The Welcome to America Project

The Welcome to America Project supports refugees fleeing war and persecution by providing them with basic necessities, education and community support upon their arrival in Arizona.

The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 destroyed many lives and forever changed many more. One of the lives lost was Terence Manning. Terence’s brother, Phil, and his wife Carolyn wanted to find a way to honor his memory and create something positive out of the tragedy that so directly affected their family.

On October 7, 2001, Carolyn saw a photograph in the local news of a political refugee family from Afghanistan now living in Phoenix. Carolyn and Phil realized this family sought the same things they did – safety, housing and a future free of fear for their children. They began collecting donations of household goods and clothing for the Afghan family from their friends, seeking to give meaning to Terence’s death in the survival of this family.

Since that humble beginning, WTAP has grown into a network of volunteers who work with local social service agencies. They help families get started by donating furniture, household goods, clothing and a warm welcome. Since 2001, more than 2,000 families have been helped and thousands of people have volunteers in some way. WTAP has won a number of awards and is proud to be a part of the Phoenix community.

That's where our community comes in, and the idea of welcoming resettlemed refugees to Phoenix was born. It all started from helping one family and now we've grown into a respected 501(c)3 non-profit organization with many programs serving refugees week after week.