Participants in the IRC's Senior Empowerment Program made valentines for loved ones using dried botanicals. Check out photos from this fun activity!

Among the many challenges that 2020 brought to many around the world, the closing of international borders and travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic further limited the already dwindling number of refugees accepted by the Trump Administration. Prior to the pandemic, the Trump Administration had reduced the number of refugees the United States was committed to welcoming. At the onset of the pandemic, the arrivals of refugees to Tallahassee halted altogether, and it wasn’t until the end of 2020 that new families began to arrive across Big Bend communities. This time, the newly arrived families were coming from Latin America. This was a first for the IRC in Tallahassee’s short four-year history, which has historically welcomed families from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Syria.

The IRC in Salt Lake City’s Speakers Bureau educates the community about the refugees we serve and how they can get involved.

The youth team at the IRC in Silver Spring enrolled 84 middle school and high school students in our first in-person Summer Youth Academy since 2019 to empower newly arrived school-aged children to obtain the knowledge, skills and education needed to integrate, be self-sufficient and assert control over their futures.

In October, 2017, the IRC Kansas initiated it's outreach and education activities aimed at building support of continued refugee resettlement to educate, strengthen community support and enlist support from elected officials at all levels.

The New Roots program helps refugees reestablish their ties to the land, celebrate their heritage and nourish themselves and their neighbors by planting strong roots in Sacramento.

The digital inclusion program at the IRC in Salt Lake City offers refugees the opportunity to learn how to use technology to their advantage while providing access to the Internet and devices.

The IRC in Oakland's HOME program helps families with a housing subsidy, welcome home setup, and mentorship. The Jebran family from Afghanistan reflects on their past six months in the U.S. with the help of their HOME team and their hopes for the future.

Over 122 million people have been forced to flee their homes worldwide. This World Refugee Day, learn how you can make a difference.