DIGNITY
SAFETY
No LGBTQ+ Refugee Should Face Persecution Alone.
MISSON
And You Welcomed Me is a United States–based nonprofit working to protect and resettle LGBTQ+ refugees from East Africa.
From our base in the U.S., we provide emergency, life-saving financial support to LGBTQ+ refugees facing persecution, displacement, and violence. We work closely with trusted refugee leaders and community partners to ensure assistance reaches those in urgent need.
Our mission is twofold:
Immediate Protection
We send emergency funds for food, shelter, medical needs, security, and crisis response when individuals are in danger.Durable Resettlement Pathways
Because U.S. refugee admissions have been largely suspended or severely restricted, we now focus our advocacy and partnership efforts on helping refugees secure protection in Canada and safe democratic countries in Europe.
We remain committed to pursuing lawful and sustainable resettlement options wherever they are available.
We are not a faith-based organization, but we are supported by individuals of many faith traditions and secular backgrounds who share a common belief: every human being deserves dignity, safety, and the chance to build a future free from fear.
No political climate changes the worth of the people we serve.
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” — Matthew 25:35
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“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” — Matthew 25:35 · · ·
Get Involved
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Tell Their Stories
We share the stories of LGBTQ+ refugees in South Sudan and East Africa with care and consent. By raising awareness responsibly, we connect individuals with people and communities willing to stand with them.
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Sponsor & Support
Individuals, churches, and secular groups can provide regular monthly support or one-time gifts. Even small, consistent donations provide food, shelter, medical care, and security for those in danger.
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Advocate for Protection
We communicate with embassies, resettlement NGOs, and trusted partners when opportunities arise. If there is someone who should hear a case, we reach out. We help refugees strengthen documentation, pursue lawful pathways, and stay encouraged through long processes.
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Stay Connected
We remain in steady contact with refugee leaders in South Sudan, supporting their internal organization, safety planning, and mutual care. Supporters receive periodic updates outlining progress, challenges, and concrete needs.
OUR TEAM & PARTNERS
And You Welcomed Me is led by a U.S.-based board and advisors committed to securing dignity and safety for LGBTQ+ refugees.
We work in coordination with trusted resettlement and advocacy partners, including organizations such as Rainbow Railroad and Episcopal Migration Ministries, as we pursue lawful pathways to protection and provide emergency support abroad.
BEARING WITNESS
Hammering on rocks
can break the hammerer's back
when stooped
under the weight of identity
cards the color of scorn.
But somehow you knew
that the earth's breath
drew in and out
with the same rhythm
as your own.
Somehow you also knew
the rocks you cracked
into two decades' dust
were watering the country
who sat silently in your cell,
more a prisoner than you.
- Joseph Ross, Hammering on Rocks from “Gospel of Dust" (Main Street Rag, 2013)