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A message from State Refugee Coordinator Tara Wolfson inviting you to join us for Idaho Gives:  Dear Friends,
Our world is increasingly chaotic and insecure. Millions of people are displaced every year. But your support assures one thing: That people arriving in Idaho as refugees have a new chance. A chance to rebuild. A chance to find safety. You help new Idahoans become neighbors, classmates, and colleagues. You help our community find new careers, learn English, feed the Treasure Valley. Together, we make our community stronger. For over 50 years, Idaho has welcomed refugee families at their most perilous moments. It’s who we are as Idahoans. Today, I’m asking you to stand with us again. The Idaho Office for Refugees is a nonprofit that relies on community support to stay strong for years to come. Your gift will support our programs that give people the tools they need to start over and to thrive here:
You can choose the program that speaks to you. Or you can support them all. Every dollar you give helps someone move forward. You can also make an even bigger impact by sharing this appeal with others. When you tell your friends and family, you help more people feel welcome here. Giving can feel overwhelming when the need is so great. But you don’t have to go far to make a difference. You can help right here, right now. Please make your gift by May 7 for Idaho Gives. Your support matters more than ever. Thank you for what you make possible. Sincerely, Tara
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In response to a USCIS memo calling for the review of refugees already welcomed by the U.S., our communications manager Holly Beech writes: "Being subjected to scrutiny again – after being thoroughly vetted and assured permanent welcome – creates anxiety for the very people who found hope and safety in the U.S. and sends the false message that they don’t fully belong here. As someone working closely with a wide range of Idahoans from refugee backgrounds, I can say they do belong, they are deeply appreciated, and our community would not be the same without them. Read the full column in the Idaho Capital Sun.  Global Lounge in Boise is hosting the annual World Village festival at JUMP on Sept. 4-6.
This three-day celebration of culture, art, music, food, and storytelling is free and open to the public. Please find translated invitations below, provided by Global Lounge.
As the Treasure Valley community came together on June 19th to celebrate World Refugee Day Boise, we were honored to hear from Eliza Shabire, who shared her story of resettlement, and Boise City Council President Pro Tem Meredith Stead, who read the city's World Refugee Day 2025 proclamation. We also heard reflections from Tara Wolfson, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees, who shared: I want to thank the City of Boise for their proclamation. We know that welcoming folks through the refugee program is the smart choice, the right choice, and it is who we are as Idahoans Pictured above from left: 1) Tara Wolfson, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees, and Safiya Abdi, a farmer with Global Gardens. 2) Eliza Shabire at World Refugee Day Boise 2023. 3) Boise City Council President Pro Tem Meredith Stead holds up the city's World Refugee Day proclamation with Dave Morris, resettlement services manager at the Idaho Office for Refugees.
 Idahoans will come together this month to honor World Refugee Day in Boise, Twin Falls, and Pocatello, drawing on community joy and strength as the national resettlement program remains paused. Idaho has had a strong and widely supported tradition of welcoming refugees since 1975.
The World Refugee Day event in Boise on June 19, organized by the Idaho Office for Refugees, is themed Community as a Superpower. In the past few months our community has seen just how true that is.  Eliza Shabire - pictured above at World Refugee Day Boise in 2023 - resettled in Boise five years ago to reunite with her dad after years apart. She was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but her family was displaced to Rwanda when she was 6. Eliza is now raising a young daughter with her husband and going to school to become a clinical social worker. Eliza shares: Resettling here in Idaho gave my family and me our lives back. It gave us peace, safety, and the opportunity to dream big and achieve our dreams. Before we came here, we couldn’t dream big because we didn't know if we were going to wake up alive the next morning due to war, disasters, hunger, and all other bad things that were against us. When I came here in 2020, I felt like I was just entering a small paradise, and then the way people welcomed me and helped me to thrive, I realized that it was not just a small paradise, it was actually a big one. From that day forward, I promised myself to work hard so that I could leave Idaho better than I found it. Now I am fulfilling my promise by going to school to become a clinical social worker. I am proud to say that this May, I earned my bachelor’s in social work, and I am starting my master's in social work this June. I believe that a healthier community creates a stronger community and a strong country, which is why I dedicated my life to helping people with mental health challenges as well as connecting them with available resources. Currently, I am working at a behavior hospital as an activity therapist and at an early learning center as a preschool teacher. It makes me happy and proud to help people to live better lives as well as raise future generations of this country. Together, we can achieve more. Thank you to the United States for resettling refugees and giving them a place to call home. Refugees are strong, hardworking, intelligent, resilient, innovative, and so much more. All they need is safety, a home, and opportunity, and they will give back and contribute to the best of our country, if we allow them to. World Refugee Day Events in Idaho
Please find translated materials here to spread the word about the Boise event!  The Refugee Speakers Bureau of the Idaho Office for Refugees is pleased to invite you to our next storytelling workshop! This is a great opportunity for people to connect across cultural backgrounds and gain skills for public speaking and sharing our stories in a purposeful and meaningful way. The workshop is open to adult participants whether you have a refugee or immigrant background or were born in the U.S.  Today, March 17th, marks the 45th anniversary of the U.S. Refugee Act of 1980. This landmark legislation received strong bipartisan support from Congress. The act provides a standardized framework for welcoming refugees and asylees and helping them integrate and succeed in their new communities.
