Upcoming Events
VOR FALL EVENTS
VOR Fall Events
Join Us This Fall — Love Your Neighbor at the Table
Every fall, Voice of Refugees hosts a series of community celebrations that bring refugee and immigrant families together with volunteers from local churches across Southern California.
For many of the families we serve — from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, and beyond — these events are often the first times they get to feel truly seen and welcomed in America.
And you get to be part of that!
We need volunteers who are willing to:
Set up and prepare event spaces
Serve food and welcome guests
Run children's activities and games
Assist refugee families as they navigate the event
Tear down and clean up after each event
And simply be present and celebrate with us
No special skills required. Just a willing heart and committment.
VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM « Click Here
THANKSGIVING EVENTS
1A. Thanksgiving Celebration — Anaheim
Saturday, November 14 | 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM (shifts throughout the day)
This is our largest event of the year — a homecoming. We expect 200–300 refugee and immigrant guests from across Orange County. Volunteer roles span the entire day, from early morning setup through evening teardown. You can sign up for a morning, afternoon, or full-day shift.
What to expect: Serve a Thanksgiving dinner, run activities for kids and youth, assist with a community raffle and gifts, welcoming guests, and simply being a friendly face at the table.
1B. Thanksgiving Celebration — Irvine
Friday, November 20 | 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Refugee families will be welcomed as part of a larger sojourner community that includes international students from around the world. This will be a smaller, more intimate gathering where you will have conversations and share experiences.
What to expect: Serving dinner, connecting with families, running children's activities, and helping with cleanup.
3. Thanksgiving Dinner — Corona (details coming soon)
We are adding a Thanksgiving celebration in the Corona area to serve our growing Riverside County community. Sign up to be notified when registration opens.
CHRISTMAS EVENTS
Our Christmas events are child-focused celebrations where families move through stations that tell the story of Christmas — through crafts, games, and interactive activities. Every child receives a gift at the end. These are some of the most joyful days of our year.
2A. Christmas Event Setup — Anaheim
Friday, December 4 | 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Help transform the space the day before Christmas! This is for volunteers who love decorating and setting up, so that Saturday's event is ready to go from the moment families walk in the door.
What to expect: Moving and arranging tables and chairs, setting up activity stations, hanging decorations, organizing gift distribution areas, and preparing materials for each Christmas story station.
2B. Christmas Celebration — Anaheim
Saturday, December 5 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
The main event! Refugee and immigrant families gather for Christmas story stations, games, activities, and gifts for every child. This is a full-day event and we prefer volunteers who can stay for 6-hours shifts in order for our program to run smoothly.
3A. Christmas Event Setup — Irvine
Saturday, December 12 | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Help prepare the Irvine venue for Sunday's celebration.
What to expect: Space setup, station preparation, decoration, and gift area organization.
3B. Christmas Celebration — Irvine
Sunday, December 13 | 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
An afternoon Christmas celebration in Irvine for refugee and immigrant families in the south OC area. Same format as Anaheim, we have the Christmas story stations, children's activities, games, and gifts hosted at a beautiful venue in Irvine.
4. Christmas Event — Corona (details coming soon)
Our Corona Christmas celebration serves Afghan and Arab families in the Inland Empire. Details are being confirmed. Sign up below to be notified when registration opens.
VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM « Click Here
A NOTE FROM OUR TEAM
"We have seen what happens when the church shows up for our refugee community, not just with food and gifts, but with their full presence. Families who have felt invisible become visible. Children who have known so much loss receive so much joy. And volunteers who came to serve end up leaving having received something they didn't expect.
This fall, we invite you to be part of something beautiful. Come be the hands and feet of a God who sees every refugee, who was himself a stranger in a strange land — and who calls us to love our neighbors with the same extravagant welcome He has shown us."
— The VOR Team
Questions? Contact Cheri at vor@vorservices.org
Health Awareness Sessions
10 free weekly workshops to help refugee families understand the U.S. healthcare system and find the care they need.
VOR Summer CAMP
Join us for an exciting Kids' Summer Camp at VOR in Anaheim. We are expecting around 60 children and youth to join us, and we're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make this a memorable experience for our campers.
Summer English Cafe at Sa-Rang Church
Language is a bridge, and we're building it together! Our Summer English Cafe is a relaxed, friendly space where newcomers can practice their English, grow in confidence, and connect with caring volunteers. Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your conversational skills, you're welcome here. Volunteers needed for transportation.
