Tolassa Elemaa put his dream of being a world-class runner on hold when he became a refugee. But on Nov. 4 he completed the New York City Marathon.

In February, refugee youth in the IRC in Silver Spring’s After-School Program learned the meaning and importance of civic engagement by participating in their first ever community service project at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, MD. Youth toured the organization’s facilities, learned about the services it provides and people it serves, and then spent the morning helping with different projects, such as sorting books, folding clothes and moving furniture.

The IRC's Advocacy Coordinator has been meeting with community groups and members of the Legislature and Congress to build support for refugees in the state.

New GenR member Jenny Ma writes about how she got involved and her first Food Stories: From Burma to the Bay event.

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.

The IRC's Welcome to Maryland Fund supports humanitarian immigrants arriving to the U.S. and resettled in Maryland.

On Saturday, September 14, 2017 the International Rescue Committee in Silver Spring and Play-Well TEKnologies invited refugee youth, their families and the local community to come together for a day revolving around connection, community, and most importantly, play. Refugee youth and their families built their hometowns and countries out of LEGO bricks, and then the local community was invited to build Washington, DC with them out of 40,000 LEGOs.

Phoenix and America must, day in and day out, live up to the legacy, and the strength, of our “common immigrant heritage.”

Bike Walk Wichita provides bicycles, helmets, lights, reflectors, and locks to newly arrived refugees to help them get to work on time and build self-sufficiency.

Help make refugees welcome this holiday season! Your contribution will help families in more ways than one.