Fill 1 Created with Sketch.
hamburger
Community Programs

Kansas City

Refugee resettlement in Kansas City can be traced back to the late 1970s with the first major wave of refugees arriving from Southeast Asia. Today, refugees come from all over the world, but in particular from Burma, Somalia, and the DRC. Because of its unique position across state lines, Kansas City’s refugees have access to a vast amount of resources and community programs that support resettlement and integration on both the Kansas and Missouri side of the city. The Community Programs team in Kansas City is actively engaged with local nonprofit organizations, serving in the community, and developing opportunities for collecting and sharing refugee stories.

Demographics
ARRIVALS

FY 2017-2022 data source: Wrapsnet and TRAC Immigration

TOP COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

FY 2017-2022 data source: Wrapsnet

TOP NEWCOMER LANGUAGES
  • French
  • Dari
  • Pashto
  • Arabic
  • Ukrainian

FY 2022 data source: Languages based on the official and/or most common language of arrivals’ country of origin.

Story Gallery
Explore the stories of the people who call Kansas City home.
Share Your Story
DSC07191 Meredith Kelley
Linda Zemke  ·  United States
Serving Refugees Fills the Holes in my Heart
Ben Carpenter 2
Ben Carpenter  ·  United States
New Roots: A Cross-Cultural Farming Community
Image
Julie Robinson  ·  United States
RISE-ing Voices
Kristin Selby
Kristin Selby  ·  United States
Financial Independence Through Farming
Ram Poudel
Ram Poudel  ·  Bhutan
My Son Asked Where Our Home was and I Didn’t Have an Answer to Give Him
Katie Moran
Katie Moran  ·  United States
A Hub of Giving
More stories
Blog Posts
Learn more about our work and our team.
Cato Graph 1
 The Real Cost of Immigration July 1, 2026
Story Shield Workshop Edited
 Preparedness Before Crisis June 25, 2026
A Broken Promise Refugees in America
 A Broken Promise: Refugees in America March 31, 2026
More blog posts
Events
Join us at an upcoming local or virtual event.

We're building our calendar of upcoming events. Check back soon or subscribe to our email list for updates.

Partners
Volunteer alongside our team with these local organizations.
Leadership
Get to know our Kansas City leadership team.
Sommer_Mattox.jpg
Sommer Mattox
Director of Community Programs
Melanie New Headshot
Melanie Shashindranath
Chief Financial Officer
Contact Us
Reach out to our local team with any questions. We love to connect with people interested in welcoming newcomers to our community.
What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

Support Monthly Give Once
Add Impact to Your Inbox
Sign up for our emails to get inspiring stories and updates delivered straight to you.
Subscribe
© 2026 Their Story is Our Story Privacy Policy
Their Story is Our Story is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible. Our tax identification number is 812983626.