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.

This National Volunteer Week, communities across the country partner with the IRC to welcome and empower refugees, asylum seekers, and survivors of trafficking. In these turbulent times, collective support and dedicated service means more than ever.

The IRC in NJ continues to serve the Afghan community across all departments. Women in Action (WIA) is a career development program embedded in the IRC in NJ’s Refugee Career Pathways program. The goal of WIA is to help participants identify personal and career goals in a supportive environment, embrace an active role in building family economic self-sufficiency, and increase connections with a wider community.  

The IRC in Atlanta first welcomed Joyeuse “Joy” Muhoza and her family to Georgia in August 2016, shortly before her 18th birthday. In this must-read interview, Joy shares her journey over the last four years—from working in poultry processing to now studying for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Ritiek (Reh - teek), her mom, and her younger sister were one of the many families forced to flee Afghanistan in 1995. Four years later, they were welcomed in Tucson, Arizona in the summer of 1999. She and her family were the first Afghan refugees to be resettled in Tucson, Arizona. 

To support agricultural recovery in long-term or post-crisis locations, the IRC works with communities to restore agricultural assets, upgrade skills and practices, and build disaster preparedness to better protect and improve their livelihoods.