Beyond the Gala: The Human Impact of Red, White & Do.
For one night each year, hundreds of people come together for Red, White & Do. There is food, community, celebration, some friendly competition and, of course, plenty of fun.
But the real story of Red, White & Do begins after the night is over.
The funds raised through events like Red, White & Do help New American Pathways continue walking alongside refugees and immigrants as they build new lives in Georgia.
And behind every number is a person, a family and a story.
Last year, more than 15,000 new Americans received support through New American Pathways. That included 352 newly arrived refugees supported with basic needs and case management, approximately 3,000 people receiving individualized case management and 278 families receiving emergency rental assistance.
That support can look different for every family.
It can look like a box of groceries handed to a family experiencing an unexpected loss of income. New AP’s food distribution has grown from approximately 40 boxes each week to at least 90 as the need for food assistance has increased.
It can look like English classes and career support. When Dorcus enrolled in New AP’s Employer Engagement Program, her English was at a beginner level. Since then, she has progressed to intermediate English, participated in job-readiness workshops and continued working toward professional goals. Her family purchased a home, and Dorcus recently bought a car. Now, as she works toward her dream of entering the medical field, she is also using her language skills to help other New AP clients.
It can also look like persistence when a family’s future hangs in the balance. New AP staff spent more than a year advocating for an Afghan mother and her two children as they navigated a complicated immigration process. When their visas finally became available just days before a travel ban took effect, staff helped arrange their travel and continued working with the family when their initial flights were canceled. The mother and her children ultimately arrived safely in the United States.
These individual victories add up.
In the 2025 program year, 89% of clients achieved financial self-sufficiency within eight months of arriving in the United States. New AP helped place 261 people in jobs, and 87% of clients assisted with job placement remained employed after one year. Another 114 people participating in the Individual Development Account program saved enough to purchase a car or a home.
That is what fundraising makes possible.
A ticket to Red, White & Do isn’t simply a ticket to an event. A sponsorship isn’t simply a logo on a sign. A donation isn’t simply a number on a fundraising total.
Together, those investments give New American Pathways the flexibility and resources to respond when a family suddenly needs food, help someone prepare for a better job, support a child entering school, guide a family through the immigration process, or stay beside someone long enough for stability to become independent.
We saw that connection especially clearly last year. When changes to SNAP eligibility created an urgent need for food assistance, New AP quickly launched a Food Security Initiative. Volunteers and donors helped collect nearly 350 food boxes, while Red, White & Do raised more than $70,000 toward food security. Those resources allowed New AP to provide families with case management, emergency food, community resources and grocery assistance when benefits were lost.
Red, White & Do may happen on one night. Its impact continues long after the last guest goes home.
It continues when a family opens the door to their first home. When someone drives themselves to work for the first time. When a child walks into a new school. When a new American gets a promotion, becomes a citizen, volunteers to help someone else, or realizes that the life they have been working toward is beginning to take shape.
That is what we celebrate at Red, White & Do.
And that is what your support makes possible.
