Resilience & Hope: Bring Ayat's Family Home

When you hear about the Syrian war, it's often numbers, statistics, and political debates. But for Ayat and her family, it's a decade of survival, resilience, and undying hope. This is their story.

I first met Ayat while overseeing her work on the public health podcast, NoiseFilter. She volunteered there as a remote intern, based out of Lebanon, and it didn't take long to see that she was both incredibly creative and deeply dedicated. I was impressed by the immense difference she was making, but it was only near the end of her internship that I learned she had been completing all of her work - social media, audio editing, and recording an Arabic version of the podcast - on a phone, because she didn't own a computer. I also learned that she had been recording from a closet, to ensure the podcast had the best sound.

I decided to fundraise and help get Ayat a computer. After a successful campaign, I had the honor of delivering a new computer to her in Lebanon. It was then that I met her family, and witnessed firsthand their warmth, kindness, and strength. It wasn't only Ayat who was so talented and hardworking and with such a beautiful heart, her entire family exemplifies these traits and I feel honored to know them.

That's why it was so exciting to learn about a new US government program called the Welcome Corps, which allows any group of five American Citizens to identify a refugee or group of refugees who they would like to support in coming to America.

We can help bring Ayat and her family to the safety of the United States. But we need your support.

The Welcome Corps program requires that for each sponsored refugee, enough funding has been set aside to get them through their first six months in the United States, as they acculturate and look for a job. The funds we raise here will all be used for that purpose, qualifying for the program, and then helping move and transition Ayat's family to the United States, ensuring they have a secure home, access to essential services, and a chance to rebuild their lives.

I ask you today to please join us in this journey and support Ayat’s family in finding a safe home where their dreams and talents can truly take flight. The opportunity to help this special family, in some small way, was one of the best things I have done in my life. Please join me.