Announcement
Since 1998, the International Rescue Committee in Virginia has welcomed and supported refugees, immigrants, and survivors of trafficking who have fled violence, famine, natural disaster, and persecution. For more than 25 years, our staff and the families we serve have weathered countless challenges together.
But the moment we are facing now is unlike anything we have seen. Policy changes, significant funding losses, and a sharp rise in anti-immigrant sentiment are creating urgent, destabilizing crises for families who came to Virginia seeking safety. Many are suddenly losing access to the very benefits that helped them rebuild their lives. Others are confronting new legal and financial barriers that threaten their ability to remain in the United States. The stakes are higher than ever, and the margin for error is shrinking.
That is why we are asking for your support of the IRC Virginia Emergency Response Fund. This fund allows us to respond immediately to cases when a family faces an emergency tied directly to their immigration status or the sudden loss of essential benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid. Your gift is the difference between a family staying safe and stable or falling into crisis.
To contribute to the fund, visit https://irc.donordrive.com/VirginiaEmergencyResponseFund. Please share this with your network to help expand the campaign's reach.
Your support provides direct, tangible help to families in moments when stability hangs in the balance. It covers critical USCIS application fees—often between $260 and $1,400—that can determine whether a family stays together, maintains lawful status, or secures long-term protection. It also connects clients with private immigration attorneys whose services can cost anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, expenses that are simply out of reach for many families even though going without legal representation can have life-altering consequences. Your help stabilizes households when a wage-earner is detained, ensuring that rent, utilities, and other essentials are covered so children are not thrown into crisis. And when families lose SNAP benefits, your support provides groceries and keeps healthy food on the table while the IRC team works to restore their economic footing.
Photo: Eze Amos