What’s New
Check out our Summer 2025 newsletter for the latest information, including the current refugee situation in Washtenaw County, a recap of our recent events, and ways you can help WRW.
Our Mission
Washtenaw Refugee Welcome is a volunteer organization designed to give long-term support to refugees building a new life in Washtenaw County, MI. WRW utilizes the talents and passions of ordinary people and partner organizations to help our newest neighbors build relationships and navigate their way around the community.
Children doing crafts at one of our monthly meet-ups
Attendees at our annual World Refugee Day Event
Facts to Know
The global refugee crisis continues to affect millions of people—over 100 million worldwide have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict, persecution, and human rights abuses. While many countries, including the United States, play a role in offering safety, policies in recent years have dramatically slowed refugee resettlement. For nearly six months, all refugee arrivals to our area have been halted.
This pause, combined with sudden funding cuts to resettlement services, has left hundreds of recently arrived refugees in Washtenaw County without the resources they need to begin rebuilding their lives. Families have faced significant challenges—enrolling children in school, accessing clothing and household items, securing health care, finding employment, and avoiding eviction.
WRW has stepped in to provide case management, connecting families with the tools and support they need to work toward independence. We know the path to self-sufficiency is smoother when new neighbors have friends in the community to walk alongside them. That’s why WRW exists—and why our volunteers, donors, and partners remain essential to welcoming and supporting refugees here at home.