For refugees new to the United States, the journey doesn’t end upon arrival. Bonfils from the Democratic Republic of Congo shares how his family is utilizing Uber credits during their first few months in Louisville, Kentucky.

Meet five inspirational women who have overcome adversity to break down barriers and forge their own paths forward.

Wendy Norris is the head athletic trainer at DeMatha Catholic High School. Her passion to serve stems from the memory of one of her students, a Navy SEAL, who was killed in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan.  In August 2021, the Taliban overthrew the government of Afghanistan. Searching for a way to help those who served alongside her student, Wendy signed up to volunteer with the IRC.   

Aliyah came to the US with her two children in 2016 and Maria arrived in December 2018 with her husband and eight children. Both came to the U.S. looking for a better future for their families. They are a part of the Women’s Employability Program (WEP) at the IRC Baltimore, which is program that supports women in overcoming obstacles to working in the U.S. The women in the WEP program are a network for each other.

New partnership between the IRC and Walmart Foundation to create innovative financing tools to improve opportunities for US workers to access skills training

“When I came here, I was on my own and I had to start from scratch.” That’s how Feven, a refugee from Ethiopia, felt when she arrived in the United States after fleeing persecution in her country. Alone in an unfamiliar place, Feven would say to herself, “Give yourself time,” a reminder that she had the power to choose how she will live her life.

As a former refugee from Eritrea, Yassin has a unique understanding of how the resettlement process works. Though his work as a caseworker for the IRC in Baltimore, he is able to share his experiences and assist newly arrived refugees and Asylees as they rebuild their lives.

The IRC in Atlanta is thrilled to announce that two of our very own—Lauren Bowden and Grace Paulsen—were selected as 2019 Young Nonprofit Professionals Network ‘30 Under 30’ Award recipients!

 Former IRC interns talk about how their experience working for the IRC shaped their career.