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Crisscross Paths and Chance Encounters

Maintaining hope in humanity can be difficult in a world filled with contention and distrust, but when four seemingly unrelated people connect by chance to result in the gifting of a car to a newcomer, goodness and brotherhood are reaffirmed.

January 14, 2021

The Potato Fields

"Entering and exiting people’s pain is so uncomfortable – by far the worst feeling about crisis work or international development..."

January 13, 2021

"Auntie Farida" - Supporting Refugee Women

“When we see something wrong we must try and do something about it. Dilek is a doer. You will like her..."

January 13, 2021

Leadership Influences Integration

"We listened to [Angela Merkel's] warm words encouraging Germans to embrace the refugees flooding into Europe at that moment. We had tears in our eyes and agreed whole-heartedly with her vision to welcome refugees..."

January 9, 2021

Book Review

Education is Everything

"Refugee families have had a very difficult time sending their children back to school because they cannot afford the school fees at the private schools their children have to attend..."

January 9, 2021

A First Playdate

For many children, playdates and adventures are a natural part of childhood, but for those who have resettled into new communities from war-torn countries, the gift of a carefree childhood may be a luxury that doesn't come naturally.

January 9, 2021

Is She Still a Refugee?

"The title refugee, is a badge of honor like prisoner of war or Holocaust survivor. It says something about a person’s life experience and personal strength to survive..."

January 9, 2021

Breaking Down Walls

“You don’t know, what you don’t know, ... If you never get in touch with someone new, you don’t learn anything. Every culture has developed really beautiful parts. Hopefully, by coming to a safe place, people can let the wall down and share their beautiful parts with the rest of us.”

January 9, 2021

Lighting the World - France - 2020

"I’ve found that serving brings indescribable joy and that small actions can build individuals in remarkable ways..."

January 9, 2021

The Need For Friendship

"For all their uncertainty, one of their greatest needs, and probably one of the greatest needs of everyone, (after basic physical needs are met), is for friendship..."

January 9, 2021
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What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2024, more than 123.2 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced from their homes due to war, persecution, or human rights abuses.

An increase of 7.2 million over 2023, that’s more than 19,619 people every day — roughly one person every 4.4 seconds.

They arrive in refugee camps and other countries, like the US, seeking the one thing they’ve lost: safety.

Fleeing political imprisonment, ethnic violence, religious persecution, gang threats, or war crimes, they come with what little they managed to carry:

Legal papers – if they’re lucky.

A single backpack.

Sometimes a child’s hand in theirs.

They also carry the weight of what they left behind: fractured families, homes they’ll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

They carry loss most of us can’t imagine – but also the truth of what they’ve endured.

At TSOS, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares their experience of forced displacement, they reclaim their voice. And when we amplify that voice – through film, photography, writing, and advocacy – the world listens. Hearts soften. Communities open. Policy begins to shift.

That shift matters. Because when neighbors understand instead of fear…

when lawmakers see people, not politics…

when a teacher knows what her student has survived…

Rebuilding life from the ashes becomes possible.

We’re fighting an uphill battle. In today’s political climate, refugee stories are often twisted or ignored. They’re reduced to statistics, portrayed as national threats, or used to score political points.

The truth – the human, nuanced truth – gets lost, and when it does, we lose compassion.

We are here to share their truth anyway.

At TSOS, we don’t answer to headlines or algorithms. We are guided by a simple conviction: every person deserves to be seen, heard, and welcomed.

Our work is powered by the people we meet — refugees and asylum seekers rebuilding after loss, allies offering sanctuary, and communities daring to extend belonging.

Your support helps us share their stories — and ensure they’re heard where they matter most.

“What ultimately persuaded the judge wasn’t a legal argument. It was her story.”

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, TSOS


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