Our partners at LIRS are making a call for help. If you would like to help, we invite you to consider making a donation of time, goods, or money.
VOLUNTEER
LIRS is calling for volunteers to support incoming Afghan Allies, Special Immigrant Visa holders, who are being evacuated to the United States. Afghan Allies are currently arriving in the following cities; however, we want to be ready to welcome these families wherever they go!
If you are able to volunteer your time to help with services like airport pick-ups, apartment set-ups, or bringing a meal, please sign-up using the button that represents your region or sign-up for the general stand-by list.
*The forms add you to a list of potential volunteers. Volunteers will be contacted on an as-needed basis. Not everyone who signs-up will be contacted to volunteer.
If you would like to learn more about the situation or consider other ways to help please see the LIRS website.
If you are in the greater Washington D.C. area and would like to attend a virtual Town Hall on August 26 hosted by Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area (LSSNCA), REGISTER HERE.
My First Asylum Case: An Attorney's Perspective on Asylum in the United States
I took my first asylum case in 2016, when our national dialog on immigration took a decidedly negative turn. As a corporate attorney, I had no experience in immigration law, but my license allowed me to represent individuals fleeing severe persecution and I signed with a local non-profit to offer my help. My first asylum client was a young mother and her two small daughters. I could see myself in Saba.
Their Story is Our Story Applauds the Signing of Virginia House Bill 995 and Continues Efforts to Open Doors for Foreign-trained Medical Professionals in Other States
Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), a non-profit organization that collects and shares the experiences of refugees to deepen understanding and influence action, applauds the signing of Virginia House Bill 995 into law by Governor Glenn Youngkin, after its unanimous passage through the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate. It will create a pathway for foreign-trained doctors who have immigrated to the state, including those whose careers were interrupted by forcible displacement, to fill workforce gaps in medically underserved communities.
Idaho One Refugee Conference
Last fall I was able to attend the 1Refugee Conference in Idaho. The event was well organized and everyone who approached our table was interested in what we did and wanted to know how to get involved. There were at least 100 students majoring in a variety of things who attended the event and we had 20 students give us their contact information. Most were interested in our internship programs.