News from Atlanta, GA

“Georgia has long been a leader in showing hospitality to refugee and immigrant communities and will continue to be a destination for those seeking a safe and welcoming home where they can rebuild their lives.” The IRC in Atlanta’s executive director, J.D. McCrary, provides an update on recent policy decisions and the status of the refugee resettlement program.

Last summer, the IRC in Atlanta launched a new English for Nursing Assistants program with the goal of supporting adult students with high quality English language instruction so that they can be successful in a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training and begin working in the healthcare field.

This school year, the IRC in Atlanta’s Youth Futures afterschool program began a new initiative inspired by the students’ desire to read more books, for fun and to improve their English language skills. We now hold a weekly Book Club where students read a portion of the chosen book on their own each week, then gather to discuss their favorite parts, ask questions, and connect the stories to their personal experiences.

In partnership with United Way of Greater Atlanta, the IRC in Atlanta is a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, providing free tax preparation services to refugees, SIVs and asylees from February 1 – April 15, 2020.

The IRC in Atlanta is thrilled to announce that two of our very own—Lauren Bowden and Grace Paulsen—were selected as 2019 Young Nonprofit Professionals Network ‘30 Under 30’ Award recipients!

A member of the persecuted Rohingya ethnic group, IRC case aide and resettled refugee, Safa Shamsuddin, waited five long years to swear allegiance to the country she now calls home.

Mohammad and his family arrived in Atlanta just two months ago after he received a special immigrant visa (SIV) for his service with the U.S. military in Afghanistan.

The IRC is thrilled to welcome Marian Dickson to the team as our new development director. Marian is charged with leading our Southeast Resource Development team—which supports the IRC’s locally-funded offices in Atlanta, Tallahassee and Miami—in the expansion of its individual giving programs.

On Saturday November 23, IRC in Atlanta staff, clients, volunteers and community supporters gathered at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church for our 18th annual Thanksgiving Feast.

Thank you for your interest in the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta’s Internship Program. Our interns come from schools across the nation and world and make vital contributions to the IRC in Atlanta’s work. Our internships require a commitment of at least 15 hours a week for three months and are unpaid.