For Volunteer Appreciation Month, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Salt Lake City shares the impact of Housing Support Volunteers who ensure a home is ready for newly arriving refugee families.

Natalia and José traveled thousands of miles, sleeping rough on the streets, determined to reach a safe place to raise their children.

President Joe Biden has a chance to rebuild the refugee resettlement program, which has historically enjoyed bipartisan support. The IRC takes you through the steps of the rigorous U.S. refugee vetting and resettlement process.

Through the IRC in Salt Lake City’s early employment program, Iver, an asylee from Venezuela, found a job in his preferred field as he and his family began their life in the United States.

Several young students enrolled in the IRC in Atlanta’s Dental Assistant program—a successful collaboration between our Career Development and Adult Education teams and partners at Gwinnett Dental Career Academy—were spotlighted by local TV news channel, 11Alive in March!

Recognizing the critical need for employment and childcare for new Americans, Marmot Snetsinger co-founded Little Twigs Childcare. Today, Little Twigs employs over 20 refugee women from diverse backgrounds, empowering them with valuable professional skills and creating a unique environment for the children they serve.

This community partner spotlight features Cathy Burds, CEO of Colographic, who faced hiring challenges and turned to the IRC in Denver, hiring her first refugee employee, Marcos. Overcoming language barriers, she ensured his certification and integration. Cathy’s efforts inspired industry changes and increased awareness of refugee hiring practices in Colorado, demonstrating the power of collective efforts and inclusivity.

The IRC in Salt Lake City partnered with the Rape Recovery Center to increase education opportunities focused on sexual violence prevention education, focusing on engaging groups of men and boys to access vital resources and engage in group discussion.

From Friday, March 13 and until further notice, the IRC’s offices in Tallahassee and Miami are closed and our staff is working remotely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are adapting and continuing to serve our clients during this difficult time. Learn more about our COVID-19 response and how you can help refugees and survivors in Florida communities in our latest update.

In addition to health concerns during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families faced dual concerns about dwindling food supplies. For those who came to the Bay Area as refugees and asylees, it was an unwarranted second wave of crisis to handle after the saga of arriving in the U.S.