Overview of How to Help
Ok, so you're frustrated. Don't just stand there; do something! Below is an overview of some ways that you can. More information is available on each category by clicking through the links above and below.
1. Stay informed.
Sign up for occasional updates on the Project and the plight of U.S.-affiliated Iraqis:
Also be sure to check out our news page/blog for daily updates on the Iraqi refugee crisis and the Project.
2. Start a List Project Chapter.
Start a List Project Chapter in your community. Once you reach 25 members, notify us and we will make you an official List Project Chapter. We'll help connect you with an Iraqi family who has been resettled to the United States and needs assistance. This allows chapters to directly assist Iraqis with whom they build relationships, and efficiently delivers the support these refugees need (we try to find ways to help these Iraqis as directly as possible, rather than create a massive organization with large overhead requirements to administer support).
3. Help them get here.
Donate to the legal support program. This program is what the List Project began with and helps keep our pro bono legal services alive. While the program offers access to hundreds of attorneys, we need to fund full-time paralegals in order to assist with the overwhelming case-load of Iraqis seeking refuge. Our paralegals are themselves Iraqis who have helped the U.S. and are now safely resettled.
4. Help the List Kids.
Click here to learn more about the List Kids, an inspiring and growing group of young Americans mobilizing to create care packages for the children of the Iraqi families we resettle.
Help them by donating gift cards for American clothing and school supplies, or donate your old video game consoles and anything else a child might enjoy.
5. Write to your elected officials.
It may not seem like much, but we believe this helps. Write your congressperson and the President and state your mind. Click here to be taken to a page that provides you with contact info for every elected official in the country and suggestions of what to write.
6. Help them when they arrive: Support a fund.
The following funds are direct-impact, meaning that they will go directly to help individual Iraqis who have successfully made it to America. We've established a secure donations form through Groundspring.org where you may pledge your financial support:
This fund allows us to administer small grants and loans on a need basis directly to Iraqis after they arrive in the U.S. Because government support for refugees is extremely limited, there is a critical need to be able to provide a temporary cushion for Iraqi refugees who need assistance in their first few months. For example, a 70-year-old mother arrived before her daughter, had no support, and was faced with the need to start working in a wood-cutting factory to make enough money to pay rent until her daughter was resettled in the U.S.
If you can believe it, refugees (no matter where they come from in the world) are required by the U.S. to repay the costs of their airfare to safety. This is often a daunting obligation. Refugees who voluntarily served the US war effort in Iraq should not be required to pay for their ticket to safety. Until U.S. government policies change, we want to defray this expense.
The List Project has partnered with Upwardly Global, an NGO that helps highly-educated refugees (who constitute the vast majority on The List) find meaningful employment. We are launching regular job-training sessions for these Iraqis once they arrive.
Contributions defray the costs of these critical trainings, which help Iraqis learn to navigate the US job market and find ways to contribute to our society.