Two years ago, 29-year-old Eiman landed in Seattle from Afghanistan with her husband and two young sons. She began building a new home here in Washington and with help from the IRC’s Economic Empowerment Program, Eiman pursued a new career as a professional interpreter.

The IRC in Oakland's HOME program helps families with a housing subsidy, welcome home setup, and mentorship. The Jebran family from Afghanistan reflects on their past six months in the U.S. with the help of their HOME team and their hopes for the future.

The only Afghan grocery store in Georgia, Baseer’s Kabul Market has been an invaluable resource for the community as we welcome families who were recently evacuated from Afghanistan by the US. Since mid-October, the IRC in Atlanta has purchased more than 100 hot welcome meals from Kabul Market along with countless loaves of traditional Afghan bread!

Each year the IRC in San Diego resettles approximately 1,000 refugees with the majority coming from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia in recent years. By September 30, we expect as many as 500 individuals, mostly Syrian, to reach their new homes in San Diego.

The IRC in Atlanta’s Career Development and Adult Education programs, in collaboration with Gwinnett Dental Career Academy (GDCA), recently graduated a second cohort of three former refugees—all young women from Afghanistan—through their Integrated Education and Training (IET) Dental Assistant course, a ten-week program focused on certifying new Americans in dental care and placing them in jobs.

The IRC in Atlanta’s partnership with the Technology Career Program (TCP) at TechBridge—an Information Technology (IT) training course—has helped more than 20 refugees and immigrants to gain a head start in the rapidly growing technology industry over the past year. One recent TCP graduate, Maiwand—who was evacuated from Afghanistan last fall—has gone above and beyond in his commitment to the program, and shares with us below his journey to rebuilding his life and career here in Atlanta.

The IRC in NY chatted with one client who is a mother figure for her younger sister. They both left Afghanistan in early fall with the hope to be safe. Their mother had passed away and they left behind their family members. The older sister made it a priority to concentrate on what she could change.

Rabia Afghan and her family arrived in the United States in April 2022 as part of “Operation Allies Welcome,” fleeing the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. Initially welcomed by IRC staff member Bill Tuffin in Virginia, their paths crossed again in January 2023 when Bill, now an Employment Specialist at the IRC in Denver, was tasked with helping Rabia find employment. Despite language barriers and the challenges of resettlement, Rabia secured a job at a local hotel and, through determination and support from the IRC, was promoted within two years. Her story highlights the critical role of community support in helping refugees rebuild their lives and the ongoing challenges they face in their new homes.