What would you put in your backpack if you were forced to flee war or persecution? How would you make impossible choices? Could you summon the resilience needed to leave everything familiar behind and step into uncertainty?

World Refugee Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2000 to raise awareness of the experiences of refugees and to affirm their rights, dignity, and contributions. The first global observance took place on June 20, 2001, and this year marks its 25th anniversary.

When we read headlines about conflicts and crises that force families to uproot their lives, it is easy to feel powerless. Yet history reminds us that ordinary people—especially when they work together—can make an extraordinary difference.

For the past decade, volunteers, partners, and donors at Newcomers Access Center (NAC) have welcomed refugees and immigrants to Southern California, helping them rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. From securing housing and employment to enrolling children in school, providing English-language instruction, subsidizing driving lessons, and connecting families to essential resources, NAC has walked alongside newcomers as they navigate a new beginning.

Over the last 10 years, we have witnessed firsthand how acts of kindness, compassion, and community support can transform lives. We are proud of our NAC “graduates,” many of whom have gone on to achieve self-sufficiency, pursue their goals, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. We are equally grateful for the supporters whose generosity has made these successes possible.

When our clients fled countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and others, their backpacks held only the essentials: a change of clothes, important documents, a little food, perhaps diapers for a young child. Yet they carried much more than that. They brought memories, traditions, education, skills, professional experience, determination, and dreams for the future.

On behalf of the displaced individuals and families we serve, NAC extends its heartfelt thanks to everyone who has welcomed, encouraged, and supported newcomers as they work to rebuild their lives and turn their dreams into reality after making unimaginable sacrifices.

By the Numbers
• 123 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2024—the highest number ever recorded.
• 100,034 refugees were resettled in the United States in 2024, the largest annual total in three decades.
• California remains a leading destination for refugee families in the United States, with Los Angeles County among the state’s top refugee-receiving communities, alongside Sacramento and San Diego.

Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a story of resilience.