Updates & Insights

Finding Refuge Together: 5 Key Takeaways from Our 20th Anniversary Celebration

All posts

Finding Refuge Together: 5 Key Takeaways from Our 20th Anniversary Celebration

Actor & activist Don Cheadle speaks during Finding Refuge Together in a conversation with RefugePoint Founder & CEO, Sasha Chanoff, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Nadia Murad. Photo: Michael Blanchard Photography

Published on 12 November 2025

By Ali Pappavaselio , RefugePoint

Earlier this month, hundreds of supporters, partners, former refugees, and staff gathered at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts to celebrate 20 years of RefugePoint’s impact. The Finding Refuge Together gala was more than a celebration; it was a collective reflection on what’s possible when people come together in solidarity and partnership.

Throughout the evening, we honored refugee leaders, storytellers, and allies whose courage and collaboration have made lasting solutions a reality for thousands of refugees around the world. The night was filled with laughter, music, and moments of profound reflection—a reminder that even in difficult times, community can renew our sense of hope and resolve.

Here are five key takeaways from the evening:

1. RefugePoint’s impact shows what’s possible when compassion meets action.

RefugePoint specializes in helping refugees find permanent solutions to restore their legal rights and normalcy, allowing them to not only survive but thrive. Over the past two decades, RefugePoint has helped more than 183,000 refugees access pathways to safety and supported thousands more to achieve self-reliance and inclusion in their host communities. As RefugePoint’s CEO and Founder, Sasha Chanoff, shared, “When you meet other human beings face to face in unimaginably harrowing situations, you can’t turn away.” That conviction continues to guide RefugePoint’s mission every day.

Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaks with her family beside her: “There are countless young girls and women who are exactly where I was more than 20 years ago, and they too deserve to live, dream, and thrive.” Photo: Michael Blanchard

2. Being together reminded us that progress is built in partnership.

Being together in one room to celebrate, reflect, and recommit was a powerful statement of solidarity and shared purpose. The night was filled with laughter, reflection, and resolve to advance lasting solutions for more refugees than ever before. As our host, Chris Spencer, said, “This event is more than a fundraiser. It’s about solidarity. It’s about creating a better world for people who were forced to leave their homes.”

The event featured stories from those who have experienced forced displacement, from Honorees Nadia Murad and Isabel Allende to RefugePoint board members Mohy Omer, Sandra Uwiringiyimana, and Lina Tori Jan, among many others. Even Malala Yousafzai joined us via video to honor Barrie Landry, whose philanthropy has helped so much of RefugePoint’s mission come to life. Throughout the evening, we were reminded that progress is built in partnership, and that together we can expand what’s possible for refugees worldwide.

3. When opportunity opens the door, refugees lead the way forward.

Stories shared throughout the evening reminded us of what can happen when refugees have access to opportunity. Mohy Omer, now a RefugePoint board member, told his story of fleeing Sudan and rebuilding his life in the U.S.: “I share this journey not because it’s unique — after all, this is America. I share it because it’s possible, because opportunity changes everything.”

From Mangok Bol’s reunion with his orphaned nieces and nephews to RefugePoint staffer Bahati Maganjo’s journey from refugee labor mobility candidate to Canadian citizen, the message was clear: when opportunity opens the door, refugees lead the way forward.

RefugePoint is committed to bringing opportunity to those who have already overcome unimaginable circumstances just to survive. Even now, when humanitarian aid is vanishing in the face of more forced displacement than ever, we must extend opportunities for long-term stability and safety to those who are uprooted.

A depiction of family reunification facilitated by RefugePoint, performed by Deo Mwano. Photo: Michael Blanchard

4. True leadership lifts others up and builds change together.

Two of our honorees, actor and activist Don Cheadle and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad, embodied leadership grounded in humility and courage. Accepting his Champion of Change award, Don reflected, “Anything I’ve been a part of—any of the advocacy or activism—I was following people who set the path for me… I dedicate this award to everyone in this room.”

That spirit of shared action ran throughout the evening. Nadia Murad, reflecting on her own journey from survival to advocacy, reminded us of the moral heart of this work: “When we show compassion to refugees, we are choosing to see their humanity. We are saying that every life matters, no matter where it begins or how it is interrupted.”

Their words captured what RefugePoint stands for: that lasting change happens when we act together, grounded in empathy and purpose.

A moving performance by the Wula Drummers led guests from the reception to the main program of the evening. Photo: Michael Blanchard

5. Collective action is needed now more than ever.

Closing the evening, Sasha Chanoff called for a new collective commitment—what he described as “a promise of belonging for those who are displaced… a promise that no one will be left behind, that no one will be forgotten.”

That call resonated deeply in a room full of people committed to acting on it. We’re proud to report that over $1 million was raised to help even more refugees find long-term safety and stability. Together, we left with a shared belief that belonging is not a privilege but a promise: one we can only fulfill together.

Looking Ahead

The Finding Refuge Together gala was both a celebration of 20 years of impact and a commitment to a future in which every refugee can access safety, rebuild their lives, and thrive in community. As we look ahead, RefugePoint remains steadfast in its mission to expand pathways to safety and self-reliance, and to ensure that every person forced to flee has the opportunity to rebuild with dignity and hope.

You can become a part of our mission to ensure the long-term safety and stability of refugees around the world by becoming a donor today. Even $40 a month ensures shelter for a refugee family living in Nairobi, Kenya.

Together, we can keep finding refuge for the next 20 years and beyond.