Have you ever felt alone? Lost? Detached from what you know and thrown into a whole new way of life? Some of those feelings may come about as a result of the global pandemic we’re experiencing. But imagine magnifying those feelings by a thousand. By a million. By ten million. Not just lonely because you can’t leave your home, but because you don’t have a home, or even a home country. Not only thrown into a whole new way of life because you have to work from home, but because you had to leave your home (and work and family) behind.
Since 1975, 3 million refugees have settled in the United States. The United Nations Refugee Agency defines “refugees” as “people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to find safety in another country.” Our refugee sisters and brothers across the nation – even across the world – need safety, support, and love. So how can we help? Here is a list of seven simple things you can do right now to help refugees. You can even do them from the comfort of your own couch!
1. Share of your own abundance
One simple donation, however small, can make a huge difference in someone else’s life. But donating isn’t always as easy as it sounds, right? We want to donate to organizations we can trust– organizations that will actually put our donations to effective use. Here are just a few great, legitimate organizations that will help you help refugees today:
International Rescue Committee (IRC) – The International Rescue Committee is a worldwide, governmental organization that responds to the world’s most dire humanitarian crises. 87 cents of every dollar spent goes directly to helping refugees in desperate need. The IRC’s motto is to “help people whose lives and livelihood are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and regain control of their future.” This organization is well-established and has been operating for over 90 years. Regardless of where the public attention is, the IRC sends volunteers and resources where they are most needed.
Help the IRC mitigate Coronavirus outbreaks among refugees today
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – The UNHCR is the United Nations’ Refugee Agency, which emerged after the destruction of World War II. The UNHCR’s objective is simple: “to protect and assist refugees everywhere.” They provide household goods, blankets, shelter, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, and sometimes food to displaced people. In addition, the UNHCR advocates on behalf of refugees so they can have a chance at safer, better lives.
Provide a family of five a full survival kit to get them through the winter
Refuge Point – Refuge Point is a non-governmental organization dedicated to finding long-term solutions to helping refugees. With the tagline “A lifeline for forgotten refugees,” their focus is on people who may have been overlooked in traditional humanitarian aid efforts. Founded in 2005, Refuge Point has now directly assisted over 87,000 refugees in accessing resettlement.
Help a refugee become a contributing member of society again
2. Make masks
The International Rescue Committee is just one of many groups and organizations aiming to provide refugees with masks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mask-wearing helps prevent the spread of COVID-19, and currently, masks are required in most public locations. You can help refugees stay healthy and safe by sewing masks, right from your couch!
Click here for details, a mask template, and the shipping addresses for locations most urgently in need.
3. Virtual help
Many different refugee organizations have remote opportunities for volunteers. Here are just a couple of examples:
The International Rescue Committee provides people with opportunities to aid refugees virtually in a variety of ways. Help refugees prepare their taxes, tutor youth to aid them in school, help adults find and explore career opportunities and training, or be a digital literacy intern and help create curriculum for refugee learning.
The UN has a volunteer portal that lists an impressive number of online opportunities including graphic design, podcast production, writing and editing, translation, and community outreach among many others.
Respond Crisis Translation gives multilingual remote volunteers the chance to help migrants and refugees with interpretation and language services in many different areas, including medical, legal, and educational situations.
Search Google for hundreds of other opportunities. Use search terms like “virtual volunteer for refugee aid,” or “refugee aid online volunteer.
4. Share critical resources for refugees
Where do we get critical information about current events in our communities? We read it! In the news, online, on social media. This type of information, such as COVID-19 safety info, keeps us protected and well-integrated in our communities. Unfortunately, many refugees who are displaced and resettle in the United States don’t have access to this critical information in their native languages. You can help by sharing these resources to those in need. You can do this in a variety of ways, including spreading them on social media platforms or directly messaging them to a refugee you may know.
Click here to access this information in 14 languages and start sharing!
5. Ask your government to stand with immigrant families
Refugees go through so much when they are forced to flee their home countries and seek resettlement in an unknown, foreign land. And they aren’t always welcomed with open arms. If you want the United States to be a place of refuge for those fleeing conflict and disasters around the world, let your voice be heard!
Find your state representatives and legislators and send them emails expressing your support for refugees.
Send a letter to the President of the United States, stating your position on refugee resettlement. Just fill in your city and state, add anything you’d like, and press Send!
Text RESCUE to 40649 to get texts from the IRC advocacy team when there are ways you can fight for policies that will benefit refugees.
6. Stay Informed
The best way to know how to help refugees is to stay informed on what’s going on in refugee communities, urgent needs at any given time, and challenges brought on by political or environmental events. Here are a couple of good ways to do this:
Subscribe to newsletters from refugee aid organizations
This is not just another email subscription. Signing up for these emails could lead to big changes and increased help for refugees. The United Nations Refugee Agency sends out regular digital newsletters to keep people in-the-know on all things concerning refugees and how we can help them. The UNHCR’s official objective for these newsletters is: “to keep [people] on top of displacement news and become part of a global community that cares for the protection and well-being of refugees, internally displaced and stateless people.”
Subscribe to the UNHCR newsletter
Follow social media accounts that support refugees
Not quite sure where you want to begin? Start by following these social media accounts that support refugees and go from there!
And don’t forget to follow Operation Amigos social media platforms to learn more about marginalized and misunderstood groups of people, including refugees. You see? It’s true! You can really start to make a difference in the lives of refugees, right from your couch! It all begins with the desire to learn, understand, and develop genuine compassion.