RVA Refugees: Rebuilding Life in Henrico County

By Emmanuel Pezoa · May 27, 2026 · 1 min read read

Category: Video

Show: River City Vibes

Refugees are rebuilding their lives in Henrico County and Richmond, and most locals have no idea it's happening. In this video, we follow families from Afghanistan and Ukraine through the resettlement

Refugees are rebuilding their lives in Henrico County and Richmond, and most locals have no idea it's happening.

In this video, we follow families from Afghanistan and Ukraine through the resettlement process: arriving with almost nothing, navigating a new language and transit system, finding work in Richmond, and slowly building community in Henrico County.

You'll hear from people supported by four local organizations doing this work every day:

Jewish Family Services (JFS)

Commonwealth Catholic Charities (CCC)

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Asian American Society of Central Virginia (AASOCV)

Henrico and Richmond are two different jurisdictions on paper. On the ground, these families don't live inside those lines. They work in Richmond restaurants, fill pews in faith congregatios across the cities, and visit the beautiful landmarks our city has to offer. The county border matters for who cuts the check on services. It doesn't determine where a life gets built.

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