Moving to a new country can be an overwhelming and isolating experience for anyone. Refugees who are forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence and/or persecution face particularly acute cultural, emotional and financial challenges during the resettlement process. IRC's HOME Program pairs volunteer groups with refugee families to help ease their transition into life in the U.S. through mentorship and financial and material support.

This year’s Holiday Drive was met with excitement and joy. Every year, the IRC in NY hosts a Drive to support refugee and immigrant families preparing for the winter season. Having to resettle or navigate a significant wave of economic insecurity, many families are in need of warmer coats and winter accessories.

Win Tin and his family were resettled in Dallas from Thailand in 2015. He is in the eleventh grade at Emmett J. Conrad High School. This past summer, Win Tin participated in the Youth Food Justice Internship at the IRC in Dallas, and was asked to write about his experience.

Amidst dramatic drops in refugee arrivals across the nation, the IRC in Boise headed to the Idaho State Capitol to advocate for continued support of resettlement programs and refugee communities. At the Refugee Appreciation Luncheon co-organized by the IRC in Boise, senators and representatives tasted food from refugee-owned businesses, mingling and asking questions of refugee community leaders in attendance. Meanwhile, the IRC in Boise's Advocacy Team met individually with Idaho's majority and minority leadership and the staff of congressional delegates.

Refugees and asylees often face difficulties in resuming their careers once resettled in the U.S. The IRC in NY is working with an extraordinary Special Immigrant Visa holder, Tamana, to rebuild her career in education.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City has dedicated the past two years to helping over 600 Afghan evacuees resettle to Utah after fleeing upheaval in Afghanistan at the end of 2021. The Hilal family is one among the many families who graduated from the IRC programs. Ayazudin and his wife came to the United States with their six kids. They remember packing their life into just four bags and escaping to the U.S. with $100 total in their pockets.

The IRC in Northern California is pleased to provide our local and national partners with opportunities to engage directly with our programs in a meaningful way. Through volunteer events, small corporate groups work together to deliver their unique assistance and expertise directly to the IRC's refugee and asylee clients. All activities can be paired with an education session that teaches participants the basics of refugee resettlement.

Sacramento is the largest resettlement location for refugees in the nation. Twelve teams made up of refugees from Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria, played soccer at World Refugee Day at Papa Murphy's Park on Wednesday, June 20, 2018.

These students received a life-changing opportunity to resettle and study in the U.S. thanks to a new partnership between Arizona State University and the International Rescue Committee.