Port of Light is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, established by a high school student, that seeks to raise awareness and funds for the resettlement of refugees in America through the Welcome Corps program. Launched by the U.S. government in 2023, this program allows for the first time groups of private citizens to sponsor refugees and help them start new lives in this country.
[LATEST] Given the recent suspension of refugee programs and aids to international refugee organizations by the current Administration, Port of Light is now focusing on raising funds for the Jesuit Refugee Service (www.jrs.net), one of the world's leading refugee relief organizations with operations in nearly 60 countries.
I started Port of Light after returning from my trips working with refugees in Thailand. There, I heard heartbreaking stories of loss, fear and desperation from people escaping persecution. In the middle of such darkness, I also saw many aid workers who devoted their lives to help these people. All these have inspired me to do more.
I chose the name Port of Light because it has a special meaning for my family. When my father was around my age, he left Vietnam in a small wooden boat (pictured above) with his own father and was rescued by a ship ran by Doctors Without Borders alums called "Port de Lumière" (pictured on the right), which is French for Port of Light.
Hi, my name is Tyler Tran, I am currently in 11th grade at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA. I have been volunteering with refugee organizations both in the U.S. and Asia for a number of years. Since 2021, I have been volunteering with the Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment (VOICE) (www.vietnamvoice.org) to help refugees resettle in the U.S. under programs such as the Operation Allies Welcome program (for Afghan refugees) and now the Welcome Corps program. In the summer of 2023, I went to Bangkok to help VOICE interviewing political asylum seekers from nearby Asian countries. In the summer of 2024, I returned to Bangkok for an internship with the Jesuit Refugee Service (www.jrs.net), a leading international refugee assistance organization, where I was able to witness JRS' impactful work with refugees from various countries. I will return to Bangkok in 2025 to continue my refugee work there.
In January 2023, the U.S. government came up with a new program to allow, for the first time, individual Americans to sponsor refugees. Previous programs only allowed sponsorships by recognized non-profit organizations. Through the Welcome Corps program, Americans can now form a private sponsor group of five individuals and apply to welcome refugees from around the world into local communities and help them start their lives in the U.S. The sponsors are responsible to helping to find and furnish initial housing, greeting the refugees at the airport, helping to enroll their children in school, and helping adults find jobs. The sponsors are only required to: (1) come up with a minimum of $2,425 contributions per refugee they plan to sponsor, and (2) commit to help for the refugees’ first 90 days in the country. Sponsor groups can either be matched with refugees they do not know or identify specific refugees they know for sponsorship.
For more information about the program, please go to www.welcomecorps.org
Spread the Word
You can help spread the word about Welcome Corps to your friends, co-workers, family, community, church, or school. You can also start your own Welcome Corps advocacy group in your school or at work or even convince your school and company to take part in this program. In fact, Welcome Corps works with schools and employers to give scholarships or jobs to refugees through Welcome Corps On Campus (Welcome Refugee Students on Your Campus – Welcome Corps) and Welcome Corps at Work (Welcome Corps at Work – Welcome Corps).
Become a Sponsor
My parents and friends have started their own group to sponsor a family of refugees. You can do the same too. For more information about how to become a sponsor, please click on this link What Is Sponsorship? - Welcome Corps.
Donate
I am raising funds for the sponsor group that my parents co-started as well as additional groups. I would appreciate your donation. Please contact me at tylertran2609@gmail.com if you want to inquire about making a donation.
You can also donate directly to the many non-profit organizations who are working with the U.S. government on this Welcome Corps program. They include, for example, the International Refugee Assistance Project, the International Rescue Committee, and Church World Services. Please click on this link for a list of these organizations. Partners - Welcome Corps.
LATEST NEWS:
In light of the recent suspension of refugee programs and fundings to relief agencies, Port of Light is now strictly fundraising for JRS Thailand and all donations will be sent to JRS Thailand. Please send your donation via Zelle to Port of Light at 310 465-4630 or contact me at tylertran2609@gmail.com.
Thank you.
In February 2025, the new U.S. Administration suspended all refugee admissions program, including the Welcome Corps program. It also suspended all fundings to international and domestic refugee relief organizations, which relied on these fundings to provide lifesaving programs to millions of people around the world who fled persecutions in their own countries. One of these organizations is the Jesuit Refugee Service, which operated in over 50 countries. JRS was forced to suspend programs in its Bangkok office, where I interned.
Given these developments, I have decided to focus POL's activities to (1) lobbying for the reinstatement of the fundings; and (2) fundraising for JRS.
On March 25, 2025, I joined JRS to visit the offices of key members of Congress to lobby for the reinstatement of its government fundings. We visited the offices of Speaker Mike Johnson, Senators Tim Scott, Bill Cassidy, and Josh Hawley, and Representatives Derek Tran, Maria Elvira Salazar etc.
It was fascinating to see government in action but at the same time, it was difficult to see that organizations such as JRS that help refugees from other countries are having a hard time in the current political environment. However, we cannot give up and must continue to lobby our government to get the critical fundings back.
POL has also been fundraising for JRS by soliciting donations from friends and family. I was able to give an initial donation to the President of JRS/USA Kelly Ryan (pictured). Ms. Ryan also has a special connection with my family. About 20 years ago, my father lobbied Ms. Ryan, then the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in charge of immigration, for the resettlement of the 3,000+ Vietnamese boat people in the Philippines. Ms. Ryan eventually approved the resettlement, and these refugees all ended up in the U.S.
Here is a recent profile of my work, along my dad, with JRS. 50 Years Since the Fall of Saigon, How a Father from Vietnam and His American-Born Son are Walking with Refugees - JRS USA
POL will continue to fundraise for JRS.
TO DONATE:
You can send your donation via Zelle to Port of Light at 310 465-4630
or contact me at tylertran2609@gmail.com.
100% of your donations will go to JRS Thailand to support their work there. Thank you.
I would love to hear from you with any questions, comments or suggestions.
Please email me at tylertran2609@gmail.com or drop me a line at the button below. Thank you!