Kids' Summer Camp at Mariners Anaheim
Refugee kids are invited to Breakaway Falls, a kids’ summer camp at Mariners Church Anaheim
World Refugee Day 2026
This day is an opportunity to listen to stories, celebrate cultures, and honor the courage of refugee families who are rebuilding their lives in Orange County. It also brings together volunteers, churches, partners, and neighbors who are committed to walking alongside them in friendship and support.
Belong, Afghan Women’s Breakfast
This event is an opportunity to care for Afghan women, living in the Inland Empire, following the incredible Women’s day back in April!
Come serve with us in hospitality, crafts, group activities and more!
Women’s Day - Corona 2026
This day is an opportunity to honor refugee women through beauty stations, crafts, creative workshops and incredible keynote sessions with a message of hope. It is a day to rest and bond with women who endured displacement, yet persisted to help their families thrive. This day is for them to be celebrated and feel cared for and loved.
Anaheim Women's Day 2026
Women’s Day at Voice of Refugees
Every year, Voice of Refugees hosts a special Women’s Day to honor and encourage refugee women in our community. Many of these women carry the weight of rebuilding their lives in a new country while caring for their families and navigating unfamiliar systems.
This day is designed to create a space of rest, dignity, and connection. Women are welcomed with hospitality, shared meals, beauty and self-care services, and meaningful conversations with volunteers who want to walk alongside them.
Beyond the pampering, Women’s Day is about reminding these women that they are seen, valued, and supported. It is also an opportunity for churches and community members to come together and express love and encouragement to our refugee neighbors.
Through generosity, partnership, and the dedication of volunteers, this day becomes a small but powerful reminder that no one has to walk the journey of rebuilding their life alone.
VOR Christmas Celebration
Join us for our 2025 Christmas Party to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ with the VOR team. We are so excited to see you this coming Saturday December 6th at Anaheim and Sunday December 7th at Irvine. PLEASE NOTE >> we will NOT be at our VOR offices on Gilbert Street. Sign up using the links below to learn about the place and time of the event depending on the location your choose. We can’t wait to see you this weekend - make sure to dress for the occasion and make sure to bring all your children so they can receive a gift by the end of the event.
انضموا إلينا في حفل عيد الميلاد لعام ٢٠٢٥ للاحتفال بميلاد السيد المسيح مع مؤسسة صوت اللّاجئين. متشوقين لرؤيتكم يوم السبت القادم ٦ ديسمبر في أنهايم ويوم الأحد ٧ ديسمبر في إرفاين. يرجى العلم >> لن نكون متواجدين في مكاتب المؤسسة في شارع جيلبرت. سجّلوا باستخدام الروابط أدناه لمعرفة مكان وأوقات الفعاليات، حسب المكان الذي تختارونه. نتطلع لرؤيتكم في نهاية هذا الأسبوع - تعالوا مرتدين ملابس مناسبة لهذا الاحتفال، واحرصوا على إحضار جميع أطفالكم ليحصلوا على هدية بنهاية الفعالية.
به رویداد کریسمس ۲۰۲۵ ما بپیوندید تا تولد عیسی مسیح را با سازمان صدای پناهندگان جشن بگیریم. ما از دیدن شما در شنبه آینده ۶ دسامبر در آناهیم و یکشنبه ۷ دسامبر در ایرواین هیجانزده خواهیم شد. لطفاً توجه داشته باشید >> ما در دفاتر همیشگی خود در خیابان گیلبرت نخواهیم بود. با استفاده از لینکهای زیر ثبت نام کنید تا از مکان و زمان رویداد، بسته به مکانی که پس از تکمیل فرم انتخاب خواهید کرد، مطلع شوید. بیصبرانه منتظر دیدار شما در این آخر هفته هستیم - با لباسهای جشن به این مناسبت بیایید و حتماً همه فرزندان خود را همراه داشته باشید تا بتوانند تا پایان رویداد هدیه دریافت کنند.
Family Picnic
Enjoy delicious food, fun activities and quality time with our community.
Rooted in Hope: VOR Gala 2025
Join us for an unforgettable evening of worship, testimonies, and vision casting as we celebrate God’s work among refugee and immigrant families in our community. This year’s theme — Rooted in Hope — reflects VOR’s mission to walk alongside families as they rebuild their lives, encounter the love of Jesus, and find a place to belong.
Every year, VOR serves around 500 families with practical help — food, furniture, English classes, career support, and more — and with opportunities to experience the transforming power of the Gospel, lives are being changed:
“VOR is like second home, everybody here gives me encouragement and motivation to keep going. I love the team who serves here because they do it wholeheartedly and they go the extra mile. I became more confident in speaking English and connecting with other people because of my teachers at the VOR ESL program.”
