As the year draws to a close, many of us begin to reflect on the past and resolve for better things in our future. But what if it really were a brand new beginning? The refugees resettled with the help of the IRC New York Regional Office have truly begun again, and they are stronger for it because of your critical support.
With the New Year upon us, I ask for your renewed generosity so that IRC NY & NJ can continue serving refugees with comprehensive, crucial services that make the building blocks for new lives. Your tax-deductible gift will support refugees with housing, cultural orientation, literacy and employment services, youth programs and immigration and civic engagement.
It's been a tough year. At home, many of us have had to make hard choices. Abroad, wars rage on and people flee for their lives in places like Iraq, Burma, Sudan and Congo.
But the legacy of war and persecution is not only on distant shores. A few individuals who have survived and persevered have been given a rare opportunity to start anew. These are the refugees we see every day at the IRC in New York and New Jersey. They made it here. They beat the odds. Despite persecution and unspeakable loss: they made it here. They are our neighbors, riding beside us on the subway or holding up an umbrella in the rain.
Now, in their homestretch, facing their final challenge to find peace and stability for themselves and their families, they need us. Newly arrived refugees are poised and determined to live out the promise of highest ideals of solace, freedom and community. And, in so doing, they stand to contribute so much to our communities. They need our help on this final leg of their journey.
At IRC, we take our commitment to refugees seriously. And, we take your contribution as a remarkable act of faith in us. Of every $1 IRC spends, 90 cents directly support our programs.
Please make a gift to IRC-NY & NJ and help our refugee neighbors make it home - at last.
From now through December 31, every online gift will be matched. Make a tax-deductible contribution to IRC-NY & NJ and your gift will go twice as far: www.theirc.org/donate/donate-now-new-york
Best wishes for a New Year filled with joy and renewal.
Sincerely,
Kelly Agnew-Barajas
Executive Director, New York & New Jersey
