​testament​ ​to​ ​the​ ​time​ ​and​ ​effort​ ​that caseworkers​ ​commit​ ​to​ ​each​ ​and​ ​every​ ​client.

The ̽����ѡ in Charlottesville is committed to bringing our beneficiaries from harm to home. As a part of that commitment, we provide them with necessities they will need to start rebuilding their lives here. To do this, the ̽����ѡ relies on donated items from community partners that are passed into the hands of our beneficiaries free of charge either through our Resettlement Store or as part of an initial apartment setup.

The ̽����ѡ in Tucson began receiving displaced Afghan families in September of 2021. All are in urgent need of safety and security. The number of families has increased due to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. The ̽����ѡ calls on the Tucson and Pima County community to come together with open arms in welcome for these families, many who risked their lives providing critical and longstanding assistance to the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

It was October 16, and there were over 280 people filling into SOMArts gallery in downtown San Francisco. This was GenR’s Force for Change event, where there was an outdoor bar with a DJ, and a huge gallery space full of tables of cookies and kabobs from Afghanistan, salads from Burma, and sweets from Syria. In a black box room off to the side of the gallery, there were huge photographs, propped up on easels, of refugees girls ages 8 through 11 embodying what they want to be when they grow up. The girls, who live all around the Bay Area, were posing as doctors, lawyers, and rock stars, in culmination of an empowerment workshop called The Vision Project, which was formed in collaboration with ̽����ѡ. Guests milled around, observing, eating, enjoying themselves, and then they were gathered around a stage in the main gallery.  This was where the speech was going to take place.