“I am so blessed to have met the VOR team. They, not only providing food and furniture, they also welcome you as a family and pray for you. I remember the first time I was very anxious about enrolling my children in school because I didn’t speak English, Viola prayed with me and my wife, helped us with the paperwork, and took us to the doctor for vaccines. It was a time of salvation!”
At VOR, we exist to help people who’ve been uprooted from their homes, families, cultures, and often their sense of identity, and bring them hope through stability, belonging, and a new future. To bring hope, we should be rooted in hope — Jesus!
Our Goal: Raise $100,000 to fund our programs, outreach events, and take a significant step toward Vision 2030.
Whether you’ve been walking with VOR for years or are just hearing our story for the first time, we invite you to be part of this celebration and mission.
➡️ Click here to reserve Your Seat or Table
➡️ Sponsor a Table: Partner with us to host your guests and share the vision. Email us here: admin@vorservices.org
World Refugee Day - Cultural Celebration
Join us on June 20 for a meaningful World Refugee Day event, where we will come together to honor the strength, resilience, and stories of those who have been forcibly displaced.
4:00-6:00 PM | Presentation
6:00-8:00 PM | Cultural Celebration
Women's Day CORONA
On MAY 17th, VOR invites you to serve and celebrate refugee women at our Women's Day event. This special day will pamper around 60 women from the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan with beauty services such as manicures, facials, and spa treatments. A delightful lunch and creative activities like art and storytelling will also be provided. This is a unique opportunity to not only serve but also share your testimony and build meaningful connections.
Men's Hiking POSTPONED
Men’s Hiking Event – Connect & Explore with Refugee Men
postponed until
further notice
VOR Women's Day
On April 5, VOR invites you to serve and celebrate refugee women at our Women's Day event. This special day will pamper around 150 women from the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan with beauty services such as manicures, facials, and spa treatments. A delightful lunch and creative activities like art and storytelling will also be provided. This is a unique opportunity to not only serve but also share your testimony and build meaningful connections.
VOR Equip - 4 Fields
In many countries if you take out a coin you will find that on one side is the head of an existing or former ruler. Jesus is our Ruler, he is our King. In Mark 1:17 he commands his first disciples to follow him. A follower is someone who has surrendered to him as their king. There are two sides to every coin. On one side of the coin Jesus is our King. We obey him. On the other side of the coin he promises in Mark 1:17 to teach us to fish for people. Fishing for people is the job of every disciple. You can’t separate following Jesus from fishing for people. These studies are for people who want to follow Jesus and fish for people.
Food Packing & Distribution
Join us on Saturday, Feb 23, at Mariners Anaheim to sort and pack food bags for refugee families in need. Each VOR food bag contains fresh produce, nonperishable items, and hygiene products to support those facing hardship. Your service will help ensure that refugee families have essential food and supplies. This is a great opportunity to give back and make a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Rooted Serve: Refugee Cultural Orientation
"Moving to a new country comes with many challenges, but no one should have to navigate them alone. On Saturday, February 22nd, we invite refugee families to join us for a special U.S. Life & Culture Event, where we’ll explore everyday life in America and share insights that can help make the transition smoother. From understanding social customs to navigating transportation and education, this event is designed to answer questions and provide helpful resources.
More than that, it’s a time to connect. This is a community gathering, a space where we can sit together, share stories, and build relationships. Whether you are new to the U.S. or simply looking for a sense of belonging, we welcome you to join us for a day of learning, conversation, and friendship."
Care for Global Neighbors
This Valentine’s season, let’s share more than just words—we have an opportunity to put God’s love into action by caring for our global neighbors. Through Care for Global Neighbors, our partners and volunteers can collect essential care items for refugee families who have fled conflict and hardship, offering them warmth, dignity, and hope.
You can be part of this simple yet powerful act of love by donating much-needed items. Whether you participate as an individual, family, church, or workplace, your generosity will remind our global neighbors that they are seen, valued, and loved.
Family Picnic - Fullerton
We’re excited to invite you to join us for a special picnic in Fullerton for refugee families living in the area! This event, hosted in partnership with VOX Church, will be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy fellowship with our neighbors and build meaningful connections. The picnic will take place on Saturday, January 25th, from 10 AM to 12 PM, and we ask volunteers to arrive no later than 9 AM for a time of prayer and orientation and stay to 1pm to help tear down or help with transportation. Along with sharing food and laughter, we’ll have activities to practice English conversation and a fun children’s program to keep the little ones engaged. Let’s come together to extend love and hospitality to these families. We look forward to seeing you there!
