2024 Impact Report
Our Mission is to provide refugees and other forced migrants in the D.C. area with what they need to thrive and feel at home in the United States.
Cross Cultural Communi-cation
Dignity
Equality
Client-First Mindset
Community
2024 Executive Director Message
Dear Amazing Supporters,
I ended my letter in the 2023 impact report with the phrase “Looking forward to standing strong with you all in 2024!”
I am happy to report that is what happened in 2024 - Homes Not Borders continued to build up its foundation, and by the end, was working like a welloiled machine. Between the ups and downs of 2023 and the uncertainty of 2025, 2024 stands out as solid and smooth.
The work in 2024 started at the end of 2023, when we signed MOUs with all the resettlement agencies for fee-for-service relationships. Building these helped us streamline our setups and bring $230,000 in earned income for 2024.
We continued to strategically shape our staff, adding Amal Abuldood as part time warehouse manager and two new Maryland Corps-sponsored employees. We intentionally worked on strengthening key parts of the HNB machineryrelationships with our donors and volunteers - starting with a book talk in February and ending with our storytelling show in October. We also made new connections with local governments, even adding councilmembers from two jurisdictions to our inkind donor and volunteer base!
On the more technical side, we changed over to a more robust donor and volunteer management system, streamlining our back office and making donor tracking and outreach MUCH easier and allowing for more forms of payments and easier.
Throughout, we continued in force with home setups as well as artisan sales, storytelling workshops and shows, and our fall relaunch of the Moving Up Fund. The end of 2024 was particularly crazy with set ups - a record 41 in November - as we were preparing for a dramatic slowdown in resettlement with the change of administration. We spent much of November and December planning for this slowdown and laid the groundwork for our new mentoring program - Newcomer to Neighbors.
Homes Not Borders ended 2024 with an effective, cohesiv staff; a strong cash reserve thanks to earned income; deep donor, volunteer and local government relationships; and a clear plan for a changing future. So while 2025 is mired with uncertainty about the future of our country’s refugee program, Homes Not Borders leveraged 2024 to prepare for this moment, and is primed to support and lift up all refugees and force migrants so these newcomers can continue to thrive and feel at home.
In Kindness,
JANUARY
1st artisan venture: Making dog beds for Cotton & Co, providing $4,360 of income to 11 artisans
MARCH
Awarded threeyear grant for $150,000 from Montgomery County to support the Moving Up Fund
FEBRUARY
Amal Abuldood starts as new Warehouse Manager
JULY
$8,161 in donated items for Amazon Prime Days
MAY
$30,000 worth of 200+ pieces of furniture donated from Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Janelia Research Center
SEPTEMBER
Launched new donor supporter and client management system
AUGUST
Celebrated 5th anniversary with first limited-time t-shirt
NOVEMBER
Record number of full set ups41 - in one month.
Held 4th annual storytelling show OCTOBER
2024 Donation Collection
Homes Not Borders is like a bridge to collect this all together, like a one-stop shop... and when my family comes, they will not come to an empty house and they will be in love with it all.”
—SEDIQA, FAMILY TIE OF HOME SET UP CLIENTS
564 Hours Donated from Amazon Delivery
$670,374 In-Kind Donations
454 Furniture Pick-Ups
This year, HNB has received in-kind furniture donations totaling nearly $60,000 from the following businesses:
Marriott Headquarters
Exponent Philanthropy D.C.
Legal Service Corporation
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Atheer made 54 coffee tables, 16 side tables and 11 dining tables and refurbished countless pieces of furniture
1,614
$1.12M in Home Goods and Furniture Distributed Refugees Benefitted
360 Home Set Ups Completed
and her family fled Syria to Egypt in 2013, where they lived for several years. Finally, in 2016, she received the news that their application to enter the United States was accepted and that they could begin interviewing. Unfortunately, in 2017, their case was stalled due to restrictions set by the administration. While waiting on her application, Reham married Mohammad Syed and had a beautiful baby girl before finally hearing back from the United States that their case would be reopened in 2023. They arrived to Washington DC in October 2024 and reunited with her brother. After staying in a hotel for a month and a half, they moved into their new apartment that HNB set up.
“ “
When
crying because of all the help and support for us. When I see how nice and helpful everyone is here, I’m excited to begin my life here.
I saw my new apartment I began crying because of all the help and support for us. When I see how nice and helpful everyone is here, I’m excited to begin my life here.”
REHAM
—REHAM
—REHAM
2024 Volunteer Survey
Time
Volunteering with HNB
Times Volunteered a Month
has been crocheting since she was a little girl, learning from her aunt and grandmother. When she came to the United States at the end of 2021, after the fall of Kabul, this mom of seven wanted to expand her crocheting and start selling items. So she decided to start watching videos on YouTube - in any language - and learned different patterns. Her favorite items to make are flowers, and some of her most
“ “
Storytelling
7 Participants in the Moth Storytelling Training
$2,000
5 Immigrant Storytellers in the Storytelling Show Earned by our Immigrant Storytellers
JOEL
came to the United States after six months of hiding and escaping from the Cuban regime. As a former diplomat, his decision to leave the Cuban government led to harassment, repression, and loss of freedom. He escaped Cuba after nine attempts and received protection in the US along with his wife and daughters.
found a forum to share my story — and refine it so I can spread the story in my ongoing fight for human rights in Cuba. Amy, HNB’s artistic director, created a safe, welcoming space for us to express ourselves and celebrate our voices.
