The Badge Archive

When people are forced to leave their home countries due to war, persecution, violence, or natural disasters, they often arrive in new places as refugees. They are looking for safety, stability, and the chance to rebuild. The United Nations defines a refugee as someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country because of a well-founded fear of harm.

In 2025, refugee communities in the U.S. continue to grow. Recent waves include individuals and families fleeing violence and instability in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Syria, Sudan, and Ukraine. Refugee resettlement organizations in states like Texas, Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia have become key intake locations, helping new arrivals begin their lives with support for housing, healthcare, education, and employment.

While refugee centers provide vital services, many rely on limited staff and require volunteers to be at least 16 years old. And though clothing and supply drives are helpful, scouts of all ages can do more than just collect items. They can help raise awareness, foster inclusion, and promote compassion in their own communities.

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Ways Scouts Can Take Action

When trying to help, most people think about assembling a welcome kit or supplies for refugees. Before organizing any donation drive or assembling welcome kits for refugee families, it’s important to first contact a local refugee resettlement agency or support center.

Each location has specific needs, storage limitations, and strict guidelines — especially around hygiene, cultural appropriateness, and labeling. Unapproved kits can go unused or even create extra work for already overextended staff. Scouts should ask what items are most needed, whether kits are currently being accepted, and if there are packaging or delivery instructions to follow. Taking the time to coordinate directly ensures the effort is genuinely helpful and respectful of the organization’s capacity and the dignity of the people being served.

Other Concrete Actions

• Host Multicultural Story Nights – Invite members of different cultures in your community to share stories, music, or traditional games. These events build empathy, celebrate diversity, and strengthen local connections.
• Practice Inclusive Language and Behavior – Scouts can lead by example at school, at meetings, and online by being welcoming, patient, and supportive toward those learning English or adjusting to a new place.
• Highlight World Cultures Through Activities – Choose a badge requirement, celebration, or troop meeting to feature foods, crafts, or customs from different countries. This builds cultural awareness and can include refugee perspectives without needing personal stories.
• Organize “Get to Know You” Game Days – Create team-based games or friendship events that mix scouts, school peers, or neighborhood kids from different backgrounds. Focus on connection and fun over competition.
• Support Interpretation and Language Learning – Create simple phrasebooks, flashcard sets, or labeled visual guides (with help from trusted sources) to share in school classrooms or afterschool programs.
• Promote Community Kindness Challenges – Start a troop-led challenge encouraging small acts of inclusion—like sitting with someone new at lunch, learning to say hello in another language, or inviting a new student to a game.

Advocate & Spread Awareness

• Create Posters or Skits on the Refugee Journey – Help younger scouts or community members understand the difference between immigrants and refugees, and why refugees deserve protection.
• Interview Local Refugee Support Staff or Families (if appropriate) – With sensitivity and respect, share their stories and perspectives with your troop or school to help dispel myths and build empathy.
• Host a Community Cultural Exchange – Offer space for multiple traditions and cultures to be celebrated, honoring both refugee and immigrant heritage.
• Support Refugee-Led Businesses or Artists – Research if your area has any and help raise awareness through word-of-mouth or troop fundraisers.
• Write Letters of Encouragement to Refugee Youth – Partner with refugee agencies that accept youth letters for their young clients adjusting to a new life.

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Trusted Resources for Learning More

• UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency: Offers global and local information on the refugee crisis and ways to support displaced families.
• HIAS: A U.S.-based organization that supports refugee resettlement, advocacy, and community education.
• Refugee Council USA: A national coalition supporting refugee protection, education, and integration in the U.S.

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References

• “Take Action | UNHCR US.” UNHCR US, 2024, http://www.unhcr.org/us/get-involved/take-action. Accessed 19 June 2025.
• “Take Action.” HIAS, hias.org/take-action/. Accessed 19 June 2025.
• “Ways to Give – Refugee Council USA.” Refugee Council USA –, 15 Dec. 2023, rcusa.org/ways-to-give/. Accessed 19 June 2025.