The Welcome to America Project

The Welcome to America Project furnishes the apartments of refugees newly resettled by the UN to Arizona from war-torn and oppressed countries worldwide. We collect furniture and basic needs items from donors throughout the Phoenix area and delivers them free of charge, every Saturday all year long, to refugee families arriving from Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Burma, Bhutan, and other countries in conflict.

The families often arrive at Sky Harbor Airport with little more than the clothes on their backs after spending an average of 6-8 harrowing years in refugee camps outside their homeland. With a large bank of local volunteers WTAP build bridges of neighborly understanding between the local community and newly arrived refugees. We believe a dignified home and neighborly welcome give refugees a better chance for success as they build new lives and assimilate here in the US.

Since 2001, the WTAP has had an incredible impact on the community by delivering and installing over $1,000,000 of in-kind furniture, clothing and other most basic needs items to over 1,000 refugee families in Phoenix.

The WTAP has an active corps of over 200 volunteers who provide free labor for our core activities. We also receive ongoing furniture donations from major retailers and individuals throughout Phoenix. With an abundance of free goods and labor we have been able to expand the impact of the program and greatly increased the number of families served from 2001 to today, with over 200 families welcomed in 2009.

On average, WTAP incurs $200 in storage and delivery related expenses to furnish one apartment for a family of four. These basic expenses include gas, insurance and maintenance for our delivery truck, drivers’ wages, and storage fees at our storage facility in Tempe. With low overhead, a steady flow of in-kind furniture donations, and a talented, dedicated corps of volunteers, each family receives an average of $1,800 of in-kind donations desperately needed items.