I was honored to participate in the storytelling program HNB sponsored. I found a forum to share my story — and refine it so I can spread the story in my ongoing fight for human rights in Cuba. Amy, HNB’s artistic director, created a safe, welcoming space for us to express ourselves and celebrate our voices.”
—JOEL —JOEL
$13,600 Awarded to Help 7 Refugees Seek Job Training ALL Recipients Found New Higher Paying Jobs After Training ing Up Fund*
Both my wife and I are incredibly thankful for the Moving Up Fund. It made a meaningful difference in our lives during a critical time, and we deeply appreciate [HNB’s] investment in our future.”
- SAYAD, MOVING UP FUND CLIENT *The Moving Up
Retired Senior Intelligence Service Attorney, CIA
Senior Attorney with National Public Radio
& Communication Assistant, MD Corps; Manizha Azizi, Director of Family Services; Samihah Vaid, Community Outreach Americorp VISTA; Amal Abuldood, Warehouse Manager.
(Not Pictured: Nedal Nasli Allahham, Mover)
Samad Founder F
Pictured from Left to Right: Laura Thompson Osuri, Executive Director; Nicolas Grossmann, Director of Operations; Atheer Abdulallah, In-kind Donations Manager; Noah Klose, Director of Community Outreach; Malik Ransome, Donations Assistant, MD Corps; Zae McKinney, Development
36 Different Volunteer Groups 2024 Volunteers
8,502 Volunteer Hours
613
New Volunteers
Volunteer Groups
Accenture Refugee ERG
APO Mu Alpha
Food for the Hungry
Freddie Mac
Georgetown University Christian Legal Society
KAMA DC
Kehila Chadasha
Maret Student Volunteers
Morris Cafritz Center for Social Responsibility at Edlavitch DCJCC
National Community Church Mission Camp
National Student Leadership Forum
Ohr Kodesh
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School
Peer 2 Peer
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers at FEMA
The River School
SAIC
Sligo Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Spencerville Seventh-Day Adventist Church
St Matthew Presbyterian
St Peter’s Episcopal Church
Temple Shalom
The Well Community Church
Washington Jesuit Academy
Welcome.US
Who Is Hussain
Community volunteers from:
Bethesda Chevy Chase High School
Georgetown Day School
Legal Services Corporation
US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Somerset Community University of Maryland
Volunteers organized by:
Karen Rae
Lily Perez
Renae Campbell
2024 Donors
Grantmakers
The Edward W. and Betty Knight-
Scripps Foundation
Montgomery County MD
Kyle Todd Public Service Foundation
Cafritz Foundation
Prince George's County
Worldwide Small Change Foundation
Partner Donors ($5,000+)
Laya & Stephen Aaron
Diane Karlik
J.A. Keyes
Holam Lau
Courtney Lix
Erica & Stephen Mongelli
Sameel & Laura Osuri
Benjamin & Jennifer Ottenhoff
Shari Pfleeger
Larry Ravitz
Charlie & Patty Sislen
Jessica Wagner
Jason & Cami Wilcox
Alice Shaver Foundation
The DECK Foundation
Marriott Corporation
National Community Church
Saint Peter's Episcopal Church
Whispering Bells Charitable Trust
Sustaining Donors ($1,000 - $5,000)
Nirmala Abraham
Juan del Alamo
Lawrence Altman
Janet Barsy
Arnold Bernstein
David Bresnahan
Erica & Andrew Brown
Dave & Brigitte Burgett
Renae Campbell
David & Angelina Casazza
Shilpa Chetty
Richard Cohen
Sue Cohn
Mary Considine
Leslie Cordes
Caitlin Coyle
Paul Eggers
Josiane Gabel
Cynthia Hampton
Paula Hillary
Amy Hubbard
Dallas Hudgens
Arlynn Joffe
Kamran John
Janice John
Iyanrick John
Nazia Khan
Mary Knight & Bill Grant
Ron Matwey
Marissa Maurer
Theresa Maxwell
Christine McGuire
Carol Melamed
Anne Murphy
Neil O’Flaherty
Hillary O’Conner
Lisa Overman
Kim & H.T. Pham
Emily Porter
Ashley Price
Rebecca Pugh
Kent Rolfing
Carla Sanders
Heidi Sherman & Irfan
Nooruddin
Meryl Silverman
Patt Silverthorn
Robert Simon
Brittan Specht
Kimberly Steed
Clara Struthers
Elizabeth Sweetland
Sarah Temin
Arielle Ticho
Eugene Tillman
Judith Villedrouin
Alison Voudrie
Roger West
Faith White
Hannah Willard
Andrew Williams
Andwele Worrell
Amy & Jim Wrona
Stephen Zwirn
Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church
CzechoRican Fund
Dennis Cochran Fund
Harry and Gail Grim Charitable Fund
IT Concepts
Nord Family Foundation
St. Margaret’s Church
The Minh Le and Christopher Dymond
Charitable Fund
