Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are the various ways that you can support refugees in all aspects of life, ranging from inside schools to work and employment.

• How do you support refugees in your community? How is your charitable giving geared toward refugee support and recovery? 

• Here are four things you can do to support refugees. 


One of the key things that refugees need is help with finding a welcoming resettlement in new countries, Kathryn Mahoney, senior communications officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), says.

Everyone can have a hand in creating a welcoming environment for refugees, wherever you are, according to Mahoney and Beattie. Mashable asked them for advice about how to support refugees in your own community.

  • At school 
    Supporting fellow students and classmates can happen throughout the school system. This is important for refugee educational access, Mahoney and Beattie point out, because refugees will likely need additional support transitioning to new school systems.
  • At work 
    In addition to educational barriers, finding work is often one of the first challenges facing refugees in new countries, Mahoney and Beattie point out.
  • In the financial sector 
    It’s also crucial to help refugees navigate the bureaucratic systems that don't make much sense without some previous experience, Beattie and Mahoney point out.
  • Through your own, personal skills
    Beattie and Mahoney both suggest applying skills that you might have to other tailored volunteer efforts as well. So, if you have a background in analyzing legal documents, offering medical assistance, or experience with employment preparedness services, like resume reviews, you can look for specific volunteer efforts that deal with those areas.
  • In spirit 
    Beattie notes that despite fairly widespread support for accepting refugees, in the U.S., refugees might not feel that welcome when reading the news.

Read the full article about supporting refugees by Natasha Piñon at Mashable