Love

All of us, whatever our circumstances, need help sometimes. We all have pain. We all have need.

Writing, Photography by Elizabeth Thayer
Love Kids
Love Kids
©2016 ELIZABETH THAYER / TSOS

Writing & Photography by Elizabeth Thayer

All of us, whatever our circumstances, need help sometimes. We all have pain. We all have need. Echoing the words of a wise man, the circumstances that place us in need will not define us, but our response to others in need will. In a refugee camp in Greece I saw examples of tragedy, despair, vulnerability, uncertainty, and deep deep pain. I also saw hope, respect, gracious hospitality, kindness and love. For me it was a reminder that as a human family, we have so much in common. We all have needs and we all become better people through love.

“...the circumstances that place us in need will not define us, but our response to others in need will.”

Informed Consent

Our team members obtain informed consent from each individual before an interview takes place. Individuals dictate where their stories may be shared and what personal information they wish to keep private. In situations where the individual is at risk and/or wishes to remain anonymous, alias names are used and other identifying information is removed from interviews immediately after they are received by TSOS. We have also committed not to use refugee images or stories for fundraising purposes without explicit permission. Our top priority is to protect and honor the wishes of our interview subjects.

What would you do if you had to leave everything behind?

By the end of 2025, more than 117.8 million people worldwide had been forcibly displaced by war, persecution, or human rights abuses — and 45 million of them are children.

They arrive in refugee camps and countries seeking safety and carrying little: legal papers, if they're lucky. A backpack. A child's hand in theirs.

What they carry that we can't see is heavier: fractured families, homes they'll never return to, professions they loved, friends and relatives they may never see again.

In a climate where immigrant stories are often ignored or twisted, we believe stories are a form of justice. When someone shares what they survived, they reclaim their voice. When we amplify it through film, photography, and advocacy, the world listens. Hearts soften. Policy begins to shift.

Because when a lawmaker sees a person instead of a statistic, and a neighbor understands instead of fears, rebuilding becomes possible.

Your support helps us share these stories where they matter most.

— Kristen Smith Dayley, Executive Director, Their Story is Our Story

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