Inside the Crowdfunded Charity Helping Refugees by Topping Up Their Phones

When many Latina immigrant women arrive in the United States, they don't have access to the internet to learn about the resources available to them. Únete Latina, a program run by Latinas, sends mobile phone texts to women with supportive messages in Spanish and with information about relevant news items and public services.

School on Wheels is a program serving children in a refugee camp along the U.S.-Mexico border by transforming an old school bus into a space for learning. The school can fit up to 80 children, all of whom are waiting for asylum in the U.S. It is run by the California-based nonprofit, Yes We Can, and it currently has 3 teachers and over 30 students. The school aims to teach the children values like love, happiness, and being a good person while they are at a particularly tumultuous time in their lives.

In a creative twist, Syrian refugees are being given cash cards to spend as they wish rather than being given food boxes or in-kind donations. Agencies and refugees themselves say that it gives them dignity and choice, which are important in the survival process. It was also much more efficient and cheaper to distribute money than buying food. This podcast cites a study done to prove its efficacy, talks to a couple refugee families, and notes that results could vary from country to country.

The Migrant Education Program, which offers educational and social services to migrant worker families in Colorado’s San Luis Valley, is growing in popularity among the valley’s migrant worker population, and has recently begun to focus on getting migrant students geared up for college .

Fueled by xenophobia, many countries around the world are refusing refugees at the border. But Canadian hockey moms, poker buddies, and neighbors are personally resettling Syrians, one family at a time.

Local legislature passed Driver’s Licenses for All in February, which ended the 20-year requirement that driver's license applicants must show proof of legal residency. This new legislation, which recently went into effect October 1, opens the door to the estimated 81,000 undocumented individuals living in the state to apply for their driver’s licenses.

Several community members and nonprofit organizations like Interfaith Community Services and the North County Rapid Response Network are joining forces to provide aid to the hundreds of migrants being dropped off at local transit centers. So far, the organizations and volunteers have helped 177 people access food, water, clothing, shelter, medical support and other resources like language support and reunification for families that have been separated.

Based on pressure from international aid organizations, the kingdom of Jordan now offers permits for refugees to work in agriculture, construction, hospitality and other industries. As a result, the large Syrian refugee community has better integrated into society and can help support their families. NGOs help refugees with the administrative paperwork and also facilitate access t0 vocational training and the equipment people need to get started in the jobs. In return, aid organizations have invested over $8 million in infrastructure and education projects.

Online volunteer assistance efforts in New York have played a crucial role in the dissemination of the COVID-19 vaccine, while city and state appointment systems have caused confusion or created barriers for many. Although these efforts can't address all barriers, such as lack of computer access or literacy, they have been used by thousands of people each day to find available appointment times.

The Photo Patch Foundation helps connect children with parents who are experiencing incarceration. Using its website or mobile app, children can write letters and upload photos, which will then be printed and mailed by the organization at no cost. The Foundation, funded by donations and grants, was created by a father-daughter duo who had experienced the issue firsthand.