News from Baltimore, MD

Two sisters arrived in Baltimore from Cuba in June 2017 with ambitions to learn English, work, study and be independent.

Lauren Lehman speaks about her experience volunteering with the IRC as a logistics intern this summer, and about the great responsibility and privilege she feels in setting up apartments for newly arriving refugees and ensuring that they feel safe and welcome in their new homes.

This year, the IRC in Silver Spring was proud to be a partner of the Sunset Run for Refugees. This special event took place on World Refugee Day, Thursday, June 20 and brought together runners, walkers, and the greater community of the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas to celebrate refugees. This free 5k run or 2 mile walk brought out over a thousand people despite the rain.

In honor of World Refugee Day, we are selling limited edition IRC in Baltimore T shirts & a tote bag for $20 with proceeds going to our local office to support our work! Click the link for more information but hurry, the fundraiser ends July 1st!

The Welcome Home Project offers individuals or groups an opportunity to prepare an apartment and help to welcome an individual or family to their new home in Baltimore. We are especially in need of groups who can commit to multiple set-ups per year.

On April 6th, the IRC, in partnership with Play-well TEKnologies and Peer to Peer, brought 155 students and family members to the University of Maryland for a morning of LEGO-inspired learning. This was the second time that IRC in Silver Spring has had the opportunity to team-up with Play-Well TEKnologies to host a community building event for recently resettled families. “The Play-Well team uses the universal language of fun! Participants ranged from babies to grandparents, all excited to explore a new place and imagine a future at UMD.

Aliyah came to the US with her two children in 2016 and Maria arrived in December 2018 with her husband and eight children. Both came to the U.S. looking for a better future for their families. They are a part of the Women’s Employability Program (WEP) at the IRC Baltimore, which is program that supports women in overcoming obstacles to working in the U.S. The women in the WEP program are a network for each other.

Boi Pessima came to the U.S. in 2005 to reunite with her father and siblings to obtain better care for her daughter Mary but leaving her oldest son behind in Sirra Leone. Five years after receiving her green card, she applied for citizenship but was denied twice. She reached out to the immigration team at the IRC and with their support she was able to pass her interview. Now, fourteen years after her arrival in the U.S., she is a U.S. citizen and is excited to vote.

April is National Volunteer Month and the IRC is grateful for our network of over 250 volunteers and interns each year. Last year our volunteers contributed 23,304 hours of labor, the equivalent to over 11 full-time staff members. This month we are featuring an interview with our Logistics and Casework Intern, Keshet Benschikovski, a student at American University’s School of International Service, as she shares why she's proud to work with the IRC in Maryland.

Sort and receive donations, and assist clients to select clothing and household items.