TV actress Sarah Wayne Callies visits IRC Atlanta
IRC Atlanta was honored to host a recent visit from Sarah Wayne Callies, acclaimed star of AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead and Fox TV’s Prison Break. Ms. Callies is spending her second summer in Atlanta for the on-location filming of The Walking Dead’s second season.
She spent a day visiting with IRC Atlanta staff and viewing educational programs for adults and youth. As part of the tour, Ms. Callies met with two recently resettled refugee families in their homes to learn first-hand about their experiences adjusting to life in the United States.
Sarah Wayne Callies visits with the First Things First women's literacy class. Photo: Joeff Davis
She also took advantage of her visit to IRC’s Youth Futures afterschool program Clarkston High School to engage in a lively discussion with refugee teens on their school and social life, as well as their educational and career aspirations.
Sarah Wayne Callies visits the Youth Futures afterschool program. Photo: Joeff Davis
Ms. Callies and her husband are long-time IRC benefactors. She first became involved with IRC through her husband, Josh Winterhalt, who became acquainted with IRC’s mission and work after the family moved to New York.
Ms. Callies, who is a Dartmouth graduate, knows first-hand that refugees not only come to the United States to restart their lives in freedom, but also they make tremendous contributions to the fabric of our country. As she told a group of IRC Atlanta donors during her visit, her grandfather came to the United States as a refugee from Hungary. His daughter, a first generation American, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.
IRC Atlanta is grateful for the support of Sarah and Josh and looks forward to getting to know them more this summer.
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