This summer, the New Roots department selected three high school students from refugee families to be a part of the recently created Youth Food Justice Internship.

Refugees are often denied citizenship and basic rights in their home countries. Participants at a recent IRC naturalization workshop share what becoming a U.S. citizen means to them.

The IRC in Silver Spring held their annual job fair on May 24 in downtown Silver Spring. The event was attended by 144 refugee job seekers and 24 employer partners. In the month since the job fair, there are 87 documented client interviews and 10 refugees who have started new positions, with more new jobs anticipated.

Meet Bhanu, who was once a refugee from Bhutan and is now an american citizen and staff member at the IRC in Abilene.

Through the New Americans Campaign, the IRC and partners help immigrants and refugees become citizens in free workshops.

The IRC's Manufacturing Works Career Course help immigrants learn vocational language and skills required in technical manufacturing jobs. Read how this course is providing the skills and knowledge for refugees to advance in their careers.

Since launching our COVID-19 Crisis Prevention Fund last month, community members from all over the state have donated to help the IRC extend a safety net to our newest neighbors. In our latest update, hear from our resilient clients and our Tallahassee and Miami site leads on how we are responding to this global pandemic.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, IRC clients John, Beata, Furaha and Dezir were recently hired by a local textile manufacturer that has switched gears to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) for local emergency services departments and front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in their third week on the job, these resilient new Americans are grateful for the opportunity to work and give back to the community that welcomed them.

On February 4, the IRC in Tallahassee’s staff, refugee clients and volunteers joined fellow advocates from the Florida Immigrant Coalition and We Are All America at the Florida State Capitol for the state’s first ever Refugee Advocacy Day.

The IRC in Salt Lake City’s education program and Cotopaxi collaborated to bring a day of adventure to young refugee women in Salt Lake City.