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Montgomery County proclaims June 20 World Refugee Day, spotlights local refugee services
Summary
Montgomery County leaders and nonprofit partners marked World Refugee Day on June 20, 2026, with personal testimony from a newly employed case manager, presentations from local resettlement and workforce programs and a county proclamation referencing UN Resolution 5576 and the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Montgomery County Councilmember Stewart proclaimed June 20, 2026, World Refugee Day in a ceremony that brought together nonprofit providers, county staff and refugees who recounted journeys to safety and the local services that helped them rebuild.
The event gathered representatives from Asylum Works, Homes Not Borders, Emma's Torch, the Gilchrist Immigration Resource Center and the county Department of Health and Human Services. Councilmember Stewart said the observance aligns with this year’s United Nations theme and called on the county to remain a place of welcome: “we will continue to stand with our refugee community, our neighbors in love and respect.”
Several speakers told personal and programmatic stories illustrating how local supports translate into greater stability. Amira Kamara, a therapeutic case manager with Asylum Works who said she fled Sierra Leone, described arriving with limited English and resources and at times being unable to find shelter. “There was many many moment when I wondered how I will ever find stability and create a better life for my family,” she said, recounting that Asylum Works covered half of her legal fees and that she was granted asylum with her son in 2023. Kamara described completing a fellowship and transitioning from service recipient to staff: she is now employed as a clinical case manager and is pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work degree at the Catholic University of America.
Amy Juan Rona, development director at Homes Not Borders, framed refugee support as an act of allyship and recounted her family’s departure from Vietnam as an example of the bravery required to resettle. “That’s the bravery of being a refugee,” she said, urging community support for programs that teach skills, language and employment pathways.
Carrie Brody, founder and director of Emma’s Torch, described the organization’s culinary training and workforce-development model and provided program scale: “hundreds of students from more than 75 countries have come through our program,” she said, adding that employer engagement is key to creating meaningful careers for newcomers.
Katie Cannon of the county Department of Health and Human Services outlined the Lighthouse program’s role in connecting refugees and immigrants to services that promote safety and stabilization, saying the program helps residents navigate systems and access housing and other supports. The council also read a proclamation citing United Nations General Assembly resolution 5576 and the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and formally recognized World Refugee Day in Montgomery County.
The ceremony emphasized local partnership rather than new legislation: speakers urged continued investment in education, employment, mentorship and community-based supports. The event closed with music following the proclamation reading.
