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 IRC 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 IRC, ensure that housing for refugees is ready to live in, complete with beds, linens, storage, tables, chairs, cookware, towels, cleaning supplies and more. 

The IRC in Silver Spring partners with Homes Not Borders (HNB) 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 donations 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 IRC’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 IRC and other resettlement agencies. Since then, HNB has furnished over 200 homes for IRC clients.  

The IRC 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.