Parwana, Afghan parolee and mother of two, is no stranger to overcoming adversity. When her family fled to the U.S. after the Taliban took control of Kabul, she was prepared to face many challenges as they built a new life for themselves in Maryland. “My only goal was for my kids to go to school, my husband to get a job, and I hoped one day I would learn English.”

We are continuously addressing the current and potential impacts this outbreak will have on IRC programs in Northern California (Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Turlock/Modesto). IRC is providing critical information in all relevant languages to IRC employees, volunteers, refugees, victims of trafficking, asylees, and other hard-to-reach populations. We are working hard to ensure families have access to life essentials: food, internet and devices, cash assistance and all eligible public benefits.

Una Bilic has been at the helm of the IRC in Tallahassee since it first started to welcome families across Big Bend communities in 2016. We now thank Una for her many years of service and dedication as she takes on an exciting new role within IRC’s headquarters team, and we look forward with excitement as a new era begins for the IRC in Tallahassee and its clients.

The IRC in Atlanta expects to welcome 700 school-aged children to Georgia in the upcoming year and we can’t do this without YOU! This summer, we are organizing a Back 2 School Supply Drive to ensure the refugee families we serve have backpacks full of everything they need as children enroll in their new schools and begin to rebuild their lives.

It is with great pleasure that I share with you the news that IRC has welcomed Sarah Terlouw as the new executive director of the IRC Northern California offices. Sarah is not new to the IRC family. She most recently served as the country director for the IRC operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), consisting of 6 offices and a team of more than 700 staff across the country.

The results of the IRC’s research suggest that expansion of socially-minded consumer financing paired with financial education, and other asset-building programs, could help more low-income families achieve financial stability and at the same time reduce the risks the current subprime auto loan market represents to the overall U.S. economy.

Paul Mwingwa and his family was resettled in Missoula by the IRC in 2018. Although he didn't initially set out to be a voice for refugees, he feels he has been called to serve and currently advocates for refugees and immigrants as the Montana Delegate for the Refugee Congress. Paul was recently honored with the Excellence Award from Refugee Congress, and we sat down with him to learn more!