This World Refugee Day, take action through advocacy, education, community, and giving.
Celebrate World Refugee Day 2025 by planning a week of action with meaningful ways to stand in solidarity with refugees and other forcibly displaced people.
The Sponsor Circle Program was launched in 2021 to empower communities to welcome Afghan allies after the fall of Kabul. Since then, thousands of Americans have stepped up to welcome refugees and newcomers from all over the world.
Now, our collective action matters more than ever.
Use the resources below to join sponsors and supporters from around the country who are planning a week of action through advocacy and community-building activities.
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Advocate
to restore refugee admissions and sponsorship by signing a petition and contacting your elected officials.
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Activate
your network to join you in volunteering at a local nonprofit, hosting a shared meal or storytelling hour, or signing up to sponsor.
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Educate
yourself and others through refugee stories and art. Pick up a new book, watch a film, or share a story inspired by displacement and welcome.
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Donate
to a local or national nonprofit supporting resettlement, shop at refugee-owned businesses, create a welcome kit, or host a fundraiser.
Advocate.
Use your voice for welcome. Call your elected officials and tell them that, as a sponsor, you support refugee resettlement and opportunities to welcome refugees in your community. It’s important to remind our leaders that refugees are welcome in our communities.
Invite your faith or civic group to join you in making a public statement of support for refugees on World Refugee Day.
Activate.
Welcome doesn’t happen without people like you! Whether you volunteer at a local organization, host a meal, invite a community speaker, or join a sponsor circle, getting involved in your community helps create belonging for everyone.
Recruit a friend to take one action with you and ask them to recruit one friend, too.
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Sign up to form a sponsor circle or volunteer with a local organization supporting refugees. Find resources and contacts in your state at the Office of Refugee Resettlement or FindHello.
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Community gatherings are a great way to connect with and start conversations with your neighbors and friends.
Host a Welcome Table or plan a Dine for Refugees event to share stories and raise awareness.
Sign up with Refugees International to host a gathering for refugee rights to receive a free planning toolkit.
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Declare to the public and elected leaders that you stand with refugees (sign up here to receive planning materials, a program guide and other resources from HIAS to launch an action in your community)
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Organize a speaking program in your community with someone from a displaced background. Consider an author, musician, or advocate with a connection to your community. Check out these links to connect with available speakers.
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Sharing your sponsorship story is a powerful way to turn policies like refugee resettlement into personal, relatable experiences. Your story can be a driver for change and help others understand how sponsorship benefits communities at large. Use this sponsor toolkit to share the impact of sponsorship in your community.
Write a thank you note or record a message for a sponsor or newcomer who inspires you.
Post a story, video, blog, or photo that conveys why sponsorship and welcoming refugees matters to you.
Share what you learned about sponsorship or what makes your community a great place to welcome refugees.
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Join a New National Community of Advocates for Refugees
Sign up for AWE - Ambassadors of Welcome, a network of local advocates supporting immigrants and refugees across the U.S. This space represents a broad collaboration of national and local organizations and enables all of us to educate and activate together.
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Attend Community Conversations
Join the next Community Conversations webinar on Tuesday, June 17 @ 1 p.m. ET.
We’ll discuss ways to plan your week of action and how to you can welcome Afghan allies in your community.
Educate.
Deepen your understanding by learning from refugee voices, and share something that moved you. Read a novel, listen to a song, watch a film, or share a piece of art inspired by welcome or displacement.
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Select a memoir or fiction about displacement for your book club / add a refugee-authored book to your reading list. Consider some of these titles:
Asylum: A Memoir and Manifesto by Edafe Okporo
The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Two Blankets, Three Sheets by Rodaan Al Galidi
Refugee High by Elly Fishman
Tell Me How It Ends by Valeria Luiselli
A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi
After the Last Border by Jessica Goudeau
Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri
Read a book about displacement with your children and have a discussion with them about it:
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Create or share a piece of art (poem, drawing, photo, song, etc) inspired by welcome or displacement. For ideas, start here:
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Use this Spotify playlist as a starting point to discover refugee musicians.
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Faith communities can incorporate the topic of displacement into your weekly service or observance.
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Through powerful visuals and personal narratives, these films can reveal the heartbreak of losing home and the resilience it takes to start over.
Donate.
Welcoming refugees doesn’t just support newcomers, it strengthens the fabric of our communities. Local economies grow, neighborhoods flourish, and cultural curiosity deepens when we work together. Support the work that makes this possible.
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Donate to the Sponsor Circle Program or one of our partner organizations helping U.S. sponsors and displaced communities.
Raise funds for one of the organizations above or your own Sponsor Circle:
Make a personal donation
Encourage donations from your community (book club, neighborhood association, faith community, etc)
Hold a local fundraiser (eg - lemonade stand, bake sale)
Create an online fundraiser on social media or a website like GoFundMe
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There are local refugee-owned initiatives all across the country! Contact a resettlement agency near you for recommendations of artisans, restaurants, cafes, caterers, farmers, and more in your local community. These are just a few:
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Use these resources to create a welcome kit with practical supplies or gift cards for a newcomer family in your community:
Sponsorship is more than a model, it’s a movement. And it’s powered by people like you.
Donations to the Afghan Allies Safe Arrival Initiative help us:
Support sponsor volunteers to ensure every newcomer is met with care, compassion, and community
Provide local placement support for Afghan allies still arriving
Deliver direct aid to Afghan families—especially those trying to reach communities where they have connections and support
Invest in resources for advocacy and long-term sustainability of sponsorship as a critical pathway
Donations to the Afghan Allies Safe Arrival Initiative are processed by Community Sponsorship Hub, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Tax ID number: 93-2311374.
Donate to Support Our Afghan Allies
Donate to a partner organization
