When Kamaria was just 20 years old, she fled war, poverty, and squalid camps in her homeland of Somalia. With the help of the Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service (IRIS) – Kamaria, her husband, and her two small children found their way to Los Angeles.

Kamaria’s journey from violence was not over: Soon after their arrival, her husband began to physically abuse her. Kamaria managed to leave her husband after repeated attempts to stop his violence. Determined to build a peaceful, productive life for herself and her children, Kamaria – again with Anna’s assistance – learned English, returned to school, and earned a nursing degree. Today she has a steady job in a hospital, recently purchased a home, and is proud to be sending her daughter to UCLA.

In November 2007, we resettled our oldest refugee to date. A 102-year-old gentleman, Gvork, and his 86-year-old wife were reunited with their grandchildren through the Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Service (IRIS). Gvork is one of the last remaining survivors of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and after watching his parents tortured and killed, he escaped to Iran at the age of 10. Now, due to the current events in Iran of religious and ethnic persecution, this couple has fled another homeland. They are currently in their own apartment in the Los Angeles area and loving the freedom and liberties of America. When we asked him why he would go through the trauma of fleeing Iran at his age, his response was, “Don’t you know, life begins when you come to America.”