New American Voices

From Harm to Home

The Colorado New Play Festival, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), proudly presents annual writing therapy retreats for newly arrived refugees. The IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives have been shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and rebuild a future of dignity and hope.

At the heart of this writing program lies a profound goal: to empower refugees to share their own stories. Writing becomes a tool for self-expression, healing, and resilience—a way to communicate their journeys of loss, survival, and renewal to the world.

Refugees are ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary hardship. They have lost everything—homes, communities, and livelihoods—and the pain of these losses is profound. Through writing, refugees can begin to reclaim their voices, identify their strengths, and build connections with one another and their new homeland.

The United States has a proud tradition of offering refuge to those fleeing persecution and war. Refugees deserve lives of dignity, freedom, and security—just like all of us. And when we welcome them, they enrich our communities with their courage, perseverance, and unique perspectives.

Your support makes this life-changing program possible. Will you help new Americans tell their stories? Together, we can amplify voices of resilience and hope, transforming lives and communities for the better.