Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee)

Responding to people in crisis is the core of who Alight is! And in Minnesotans we've found kindred humanitarians for the last 47 years. Alight was founded in Minnesota, and our lifesaving work for refugees around the world is fueled by Minnesotans (see our 2024 Impact Report)! The humanitarian spirit runs high here - Minnesotans know people...no matter who they are OR where in the world they are...people come first!

When the worst happens, Minnesotans respond. And we're used to our government responding quickly, too... to send help across the world on behalf of all Americans. 

But we can't expect that anymore. Foreign aid has been slashed, and with it critical services to refugees and displaced people from South Sudan to Myanmar. 

Today, Alight is still responding to humanitarian emergencies around the world, thanks to support from Minnesotans:

*In Sudan, civil war drags on. And systems are falling apart. But Alight is still one of the largest providers of health care across the country – from Darfur to refugee camps in the East. And our team is currently responding to the largest cholera outbreak the country has ever seen. 99% of our staff have been displaced themselves in the war. Yet, they keep showing up for their neighbors and countrymen.

*In Ukraine, after 3 years of war, the country remains in crisis. We’re working with veterans, widows, and children to cope, process and grow after the trauma they’ve experienced. And we’re helping families and communities around Kharkiv repair heating systems, windows, rooves and doors so that they can survive the winter ahead.

*In Uganda, tens of thousands of Congolese refugees crossed the border with little notice from the global community. Alight was there receiving them as they crossed, sheltering them at transit centers, and walking alongside them on the next stops on their long and difficult journey of displacement.

*AROUND THE WORLD - Alight continues to respond to crises from Rwanda to Somalia, serving more than 4 million people each year.

Of course, life is about so much more than basic needs! Alight also helps families rebuild lives filled with joy, connection, dignity and purpose.
 
A future after displacement.
Alight exists to walk alongside those who – by sheer circumstance – find themselves on the long and arduous journey of displacement. Deeply co-creating with communities and integrating human-centered design into our work for more than a decade, our 2,300 humanitarians understand the experiences of the displaced better than anyone and deliver services worthy of their humanity.

Parted from home, displaced people are eager to get on with life. Alight meets people throughout the stages on that journey, as they create meaningful lives of purpose, joy, health and connection. We listen. We do the doable and the extraordinary to help, as they work to build a life.

Alight is a human-centered humanitarian organization serving 4 million people each year. Everything we do begins with the people we serve. Displaced people know better than anyone the challenges they’re facing, the things they need, and what will make the biggest difference in their lives. When we deeply understand their experience, we’re able to co-design solutions that create new value and make meaningful change.

Alight was previously known as American Refugee Committee Alight. We’re still the same amazing organization, providing lifesaving services like we have for 47 years – clean water, health care, protection, livelihood services.