Their Story Is Our Story (TSOS) is a nonprofit organization working to support refugee resettlement around the world. We are currently collecting comments to encourage our lawmakers to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide Afghan evacuees who came to the United States in connection with the U.S. withdrawal with a clear path to legal permanent residency. Having witnessed the chaos at the airport in Kabul this past August, "we seek to clear the runways in our own communities and welcome our Afghan brothers and sisters as our new friends and neighbors." (TSOS Official Statement on Afghanistan)
If you have a story, experience or opinion to share in support of our Afghan allies, we ask you to share it to help us demonstrate public support for legislation that supports and aids these individuals and families.
By sharing your thoughts, you agree that (1) TSOS may share your comments, together with your name and place of residence with U.S. lawmakers and other organizations advocating on behalf of Afghan refugees and (2) TSOS may share your thoughts through print, social and other media.
Please feel free to share this with your friends, colleagues and neighbors. We would like to hear from as many participants as possible.
Connecting with Afghan Youth through Art
It is often our individual talents and passions that lead us to story projects. That was the case when a local organization Nova RAFT (Resettle Afghan Families Together) told us about a group of Afghan youth who were using art to express their experiences from evacuation to resettlement. That germinated an idea of hosting an Art Workshop with TSOS DC-Community Liaison, Annie Gedicks, who teaches art at Nova Community College.
Slam the Islamophobia
The Emerald Project is a Utah-based organization that carefully designs dialogues to engage with non-Muslims to make Salt Lake Valley a more welcoming home to Muslims. As many of our refugee friends belong to the Muslim faith, we applaud opportunities that foster understanding and were pleased to support The Emerald Project’s 3rd annual “Slam the Islamophobia” event on February 15th.
Invisible Barriers and Battles: The Mental Health Impact on Refugees
Refugees often risk their lives crossing deserts, jungles, and oceans all in the search for shelter, freedom, or happiness. Yet, even once they’ve reached physical safety, mental mountains emerge that make daily life an uphill climb. At the November 2022 conference for the Utah Chapter of the Society for Public Health Education (USOPHE), presenters Shurooq Al Jewari and Sasha Sloan discussed mental health and inclusion, focusing on immigrants and refugees.