Help a refugee begin a new life today

from Mark Hetfield, President & CEO
  
Dear HIAS Supporter,

As December draws to a close, I reflect on the 250,000 refugee lives HIAS has touched this year with the help of people like you and your steadfast support of our mission. For many of us, the refugee journey strikes a personal chord because it reflects our own family's history; we see ourselves in many refugees' stories.

Take Sinan: A proud father to three girls, ages 8, 11, and 15, Sinan was a professional engineer before fleeing his home country of Iraq. After years of struggle as a refugee, he arrived in Ohio as part of the U.S. Refugee Program.

Supported by HIAS through our local partner, Sinan got his first job just four months later—a managerial position overseeing three teams at the local Target. "I like challenges, and I believe the experiences that I had helped me advance quickly," Sinan says. One year on, he is providing for his family and involved in his community, grateful for the help he received getting started in his new home.

By supporting HIAS, you support refugees like Sinan. 

"This is only the beginning," he beams. "Next, I want to get my Masters degree and start my own construction management company. Then I will get a Ph.D. and ultimately teach at a university." His passion and drive mirror what our country is built on—the opportunity to realize one's potential in safety and freedom, and to give back. "America is a dreamland if you work hard to improve yourself and make use of the opportunities you can have here," Sinan adds.

For every success story like Sinan's, there are hundreds of refugees who need HIAS' help beginning anew. In 2013, HIAS helped nearly 3,000 refugees build new lives in 28 cities across the United States, offering them a warm reception upon arrival, employment training and placement, and ongoing professional advice for particularly vulnerable individuals and families. We can't do this without you.

Won't you join us in aiding more refugees like Sinan?

I hope you will.

With gratitude,
Mark Hetfield, President & CEO