John: I hope you can take a moment today to be inspired by Shadi's powerful words.

Shadi Ismail is from Syria and now lives outside of Boise, Idaho.

Shadi voted for the first time as an American citizen in 2020. He shared why voting is so important to him—and his encouragement for others to use their voice:

"It's important to me to vote because I am part of this community. I just bought a house here. It was important to me to have something that I own, a place where no one can kick me out. Using my voice is the least I can do to help my community grow.

I want to say to refugees, you can speak up. I know where you came from, you might not have had a choice. But here, you do.

You have your voice and your voice has so much power." — Shadi Ismail

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Shadi pictured in the yard of his newly purchased house outside of Boise.

For refugees in the United States, voting is the culmination of a long journey—from fleeing war or persecution in their home countries, to becoming full participants in American democracy.

The International Rescue Committee plays a vital role in welcoming and providing resettlement and integration services for refugees and asylum seekers.

Thank you for helping to make this life-changing and positive work possible.

— The IRC Supporter Care Team

🗳️ Here's a helpful election resource for IRC supporters →

Your voter information:
The IRC's civic engagement center

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Find out important voting information, for example your voter registration status, your polling place and much more. >>

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