Welcoming refugees is not only the right thing to do to honor human dignity, but it’s the smart thing to do - strengthening our communities and workforces and building trust and security around the world. We honor and celebrate Idahoans who have experienced displacement and are now a vital part of the fabric of our community. Today the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program remains on pause due to an executive order, impacting people who have waited years to resettle and prolonging family separations in Idaho. We stand together in sharing our support for the refugee program, a part of our immigration system that has worked well for the past 45 years through public-private partnership. In Idaho we’re grateful to be part of this legacy alongside you and many other community members, resettlement partners, businesses, and faith groups. We echo what President Jimmy Carter, who signed the Refugee Act, said four years ago, “On this 41st anniversary of the Refugee Act, we as Americans can reflect on our decision as a nation to welcome the stranger and renew our commitment to remaining a beacon of hope for freedom-loving people everywhere.” Resources for Supporting Resettlement Neighbors United: What You Can Do
Idahoans from refugee backgrounds and community supporters came together at the State Capitol on Feb. 24 to show appreciation for Idaho’s 50-year history of welcoming refugees. Chefs originally from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Kenya provided favorite foods from their home countries to lawmakers and other guests at the lunch. Caterers included Chubangu Mnongerwa, owner of Amina’s African Sambusas; husband and wife Oleksii and Liudmyla Dmytriienko from Ukraine; and Wahid Amani, an army veteran from Afghanistan. The annual Idaho Appreciation Lunch: From Refugees to Lawmakers was hosted by the Idaho Office for Refugees and Idaho Dairymen’s Association and endorsed by over 200 organizations and businesses from across the state. “Our operation would not be what it is today without (the refugee community) as part of our workforce teams. Those of us not familiar with their cultures and customs have learned a great deal, which makes our leaders stronger, better educated and more empathetic towards all individuals.”  New policies were passed this week impacting refugee and immigrant community members, including the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program for at least 90 days. The president’s executive order halts the arrival of refugees who have been vetted and approved for resettlement and pauses decisions on refugee applications. Welcome Corps arrivals are also on hold. There is the possibility of case-by-case exceptions, to be determined by the secretary of State and the secretary of Homeland Security. Our hearts are hurting for people who have waited years to be resettled or to reunite with their families who will now have to wait even longer. We know most Americans support the U.S. resettlement program, and Idahoans value the strengths, skills, and friendship that neighbors from refugee backgrounds bring to our community. Providing safety to people fleeing persecution is a founding value of our nation. The Idaho Office for Refugees and our resettlement agency partners in Idaho are continuing to operate and keep our doors open during the suspension. The order does not affect the status or work authorization of people with refugee status who have already been resettled in the U.S. Update: On Jan. 24, resettlement agencies received a stop-work order from the Secretary of State directing them to stop administering Reception and Placement. This program is crucial in covering basic necessities, such as food and rent, for new arrivals and SIVs while they get settled and find employment. We encourage our community to make a donation to your local resettlement agency to help cover gaps during this challenge. What’s Next The secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the secretary of State, will submit a report to the president every 90 days on whether resuming refugee arrivals is in the interest of the United States. At that time, the president will determine if and when the resettlement program resumes. What Can You Do 1. Share Your Story: Tell us your resettlement story or a story about a time someone from a refugee background had an impact on your life. These stories will be used in our efforts to educate the public on the value of refugee resettlement in our community. SHARE YOUR STORY 2. Endorse our Legislative Lunch: Ask your business or organization to endorse our annual Idaho Appreciation Lunch: From Refugees to Lawmakers at the State Capitol. The lunch connects lawmakers with constituents from refugee backgrounds and demonstrates the breadth of support in Idaho for refugee resettlement. ENDORSE 3. Donate: Our work is not on pause during this time. Community support provides resources for Refugee Speakers Bureau community outreach, Global Talent’s career program, Global Gardens, the English Language Center, and more. DONATE 4. Voice Your Support: We all have influence in our circles, and our support matters. You can invite a member of the Refugee Speakers Bureau to your workplace, school, church or event. You can call or write your U.S. House representatives, U.S. senator, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Secretary of State offices and share why refugee resettlement matters to you, with a personal story of its impact in your life. Helpful Resources Explainer: The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program Watch: Our interview with KTVB discusses the order and its impacts. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook for more updates, stories, and perspectives. Listen and Share: Hear and share stories of Idaho neighbors from refugee and immigrant backgrounds through our Mosaics Podcast, available on YouTube and podcast platforms. When someone personally knows a refugee, support for resettlement goes up. Connect with Us: If you have concerns or questions, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We are in this together. As we did during the resettlement program’s temporary suspension in 2017, we will stay true to our mission to welcome and support people granted refuge in the United States by providing opportunities for education, civic engagement, economic advancement, and belonging. |
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May 2026
Author: Holly BeechIdaho Office for Refugees Communications Manager 
Thank you to the generous organizations who
support our outreach: 
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Idaho Office for refugeesPhone: 208.947.4296
Email: [email protected] |
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