This picnic is more than just a gathering; it’s a step toward breaking the isolation and loneliness many refugee families experience as newcomers. By creating a space for connection, conversation, and shared activities, we’re helping these families build a sense of community and belonging. Events like this provide an opportunity for them to form relationships, practice English, and feel seen, valued, and supported in their new environment. Together, we can make a tangible difference in their journey of settling into a new home.
Food Packing and Delivery
Food Sorters help to portion bulk food and sort donated food into bags to be delivered to families. We are looking for volunteers who are friendly and able to lift 50 lbs safely (or know your limits).
Bridges Training Course
Bridges
Crescent Project is partnering with VOR to offer you a highly-regarded curriculum that helps Christians engage Muslims by focusing on concepts shared by both faiths, creating a “bridge” of connection that ultimately leads to Jesus.
The Bridges Course is a hands-on, in-depth group study with a workbook, designed to help you and a small group understand Islam and move towards Muslims.
You can also take the Bridges course through a convenient online class. The course will be streamed live online to those who live farther away from the Anaheim area.
Three Reasons Bridges is Effective
Bridges is one-of-a-kind because it focuses on similarities, not differences.
Bridges is easy to understand, even if you don’t have much prior knowledge of Islam.
Bridges provides useful next steps and stories that help you put the teaching into practice.
Christmas in Irvine
Christmas in Irvine is an intimate celebration focused on sharing the joy and hope of the Christmas season with refugee families. This special event provides a warm and welcoming space for families to connect, hear the Christmas story, and experience the love of God in a personal way.
Due to limited capacity, spots for attending are reserved, but we still need volunteers to make this event possible. You can help by assisting with setup or providing transportation for refugee families to and from the event. Your support is vital in ensuring this celebration is meaningful and accessible to those we serve. Together, we can make this Christmas unforgettable for our refugee neighbors!
GIVING TUESDAY
Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity that encourages people to give back and make a positive impact in their communities. At Voice of Refugees (VOR), your Giving Tuesday donations will directly support programs that empower refugee families to stabilize, integrate, and thrive in their new lives.
Your generosity will provide essential services such as English classes, job mentoring, youth programs, and case management, as well as seasonal events like Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations where families hear messages of hope and community. Every dollar helps transform lives, offering stability, compassion, and opportunities for brighter futures.
Join us this Giving Tuesday to make a lasting difference!
Thanksgiving Event
Thanksgiving: A community event explaining that all the families from the Middle East, North Africa, Ukraine, and Afghanistan whom we serve will be coming for dinner, fun games, and a message about God's goodness towards us.
VOR Community Calendar
Outreach events are the heart of VOR, where hundreds of families gather multiple times a year to connect, exchange knowledge and share a meal with staff and volunteers from different churches to come together as one community.
We launch the year with welcoming new families, then in the beginning of Spring, we host incredible Women’s Day events in Anaheim and Corona where we love on mothers and young women who have been through so much trauma. This is a rare opportunity for them to have a day just for themselves, to be pampered through beauty sessions and hear the encouraging Word of God. We welcome Summer with World Refugee Day on June 20th, where we celebrate diversity and culture then we spend the rest of the season enjoying picnics and beach days, after all, we are in SoCal! Some families have never seen a beach before, so we ensure they get to experience the beauty of our State to its fullest. We wrap up every summer with a Back-to-School gathering and distribute backpacks to students, as well as household items for families. One of our biggest events of the year is Thanksgiving, where we host close to 500 guests to feast, participate in family games, and enjoy an authentic American meal! Finally, we end the year with a big Christmas celebration in multiple cities, which includes worship concerts, entertainment, food, a Biblical message to honor the true meaning of Christmas.
Our most recent outreach opportunity is delivering birthday gifts to refugee children and youth on a weekly basis, to make their special day memorable and a way to visit the family in their home.
Welcoming New Families
Household item distribution event
Weekly Birthday Gifts
Workshops
Women's Day
Women's Day
Baby Shower
Picnics at the Park
Picnics at the Park
Kids Activities
Youth Nights
Graduations
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day
World Refugee Day
Summer Camps
Beach/Surf Day
Summer Camps
Summer Camps
Summer Camps
Back to School Backpack Distribution
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Christmas Celebration
Christmas Celebration
Christmas Celebration
Christmas Celebration