Help the UNT Rescue Rangers raise money for International Rescue
Committee
Cait Burns, Audrey Ortiz, Melissa Cooper, Elizabeth Flores, and Leah Suasnovar, the UNT Rescue Rangers, have united to raise funds for the International Rescue Committee.
The International Rescue Committee has been working tirelessly to assist communities worldwide for almost 90 years. Their focus is on delivering aid, helping people to recover and empowering them to take control of their lives again. They respond to some of the world’s worst crises, delivering aid and paving the way for long-term recovery.
We have chosen this IRC because they are committed to transparency and accountability while they ensure vulnerable populations receive the assistance they need during difficult times. You can trust that your donation will be used effectively and efficiently to help those in need. Your contribution, no matter how small, will make a meaningful impact. By coming together as a community, we help ease their burden during this stressful time.
During the duration of this campaign we not only strive to meet the needs for our women and children when needing a safe place or necessities to survive, But we also like to keep them educated as well. Here at the IRC we foster a culture of excellence no matter how hard the challenge.IRC encourages and ensures that we will also help all women and children with resources like books, or educational materials. We will also fundraise and ask for donations for educational needs. We feel that keeping our girls educated will also inspire them to want to make change and pay it forward to any other struggling woman or child. As we have stated before, we are here to help in all areas for our families.
Economic stability is something most people take for granted. Refugees and immigrants are often faced with having to make critical choices in order to survive. Usually, they are struggling to have even their most basic needs for survival met. So, it is not rare for children of impoverished families to be pulled out of school and into the workforce just so that the family can meet their needs of food, water, and shelter. The IRC is a direct resource to refugees and immigrants so that they do not go hungry or go homeless. They provide families with cash assistance so that they are able to avoid debt or other desperate measures. The IRC also assists people with financial and career advising such as choosing a successful career path and the importance of good credit. Furthermore, they ensure that those receiving aid can graduate into self-sufficient people with the skills given to them such as entrepreneurial skills and management skills.
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Photo by Ono Kosuki from Pexels
The International Rescue Committee is an organization that focuses on empowering individuals, especially women and children, to make informed decisions that can significantly impact their lives. Conflict and disaster can significantly affect where and how people live, as well as how they are governed. The ITC works to support programs that empower displaced people, assists individuals in obtaining appropriate legal status for themselves and their families, and collaborates with decision-makers in local and national governments. Through these efforts, the ITC aims to help people understand their rights and make informed choices for their future.
The IRC helps ensure that all have access to basic healthcare, internationally and domestically. The IRC also helps get infants into childhood and beat child death illnesses. They provide women with prenatal and reproductive health services. The IRC provides mental health services and clean drinking water. The IRC helps with health concerns both foreign and domestic, to ensure refugees are healthy enough to immigrate and have continued access to healthcare once they arrive.
May 29, 2020, Photo by Ganta Srinivas from Pexels, free to use, Group of People in Standing on Brown Grass Field
Women and Girls
Though the International Rescue Committee is dedicated to helping all people suffering from displacement and disaster, they have a particular interest in women and girls. This group is prone to being discriminated against. They disproportionately bear the burden of any misfortune and, when there’s a lack of access, they will usually go without before their brothers and husbands. This applies to education, healthcare, income inequalities and especially safety. That’s why the International Rescue Committee does its best to ensure that whatever services are available, also reach the women and girls within a community.
May 21, 2020, Photo by Aviz from Pexels, free to use, Close-Up Photo of Caution Signage
Safety
Safety is one of those things that we all hope to have. However, it’s not always guaranteed. The International Rescue Committee wants to improve safety for all. With safety as a goal, there are initiatives to improve the safety of people in refugee camps, with lighting and locks, but also by providing assistance and education for staying safe in the workplace and among families. They even provide services to underserved schools in the United States, training health and case workers and providing mental health support for teachers and students. Through education, advocacy and practical measures, the IRC wants to keep everyone safe.
Testimony-
My mother immigrated to the United States back in 1989 from Mexico. My mom left with nothing but a change of clothes in a torn up backpack for all three of her kids. With her, traveled a group of seven people including my, then, nine year-old, seven year-old, and three year-old brothers. With just a drop of hope in her heart that she’d make it to the land of riches in her heart, she illegally crossed the river. She was fleeing poverty on her own, without my father by her side. She endured the unforgiving sun, threatening wildlife, murderous waters, and the fear of not making it. A glimpse of making it out of a cycle of poverty and having the slimmest chance of giving her family a better chance at life gave her the courage to immigrate from the only place she knew. Upon reaching the United States, she experienced a culture shock. She was alone. It was almost impossible for her to get on her feet without knowing the language. The first feeling you get once immigrated is severe displacement. Sadness overwhelmed her knowing she had left the comfort of her brothers and sisters and the sights and smells of her home.
Years later, my mother faced adversity by embracing the stigma of being an immigrant. She did not know the language but that did not diminish her hunger for success and resilience. The challenge of not feeling welcomed anywhere you went only gave her more confidence to prove them wrong. She wanted everyone to know that she was here to contribute to America the way everyone else was because she loved America. America was her home now and she did not intend to sit back and take but instead give to the country for giving her a bounty of opportunities. Despite the stereotypes, prejudice, and obstacles, she blossomed with career opportunities. My mother cherished America because she understood just how precious the country was for giving her a real chance at life. Soon, my mother gained her Citizenship of the United States. Tears rolled down her cheek that day. She was safe. She was happy. She was home.
Transparency
The International Rescue Committee meets standards for give.org.
The International Rescue Committee has a 4 star rating on Charity navigator at 91 percent, mostly because only the financials have been gone over. However, the financials are transparent and look about as good as a charity tends to.
They spend 5 cents to raise every dollar and 88 percent spent in 2021 was on program costs. All financial documents are available below.
guidestar.org/profile/13-5660870
charitynavigator.org/ein/135660870