Jalila and her husband Adil, Syrian refugees living in Lebanon, said, “Without you we would be completely lost.” Jalila stressed that she never expected to live like that, nor ever even ask for help from NGOs. “We lived regular lives, we worked, we had cars and houses. We do not want to ask anyone for help but we have to.”

people received food aid.

A migrant receiving a hot burrito and a warm blanket at the US-Mexico border said, “You don't know how much this helps us; we have had challenging times during our long journey, and now we can have a decent meal to eat and a blanket to protect us from the weather.”

hot meals were provided.

Nour, a Syrian refugee who had fled war-torn Raqqa, Syria, for Lebanon said, “This food basket is a blessing. When we get it, we can spend the next 10 to 14 days without worrying about where our next meal is coming from. We can actually save some money for clothes, for medicine.”

 food packs were distributed.

We created a proprietary breakfast cookie recipe to maximize nutritional value for primary school children who are food insecure. Now, the attendance rate is high, and a local baker who was closed has hired 8 people because his business is thriving. His employees, people in their early to mid-twenties, can support their families.

nutritious, protein-rich, breakfast cookies were provided to Afghan primary school children, giving them a complete meal to start the day.

Many asylees no longer belong to the places where they made their first home, had their first child, or built their first career. One of our partner’s shelter directors in Juarez, Mexico, said, “We believe it's important to let every one of our guests have a decent and nice stay at the shelter. They are people like you and me and deserve to have dignity.”

individuals were supported with shelter essentials and improvements.

With the economic crisis Lebanon is currently facing, most people cannot purchase new winter clothing or blankets to stay warm, especially refugees and displaced people. In Afghanistan, 250 room-sized blankets were made by Afghan women, providing a source of income for them.

Lebanese children received new winter coats, and 1,272 families received a total of  2,450 new blankets to keep warm in Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Mexico’s unforgiving winters.

Esmeralda, a Venezuelan migrant at Mexico’s southern border, said, “The need to find food, not sleep in the street, to have diapers, to find a way to clean up, eat, and sleep was a huge responsibility.”

hygiene kits were distributed to restore a sense of dignity for displaced people.

Soultana received checkups from our mobile medical clinic in rural, war-torn Syria before she gave birth to quadruplets. “I wasn’t able to access any hospital or to seek medical assistance as we are poor, and this conflict has caused us years and years of poverty,” Soultana said. “The arrival of the mobile clinic team in our little village has delighted me and put an end to my worries about the pain from my pregnancy. I came for a check-up every week and the team welcomed me and gave me a ray of hope and love.”

medical consultations were provided to help people in need reach better health outcomes.

In creating a place to belong, we are mindful of the responsibility we owe to a community. That’s why we added regenerative agricultural practices to our farm in Iraq and components to promote sustainability to our farm in Mexico. Our water harvesting techniques captured 58,907 gallons of harvested water, and we shared our knowledge with 187 others through a permaculture design course. Our agriculture-based jobs creation program was recognized in a letter of appreciation from the local government in southern Iraq.

gallons of harvested rainwater irrigated crops while 3,489 kilograms of produce fed vulnerable people.

Hussain, a sweets shop owner in Iraq, said, “Opening the project for me restored hope for a decent life, and it also helped me a lot to continue supporting my seven children in their studies. Thank you very much to all PLC staff.”

businesses were opened, giving those affected by war and poverty a stable income and revitalizing decimated neighborhoods.

Shallan, an Iraqi tech hub participant, said, “They teach me how to be successful in the subject they are giving and how to get the job, how to enter the business world.”

graduates of our tech hubs are ready to embrace their future with new, marketable skills to thrive in the twenty-first century workplace.

We funded high school education for Syrian refugees and subject-specific classes in private learning centers for young Afghan women. We provided a daily hot lunch in Lebanon so primary school children could learn to read and write instead of looking for work as day laborers.

students continued their education.

Employing local artisans in Mexico, Lebanon, and Iraq helps them withstand economic devastation so they won’t need to leave home. Employing refugees enables them to take care of their families in the new places they call home.

artisan products were sold.