In the United States the efforts of citizens and nonprofit organizations are essential to making the opportunity to seek asylum possible. Asylum is legally defined as an obligation to protect persons unable or unwilling to return to their home country because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion. We stand with refugees and asylum seekers who flee violence in their homelands, we seek the release of those currently detained, and we welcome those who come to the Upper Connecticut Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. We support those asylum seekers who may move into our communities and homes as they go through the asylum petition process by facilitating their integration into the community and helping them become settled in their new home.The Upper Community of Vermont and New Hampshire has generously responded to the refugee crisis. SHARe helps channel that generosity into concrete support of refugee and asylum seeking families and individuals.