The roots of Homes Not Borders go back to the start of National Community Church’s Refugee Care Ministry in January of 2017. Laura Osuri, Homes Not Borders’ Executive Director, was a volunteer working with the ministry’s Agency Team, connecting with the local resettlement agencies to determine how best the ministry could help. The call was clearly for help setting up new homes for refugee families. The team began to provide additional household items and smaller furnishings to turn these bare apartments with minimal furniture into homes. Today, we continue to help set up apartments for newly arrived refugee families and collect donated items, providing all the UNHCR required furnishings and household items for them, adding the “homey” touches. Without our assistance, the average refugee would have to use $380 out of their already meager stipend! We also provide the same assistance to asylum seekers and, when available, we provide refugees already living here with additional household items. Many of the recently arrived refugees are skilled professionals but don’t have the connections needed to continue their career in the US, so we help them make these connections, through mentorships with people living in the D.C. area that have already been working their field for a few years. In addition, we provide assistance with resume-writing and interview skills. Most newly arrived refugees struggle to earn enough to support their families, so we offer these individuals a way to earn supplemental income and learn a new skill. We offer refugees a chance to learn the skills of woodworking and furniture-making through a six-week course taught by trained professionals. After completion, they can sign up for shop time and start making their own pieces with donated lumber, or refinishing other furniture. We also help them sell the new items, with the refugee keeping 80% of the profit.