This testimony recounts one young man’s journey from a comfortable, educated life in Afghanistan to becoming a refugee after surviving extreme violence. Rakin describes being kidnapped and held for several months by a criminal group seeking ransom from his family, escaping through a small window during a moment when his captors failed to properly restrain…

The Joel Nafuma Refugee Center in Rome provides daily support for refugees and migrants, many of whom face homelessness after government housing assistance runs out. One man describes spending four to five months homeless before finding the center, where staff and psychologists offered him consistent emotional support and hope during a difficult period. Each day…

St. Paul’s Homecoming Center began life as the Katrina Recovery Center in New Orleans’ Lakeview neighborhood, helping seniors who had lost nearly everything in the storm. After running successfully there for two years, it relocated to the Gentilly neighborhood as recovery needs shifted from disaster response toward broader community outreach. What started as a place…