It doesn't take much. There are numerous ways you can get involved to help raise funds for and awareness of refugee issues and the work of the UN Refugee Agency.

Donate

Every day millions of refugees are in desperate need of protection and assistance. With your support, we can provide protection, shelter, food, clean water and medical care – all vital and urgent needs for those fleeing persecution and violence in Darfur, Iraq, Colombia and Kenya and many other countries around the world.

Your support will make a difference and help ensure that we can continue to be there – today and tomorrow - for refugees who have lost everything. Make a donation today that directly translates into more refugee children attending school, new shelters for refugees and vital protection assistance.

Join UNHCR's global effort to provide healthy and safe educational opportunities for nine million refugee children by 2010. Support the ninemillion.org campaign.

Encourage your friends, family and broader community, such as civic and religious groups and businesses, to get involved in fundraising. Organize an event in your school or community to raise funds for refugees. For guidance, please contact us by email or call 1-800-770-1100.

Raise awareness

Educate yourself and others about current refugee issues. Learn more about why refugees are forced to flee their homes and the challenges they face during flight and exile. Sign up for UNHCR’s e-alert today. 

• Organize a Special Event
  
  The UN General Assembly has designated June 20 as World Refugee Day. Every year, events around the United States are organized to raise awareness and funds for refugees. Learn more about World Refugee Day in the United States. 
  
  Invite a refugee speaker to hold a discussion at your school about his or her experience fleeing his or her home country and adapting to life in the United States.
  
  Invite a refugee aid worker to speak about working on the front lines of refugee emergencies.
  
  Organize an event in your school using the game Passages to simulate the experience many refugees face as they flee their homes. Set up a mock refugee camp. What would you need to survive?
  
  Organize a refugee book club in your school or community.  Start with this reading list.
  
  
• Contact Your Local Media
  
  Write a letter to the editor for your local newspaper about a current refugee emergency. Encourage local talk radio shows to discuss the issue.
  
  
• Against All Odds
  
  Promote the interactive online game Against All Odds in your community as an educational tool about refugee issues.
  
  
• Goodwill Ambassadors
  
  Have you read Angelina Jolie's impressions about her most recent field mission? Visit our Goodwill Ambassador pages and find out more about the work of UNHCR's celebrity advocates.
  
  
• UNHCR Banners
  
  Spread the word about refugee issues within your online network. Show your support for UNHCR by linking to us. Select your banner.

Get involved in your community

Every year, thousands of refugees are resettled in communities across the United States. Refugees come from many different backgrounds and often need assistance adapting to a new home.

• Support a Refugee Family or Individual
  
  Refugees often need help overcoming language barriers, finding jobs and navigating the challenges of life in a new country, including health care, legal rights and obligations, the education system, employment, transportation and financial issues. Find a local refugee resettlement agency in your community.
  
  
• Mentor a Refugee Student
  
  Help refugee students by tutoring in basic English skills and other subjects.

Thank you!