Sanctuary and support for refugees,
in the heart of Rome
The Joel Nafuma Refugee Center is a volunteer-driven haven where refugees and asylum seekers — we call them guests — can find daily necessities, the tools they need to rebuild a life, and friendly faces who’ll walk alongside them as they do.
How will you be part of the JNRC?
In 2025, 8,000+ guests from 50+ countries…
…visited our supply rooms for 20,000 necessities
… went on hundreds
of job interviews
… did 6,000+
hours of language learning
… had more than
30,000 meals
Operating in the crypt of St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church in the heart of Rome, Italy, the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center (JNRC) is a nondenominational day center for refugees and asylum seekers.
The JNRC has provided a safe space for Rome’s most vulnerable since 1982. Building a life in a new country after trauma isn’t quick or simple — but having people on your side to offer tools, resources, guidance, and moments of quiet dignity eases the path. We also pull in the larger community through outreach, volunteer programs, and events to celebrate the rich diversity of our guests. Our partners, supporters, and volunteers come from backgrounds as varied as the guests they serve.
Our approach to service is:
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We seek to address both the urgent needs of those just arriving to Rome and the needs of those seeking to settle in Rome long-term with resources and services that address the breadth of guests’ experiences and needs.
Most of our guests are homeless refugees and asylum seekers sleeping in parks and train stations around the city, so the JNRC takes a holistic: basic supplies, a relaxing atmosphere, legal and social advice, employment clinics, and language and skills courses, for nearly 250 people each day.
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JNRC serves people of all backgrounds, all faiths and none, all genders and sexual orientations.
We welcome LGBTQ+ asylum seekers and refugees in partnership with the Rainbow Initiative, an Episcopal Ministries project dedicated to bringing visibility and aid to LGBTQ+ forced migrants.
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While located in St. Paul’s Within the Walls Episcopal Church, and grounded in living out Christian values, the faith traditions of the JNRC guests are respected and no attempt is made to proselytize.
Similarly, the center has always, and will continue, to welcome the help of all who wish to serve their fellow human beings without bias.
“I am a Shia Muslim and many of these men are Sunni. Shias and Sunnis are at war around the world. In my country, there has been a constant war of one kind or another for 34 years, but those who gather here are tired of fighting and respect this center as a place for peace.” (guest from Afghanistan)
Learn more about our services and volunteer opportunities.
You can change a life.
2026
News & Events
Breakfast Drive
No matter how cold our guests are, they know they’ll always find breakfast and a hot cup of tea at the JNRC. Once they’re here they can join Italian lessons or get job hunt help. They can get warm clothes, take a library book, or play some foosball. But most of all, they can spend the morning in a safe, warm place.
To support our daily breakfasts — we feed around 200 people a day — choose “breakfast” from the drop-down menu in our donation form and choose how many meals you can provide.
And thank you.
Call for Volunteers
We’re looking for support with the JNRC Works job support program! If you’re available Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 12:30pm, are a fluent Italian speaker, and can commit to being with us for at least three months, we’d love to talk to you! Bonus points if you speak French or have any French HR experience. Interested? Send a CV to hr@jnrc.it.
2026
Needs
Sleeping bags
Winter coats, adult and child
Men’s shoes, sizes 40-45
Women’s shoes, sizes 37-41
Backpacks and tote bags
Toiletries
Clean, functional used items are also very welcome. Drop donations off at the JNRC, via Nazionale 16a, Monday-Friday between 8:30am and 1pm.
Shop directly from
our Amazon wishlist.
Become a
Sustainer