Miry’s List Welcome Workshop: Belonging in LA

Immigrant and refugee support

East LA San Fernando Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles is a major hub for refugee resettlement, yet many residents don’t understand what newcomer families face in rebuilding their lives after fleeing war or persecution. Displacement can be abstract—until it hits close to home. Following the LA wildfires, Miry’s List supported over 140 displaced individuals and five local relief organizations with emergency supplies, extending our model beyond refugee communities. At a recent volunteer event at a West LA high school, a student shared he lost his home in the Palisades Fire and felt a new connection to refugee families: “Now I get what it might feel like for a kid starting over in a new country.” Our work fosters empathy, understanding, and human connection, essential ingredients for an inclusive LA. The problem we aim to solve is twofold: resettling families need support and Angelenos need opportunities to learn, connect, and take action to welcome them. Miry’s List catalyzes long-term cultural change toward a truly welcoming LA.

This grant will support the Northeast LA Welcome Workshop, a vibrant volunteer hub in Eagle Rock where community members of all ages come together to prepare personalized welcome kits for newly resettled refugee and displaced families in Los Angeles.
The workshop sources essential household items, culturally relevant goods, and comfort items, donated by companies, local partners, and individuals, to create kits tailored to each family’s unique needs, including items for children, language learners, and parents.
Our Program Manager, a former refugee herself, leads volunteer engagement and ensures each kit reflects the family’s preferences, creating an intentional, human-centered experience that builds meaningful connections between volunteers and newcomers.
The program also supports families displaced by LA wildfires, expanding its reach to local crises in addition to global resettlement.
This project empowers over 500 volunteers annually—including school groups and corporate teams—providing hands-on education about refugee experiences while fostering empathy and community ownership of welcoming.
By scaling volunteer involvement and personalizing support, the Welcome Workshop is a catalyst for systemic change toward a more inclusive and compassionate Los Angeles.

If successful, Miry’s List will support hundreds of resettling individuals in LA County and engage over 500 LA County student volunteers in personalized welcome efforts. Our Welcome Workshop will continue delivering hundreds of customized kits, reducing newcomer isolation and loneliness.
Led by a diverse, women-led team, 65% of whom have lived refugee experience, we ensure culturally responsive support for families facing tremendous challenges. For example, Marzia, a new Angeleno from Afghanistan, gained English fluency and confidence through our programs, now pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Development and saying, “We are not alone here; we are family.”
Through partnerships with our local schools, our workshop provides LA students with hands-on opportunities to learn about refugee resettlement and directly welcome newcomers. This builds empathy, cultural understanding, and the foundation for a commitment to diversity, fostering a more connected, compassionate Los Angeles.