As a student who believes in the powerful mission of advocacy and raising awareness on behalf of marginalized groups like refugees and those escaping dangerous conditions, I pride myself on doing my part by spreading the message of organizations like JRS. At my university, I actively play a leadership role in my student advocacy club as a club officer. One of the many social issues we tackle as a club happens to be the refugee crisis. With the issue, we take combative action by raising awareness and advocacy through fundraising, service trips, forums, and other techniques.

Personally, my time at my university has put me in positions to work indirectly and directly with many of the world’s refugees. Indirectly, I have raised money for organizations like the International Rescue Committee and helped out with refugee camp simulations for my campus community members of students, faculty, and staff to experience. Directly, I have traveled down to Abilene, TX to aid the International Rescue Committee and resettled refugees within the community every year since my admittance into my university. The experience has allowed me to come in contact with refugees who have struggled to call their country of origin home, due to problematic occurrences that were out of their control. The experience has been so rewarding that, I have assigned myself the duty to bring along peers of mine to attend the alternative spring break service trip.

It has been a great honor to not only do one thing in regards to relief efforts for the refugee population, but it has been a fulfilling feeling to continue to do things that push the mission that refugees and displaced people may heal, learn, and determine their own future.

What’s one thing you have done or will do in 2020 to help refugees and other forcibly displaced people heal, learn, and determine their own futures? Need some ideas – check out our campaign page to learn more #Do1Thing.