At a time when support for humanitarian aid is shrinking, building and strengthening partnerships are essential, and nonprofits like Global Refuge—and the families we serve—need allies who are in it for the long haul. We’re fortunate to have partners who are showing up, pitching in, and standing with refugee and immigrant families every step of the way. Water filtration company LifeStraw is one of those partners.
“We were drawn to Global Refuge because of the organization’s commitment to dignity, care, and the long-term well-being of newcomers,” says Vito Castelgrande, LifeStraw’s Social Impact & Sustainability Manager. “Like LifeStraw, Global Refuge both responds to urgent needs and builds long-term solutions.”
That alignment of values runs deep. At the heart of both organizations is the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to build a safe and healthy future.
“At LifeStraw, we believe that respect, dignity, and health must be at the center of humanitarian response,” Castelgrande says. “Global Refuge’s mission to provide a ‘long welcome’ reflects that same respect and care for the whole person.”
Vito Castelgrande speaks with President & CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah and Global Refuge staff at our Hope for the Holidays event.
This past holiday season, the team at LifeStraw went above and beyond for our Fresh Change program—buying nearly 90% of the items on our Amazon Wishlist, donating reusable LifeStraw bottles, and showing up in person at our Hope for the Holidays event to help pack care bags for newly arrived families.
Their Giving Tuesday efforts were just as powerful. LifeStraw donated water pitchers and personal reuseable straws to our Camino a Casa clients in Guatemala, gave clothing and school supplies, and launched a fundraising campaign to support our work.
LifeStraw is looking ahead to growing this powerful partnership—supporting and donating to our work in Baltimore, across the U.S., and in Central America and Mexico.
“We’re excited to learn from Global Refuge’s deep community relationships and experience, and to find new ways our resources can support their mission,” Castelgrande adds.
We’ve seen firsthand that working in partnership with private-sector companies allows us to offer more holistic support to those who need it most. Castelgrande agrees.
“We hope to see a world where humanitarian aid goes beyond meeting basic needs to focus more on restoring dignity and building equity. Partnerships like this move us closer to that vision.”
Right now, refugee and immigrant families are facing far tougher challenges and far fewer resources. But with partners like LifeStraw stepping up, Global Refuge will continue to find innovative ways to support our most vulnerable families through every step of their journey towards a safer future.
Global Refuge Deeply Disappointed by the FY2027 Determination on Refugee Admissions
Global Refuge today voiced its opposition to the Fiscal Year 2027 presidential determination, which sets the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling at 17,500 and directs that those places go primarily to Afrikaners from South Africa.
Refugees and Legal Immigrants Lose Health Coverage as “One Big Beautiful Bill” Cuts Take Effect
Starting October 1, refugees, Afghan allies, Ukrainian parolees, and survivors of torture and human trafficking who are living in the United States legally are no longer eligible for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Reports: Refugee Program Would Again Favor a Single Group
The reported plan would dedicate 17,500 admissions slots, primarily to resettling a single nationality, as thousands of other vetted refugees remain effectively shut out of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
