Today is Giving Tuesday, a day of shared humanity and radical generosity. With the recent bussing of refugees to New York, the fall of Afghanistan last year, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, global and national events have reached our neighborhoods. In response, we have seen an outpouring of support from people in our local communities and across the country, as school communities welcomed bussed families with open arms and material support, neighbors organized stoop sales and bake sales to raise funds for displaced Ukrainians, and people around the country rallied to help newly arrived Afghans adjust and find resources.
At each step of the way, as the global community and the local community join together, individuals and organizations on the ground have turned to the Refugee Translation Project for translation support to bridge the language gap, whether it be between service provider and client or between asylum applicant and immigration officer. We are proud to act as a bridge for language, as these efforts not only serve as a cultural and interpersonal bridge, but also as a bridge to safety.
We look forward to you joining us in our End of Year Campaign this year. Our translation services are free to people seeking safety in New York and beyond. The funds we raise go towards paying our translators, many of whom are refugees themselves, and towards our efforts to build collaboratively with community groups, immigration service providers, and advocacy groups to better support refugees in 2023.