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READ OUR OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE U.S. FY2026 REFUGEE ADMISSIONS CAP AND PRIORITIZATION
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH DISPLACEMENT, RESETTLEMENT, DEPORTATION, AND ICE #ANONYMOUSAMONGUS

How to Help

Often after hearing or reading a refugee story, our readers ask us the question - "What Can I Do?"

While not everyone has the ability to volunteer near a conflict, there are opportunities for every person to contribute in a way that is meaningful and possible to them.

We have compiled a list of trusted partners and agencies that serve refugees, as well as other ways to get involved.

700 2020 Bandaids on Bullet Wounds Shelby Jo Huey Part 4b

WELCOME CORPS

Sponsor groups welcome refugee newcomers by securing and preparing initial housing, greeting refugee newcomers at the airport, enrolling children in school, and helping adults to find employment.

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LIFTING HANDS INTERNATIONAL

They provide aid to refugees on the ground, meeting the most vital and immediate needs. With minimal overhead and an army of volunteers, they fill gaps and rapidly adapt to conditions on the ground.

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AIRBNB.ORG

Airbnb offers free short term housing to refugees in crises. Donate to a stay or host a stay in your home or property.

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MILES FOR MIGRANTS

Donate airline miles, credit card points, or travel vouchers to help fund air transportation for refugees.

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OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

There are many ways to help that don’t involve a lot of time or a lot of money. More than anything refugees need people willing to reach out in friendship, a welcome, and a path to integrate into their new home. Here are some ideas to get you started:


  • Be a sincere friend

  • Reach out to people on the periphery

  • Take a stand against intolerance

  • Promote compassion and understanding

  • Make a visit

  • Get to know firsthand what is really needed; don’t assume

  • Volunteer to teach a language

  • Learn about the food, holidays and traditions of others

  • Share a meal

  • Celebrate a holiday together

  • Invite someone to join your family night

  • Teach a new skill

  • Learn a new skill

  • Make introductions

  • Ask questions

  • Exchange ideas and experiences

  • Highlight strengths in other cultures

  • Learn kids’ names

  • Learn a sport

  • Teach a sport

  • Offer employment to someone unexpected

  • Extend an invitation to a cultural event

  • Offer to babysit

  • Give a ride

  • Practice interviewing for a job

  • Help children study

  • Be a mentor

Their Story is Our Story aims to change the perception of refugees worldwide. We urge local citizens to create communities where newcomers feel supported and safe by contacting your elected officials to express support for refugee resettlement, to volunteer, or donate in-kind or funds.

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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

Will you help us keep telling the truth?

No donation is too small — and it only takes a minute of your time.

Why give monthly?

We value every gift, but recurring contributions allow us to plan ahead and invest more deeply in:

  • New refugee storytelling and advocacy projects
  • Resources to train and equip forcibly displaced people to share their own stories
  • Public education that challenges fear with empathy
  • Local efforts that help communities welcome and integrate newcomers

As our thank-you, monthly supporters receive fewer fundraising messages — and more stories of the impact they’re making possible.

You don’t have to be displaced to stand with those who are.

Can you give today — and help carry these stories forward?

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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.