As any other refugee arriving to a new place to call home, Fiston had a mix of feelings when he arrived in Baltimore three years ago. He was excited to build a successful life, but he was also worried.

This summer, the IRC in Tallahassee launched a new, volunteer-led Youth program to help middle-and high-school refugee students from the Democratic Republic of Congo learn English and better adjust to their new home. The response from community members has been incredible!

We are going to take a deep dive into the process of refugee resettlement at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Wichita. This month, we’ll focus on the basics of initial resettlement, including the process a refugee must undergo to be considered for resettlement in the U.S. and the days leading up to their arrival through the eyes of IRC staff and volunteers in Wichita.

Celebrate the holiday season by empowering newly-arrived refugee families with the gift of choice: donate gift cards to the IRC in Boise!

Take a look back at some of the highlights of our work from this past year, made possible by your incredible support. Thank you for standing with refugee & immigrant communities!

The IRC's New Roots program has been helping newcomers access land and grow healthy food for their families for years. Now we're helping gardeners bring their produce to the wider community. IRC gardener Krishna, once a farmer in Bhutan, shares about his experiences as a first-time seller at the new Tukwila Farmer's Market.

At first glance, you might think Ming’s Water and Ice is just another business along the Camelback Light Rail Corridor, a major transit corridor in the heart of uptown Phoenix. However, a closer look at refugee owner Nick Ming's story shows an entrepreneurial spirit shared by many refugees. 

The fourth annual, Back to School Bash organized by First Presbyterian Church and Grace Presbyterian in collaboration with numerous community organizations will be held on Saturday, August 10 from 10am-3pm. The event provides refugee families with school aged children an opportunity to pick out backpacks and grade appropriate school supplies, as well as a community lunch.

The IRC in Wichita is committed to bringing our beneficiaries from harm to home. As part of that commitment, we provide the necessities they will need to start rebuilding their lives here in Wichita. To do this, the IRC relies on donated items from community partners that are passed into the hands of our clients free of charge as part of an initial household setup. We have a number of new arrivals scheduled to resettle in Wichita in August and are in dire need of the household items.

Less than six years after arriving to the United States from Somalia, Rahmo Bare is the 2019 Dallas Mayor's Intern at the IRC.