It was October 16, and there were over 280 people filling into SOMArts gallery in downtown San Francisco. This was GenR’s Force for Change event, where there was an outdoor bar with a DJ, and a huge gallery space full of tables of cookies and kabobs from Afghanistan, salads from Burma, and sweets from Syria. In a black box room off to the side of the gallery, there were huge photographs, propped up on easels, of refugees girls ages 8 through 11 embodying what they want to be when they grow up. The girls, who live all around the Bay Area, were posing as doctors, lawyers, and rock stars, in culmination of an empowerment workshop called The Vision Project, which was formed in collaboration with IRC. Guests milled around, observing, eating, enjoying themselves, and then they were gathered around a stage in the main gallery.  This was where the speech was going to take place.

Families in Gaza face another harsh winter in tents. The IRC provides clothing and other critical supplies to those displaced and struggling to survive.

Each spring, the IRC in San Diego provides free tax preparation as part of the IRS VITA (Virtual Income Tax Assistance) program. In 2019, the program filed over 3,500 returns and generated more than $5 million in refunds for low-income San Diego families. This tremendous impact would not be possible without the hard work of our incredible volunteers, who work as IRS-certified tax preparers from mid-January through April.

Part two in a three-part series, these deep dives better explain the process of refugee resettlement in Kansas. In December, we covered the basics of who refugees are and initial resettlement in the U.S. This month, the focus is on refugee resettlement in Kansas during the first 24 months after arrival, including the efforts of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Kansas to help families positively integrate and thrive in their new community.

IRC teams report staggering humanitarian needs. People require urgent medical care, clean drinking water, tents, food and other basic necessities.

Our impact: From supporting refugee youth in their next step of their academic careers to continuing to provide life-changing case management support to asylum-seeking families, the IRC in San Diego is pleased to share a brief look into what we have accomplished this Spring.

At IRC Washington, we play a pivotal role in the local refugee resettlement landscape, providing essential services to help individuals and families transition smoothly. By partnering with Community Support Groups through our Co-Sponsorship Program, we aim to combine our resources and expertise to make a substantial and meaningful contribution to local refugee resettlement efforts.

Join us as we celebrate World Refugee Day today! For every refugee, from every walk of life, we thank you today for making our North Texas community a better place through your stories and journeys. Read this impactful story about our own, Eh Kaw Thaw, and her journey as a refugee in America.

Thank you to Fleishman Hillard for your support of our refugee families!