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Call to Action

Afghan Adjustment Act Tool Kit

Your help is needed! Urge Congress to act now to help our Afghan Allies receive a legal path to permanent residence. Get information and resources to engage with our efforts to assist Afghan refugees.

August 10, 2022

Volunteer Perspective

Phoenix 2022 World Refugee Day Events

Sometimes Community Programs here in Arizona feel a little bit like “Wait and See Time”. We get a little info or do a little something and then we wait and see what happens next. Always coming in small bits which keeps us patiently, or not-so-patiently waiting. And in the refugee business, things are always changing. Government regulations, projects running late, sickness, communication problems, transportation problems, trauma, stress, etc. can make everything change little by little and sometimes suddenly.

July 30, 2022

2022 World Refugee Day-SLC: A growing celebration of culture and community belonging

A beautiful event for TSOS's flagship Utah Community Programs office where the impact of a diverse and thriving community shines.

July 18, 2022

In The News

Northeast News: World Refugee Day celebration brings together the stories of a diverse community

Andrea Buley, Kansas City Community Program Coordinator, was quoted by Northeast News in their coverage of the World Refugee Day celebration.

June 22, 2022

Why celebrate World Refugee Day?

To me, the label “refugee” is a badge of honor. I invite you to honor and celebrate refugees and welcomers with me this month and to meet some of these heroes at TSOS's Virtual World Refugee Day event on 17 June.

June 8, 2022

In The NewsPodcast

Top of Mind: Making Room for Refugees

Associate Director, Liz Jevtic-Somlai, was interviewed by Julie Rose on the Top of Mind podcast.

May 30, 2022

Creating a Community of Refugee Helpers

As we strengthen our relationships with resettlement agencies, friends, and community partners, we are discovering that the work doesn't have to be big to be important.

May 21, 2022

Advocacy: a privilege of citizenship

Not only is restoring welcome the right thing to do as humans and as Americans, this week's meetings with fellow Virginians affirmed that I am not alone in believing that "it is vital to our nation."

May 12, 2022

Switzerland stands with Ukraine

For a small corner of the world, in Switzerland, what has happened in Ukraine has opened a door I didn’t think I would ever see.

May 4, 2022
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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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