Want to turn your nervous energy toward something good? Refugee resettlement agencies have faced some of the most grueling years in their history and suddenly, as of today, it looks like they get to rebuild. That is WONDERFUL. It's also stressful. They need financial help.

Under this administration, the program has gotten to abysmal lows--the last refugee admissions ceiling was 15k, and a little more than 10k came last year. Biden has promised he'd raise the cap to 125k and repeal the Muslim Ban immediately. Again, THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY.

No organization can grow that fast without it being difficult. Refugee agencies have ALWAYS performed miracles--many former refugees have endured trauma, or need deep levels of cultural guidance in those first few months--and the months ahead will be a new kind of challenge.

Hear me: newly-arriving former refugees do not need handouts, they need safety and freedom and a chance to create new lives for their families. Resettlement agencies provide the scaffolding and support victims of persecution and war need to get their feet underneath them.

Refugee resettlement is a huge, international system involving multiple countries and strategic partnerships (which is why the damage to this one program has been so awful to witness), but it's also hyper-local.

Almost every city has an org that has quietly been changing the world every day in 700 languages on a shoestring budget in the middle of a pandemic to people whose lives were upended first by war and then this wild, chaotic, anti-refugee era in our country.

I love that we're all supporting community organizers. Let's add resettlement agencies, especially the ones who will be reopening closed sites and expanding in cities around the country.

Retweet this thread and then add your favorite org's fundraising link below!

(If you work for one of those organizations--please share too! You're doing good work and we want to help! Or if there are better ways to support you, feel free to let us know!)

I'll start with two places where some of my favorite people on earth work: @RST_Austin ( https://www.rstx.org/make-an-impact/ ) and @InterfaithTexas ( https://bit.ly/3p4PUi9 )