ABOUT
The Hike to Help Refugees started in 2003 on the Wabash Trace Nature Trail
in Southwest Iowa. Now in its 5th year, it is the largest grassroots fundraising
campaign in the United States supporting UNHCR.
The hikes provide participants a glimpse into the daily obstacles of a refugee.
For instance, the Wabash Trace Nature Trail takes hikers on a 62.3 mile journey
from Blanchard, Missouri, to Council Bluffs, Iowa.
"My biggest fear was, ‘What if we need something and it isn’t there?’ The more rattled
I got beforehand, the more determined I became that we would do this. We are assured
of life’s necessities on the hike. The refugee women are not guaranteed any of that."
--Nicole Van Osdel
Participants of the 2005 Wabash Trace Nature Trail Hike. |
Since 2003, hikes have branched out to neighboring communities in Omaha and Iowa
City. The length of the Omaha Hike is 6.5 miles and the Iowa City Hike will be 9
miles long in 2008. The Hike to Help Refugees is open to continued expansion to
increase awareness about the plight of refugees.
Since the hike began, contributions have allowed the
purchase of tents for refugee families through USA for UNHCR. USA for UNHCR is a non-profit organization
building support in the United States for the humanitarian work of the UN Refugee
Agency (UNHCR). The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) provides protection and assistance
to more than 20 million people around the world.
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Short-term help: The UN Refugee Agency provides lifesaving assistance in the form of water, shelter,
emergency food and health care.
- Long-term help: The UN Refugee Agency provides protection for refugees
in their country of origin, helps refugees resettle in a safe country, and helps
refugees return to their homes when it is safe to do so.
The UN Refugee Agency is the
only organization with an international mandate to protect refugees. In addition
to coordinating activities of other aid organizations, the UN Refugee Agency works to ensure that
governments abide by the 1951 Geneva Convention’s refugee provisions. The UN Refugee Agency has
twice won the Nobel Peace Prize for its humanitarian efforts.
Learn more by visiting their web site,
www.unhcr.org.
To learn how thousands of American citizens are helping, visit the USA for UNHCR
web site at www.usaforunhcr.org
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