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.

While we all do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many families in Los Angeles need our support more than ever—here's how you can help.

​While the plight of war refugees is in the news, and deservedly so, the struggle of refugee families from Eritrea is not often in the headlines.  Located in Northern Africa, Eritrea is led by an oppressive regime, with few rights for its people.  Thousands flee each month in search of survival and a better life. Over the last seven years, the International Rescue Committee in Silver Spring has resettled hundreds of Eritrean refugees. Because Eritrean refugees are at risk if they are identified, the subject of our story – who we will call “H” – did not want to be named. This is her story.

A groundbreaking project, Ahlan Simsim by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Sesame Workshop, has been recognized by the 2023 WISE Awards. Ahlan Simsim has reached over 1.7 million children and their families directly with playful and educational learning opportunities in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, and over 25 million children through the award-winning locally produced Arabic-language version of Sesame Street airing across the Middle East and North Africa.

Each year, tens of thousands of refugees fleeing violence and persecution resettle in the United States, including the Bay Area. Resettlement means a fresh start and opportunity, especially for adolescent girls whose futures had been limited by a lack of access to education and opportunities and restrictive ideas about  women. Here. these girls have the chance to improve themselves, their families, and their communities. The Vision Project aims to empower refugee girls and change perceptions within their communities by providing girls with the skills and support they need to envision a positive future, and ultimately achieve their goals. The project runs three week-long workshops each year with resettled refugee girls, and each week culminates in a personal photoshoot for each girl where they embody their future selves. 

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is a unique public-private partnership that demonstrates the best of our government, communities, and programs to support refugees as they rebuild their lives in the United States. It has been an essential legal immigration pathway and a key part of U.S. immigration policy for generations, starting with the Refugee Act of 1980. Following recent decisions which indefinitely pause resettlement, tens of thousands of refugees are now stranded overseas, families are separated, and resettled refugees already here in our communities are cut off from needed support to start their new lives. The local partners who participate in the resettlement program as employers, educators, volunteers, and in other capacities are community leaders who can serve as external validators of the myriad benefits of refugee resettlement to local communities. Many are already seeking ways to contribute their perspective and position within communities to support. This guide offers steps on how to help.