New name, same mission! LIRS is now Global Refuge. Learn more.

New name.
Same mission.

LIRS is now Global Refuge.

Welcoming newcomers since 1939.

See Our Evolution

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Fresh Change

A Fresh Change

When immigrants are released from Customs and Border Protection custody, it is often with nothing but the ill-fitting government-issued clothes on their backs.

Since August 2022, over 36,000 immigrants have been bussed into New York city, increasing the Asylum seeker population to more than 120,000.

Global Refuge is working in partnership with Border Servant Corps and Lutheran Social Services of New York to meet the ever-increasing need for services.

Fresh Change welcomes our new neighbors with dignity, and, with your help, a fresh change of clothes and hygiene packs. The Fresh Change program offers an opportunity to welcome immigrants with a bag of new clothing and hygiene products. Using our toolkit, volunteers can pack as many bags as they’d like and send them to our neighbors at the border or close to a city near you. You can even host a Fresh Change packing party!

Download the New York Toolkit

Download the Las Cruces Toolkit

How It Works

  1. Download the Fresh Change Digital Toolkit, which includes additional instructions and free printables.
  2. Let Global Refuge know how many bags you plan to assemble.
  3. Wait for a confirmation email from Global Refuge with a mailing address.
  4. Fill your bags per the instructions in the toolkit.
  5. Send the bags to newly arrived immigrants!

Register Your Bags

No time to pack bags? No problem!

You can purchase items online and send them straight to the people who need them.

Shop Now for New York

Shop Now for Las Cruces

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