As many of you know, Nationalities Service Center (NSC) is the largest non-sectarian organization in the region providing comprehensive services for immigrants and refugees. While starting off this letter with a quote from one of the world's most revered religious leaders may seem an unusual choice given our secular orientation, we can think of no better way to convey both the tenor of the time in which we live and the importance of standing up for what is right and humane in the way immigrants and refugees are treated in the world, in our country, and in our neighborhoods.

Over the years, your support has enabled us to help the immigrants and refugees who have walked through our doors - 5,500 from 100 countries last year alone - to build a solid foundation for a self-sustaining and dignified future. Today, NSC is the largest resettlement program in the Philadelphia region - the second largest in the state - working with refugees from over 20 countries of origin. We also connect thousands of other immigrants with legal, health and language access services.

None of this is possible without the support of informed and generous individuals like you.   We hope we can count on your support of this truly extraordinary organization in our 95th year of welcoming the world.

In celebration of our anniversary year, we wanted to take a quick walk back in time with you through NSC's history of responding in real-time to the needs of immigrants and refugees:

• 1921: Originally founded as the International Institute of Philadelphia under the auspices of the YWCA

• 1924: Launched legal assistance services for immigrants in response to the Quota Act of 1924

• 1940s: Helped resettle interned Japanese-Americans from the West Coast, providing housing, jobs, immigration counseling and English language services

• 1957: Resettled Hungarians in the Philadelphia area after the Hungarian Revolution in October 1957

• 2005: NSC was one of the first agencies to welcome Meshketian Turk refugees, leading the way for thousands to be admitted and resettled across the country

• 2010: Established the Philadelphia Refugee Health Collaborative

• 2015: Resettled our first Syrian refugees the week after the Paris terror attacks in November 2015

Our clients are extraordinary survivors. Regardless of their path to our door, they have demonstrated unparalleled determination and grit to make their way to the United States to build new lives. Your personal investment in advancing their journeys means so much to us. Now, more than ever, in these exceedingly disconcerting times for refugees and immigrants, we are asking you to stand with us as global humanitarians in these times of "war, poverty, hunger and social injustice." We hope that you will support us and give as generously as you are able by clicking here today.

 

With heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your support,