John,

A week ahead of World Refugee Day, we're celebrating the many ways our community is meeting the moment to support refugees around the world. I wanted to share this heartwarming story with you, a compassionate IRC supporter, and invite you to support refugees in your community.

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In Kansas, Darwin and Wizie Eads have been welcoming newcomers for the past 11 years.

Like many IRC's clients, Wizie's parents were forced to flee their home country as a result of conflict. After being resettled in Cleveland, Ohio, where Wizie was born, the family moved to Maryland, where Wizie grew up and eventually met Darwin. The couple later moved to Kansas when Darwin received a job offer—and it was there they began volunteering with IRC.

What started with airport pickups and housing setups quickly became something deeper. The Eads have helped families enroll in school, navigate health care, build resumes, and find their footing in a new country.

But most importantly, they've built relationships that have lasted a lifetime. As Darwin puts it, "You don't move on because you're family, and so that never stops."

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One of the first families was the Abdis*, a Somali family who had lived in Pune, India before resettling in Kansas. The children spoke Hindi—just like Wizie—creating an immediate bond. Wizie helped with school enrollment, attended parent-teacher conferences, and was even at the hospital when the mother gave birth to her first child in the U.S. Years later, they're still family.

When the Yusafzai* family of ten arrived from Afghanistan, Wizie and Darwin worked with city officials to change a bus route so the children could get to school safely. They supported the father in getting food assistance to stabilize his small grocery store. They helped the children adjust to their new schools—and they keep showing up with compassion and tenacity every day.

The Eads have also literally opened their doors—hosting two Ukrainian families in their home until they found permanent housing. Weeks later, one family returned with a handmade carrot cake reading: "We love you Wizie and Darwin."

And when Wizie's father passed away, the refugee families they had once supported showed up for them—taking time off work to cook for their family in their moment of grief.

It's this kind of mutual care and connection that reminds us what our communities gain when we welcome refugees—not just safety or stability, but something richer: belonging.

As Darwin puts it, "The old saying, 'you get more than you give'? It's very true. It's heartwarming. It's fulfilling."

This World Refugee Day, we invite you to meet the moment for refugees, just as Darwin and Wizie have. Whether you volunteer, donate, or share a story like this with a friend or loved one, you can be part of building communities where everyone is welcome.

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— Heidi, Donor Manager @ IRC 💛

*Names have been changed to protect the person's privacy and safety.

The International Rescue Committee | Rescue.org

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