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LUSH to support Syrian refugees

To help the estimated 2,500 Syrian refugees who are living in the U.S., along with the other four million who are living outside of Syria, cosmetics company Lush will be running a campaign from now until Feb. 28 to raise money for the International Rescue Committee and Amnesty International Canada.

Through the “Refugees Welcome” campaign, Lush is sending all sales from its “Hand of Friendship” soap to North American organizations with an aim to help refugees settle in the U.S. and Canada.

In an email to Eagle News, Lush spokesperson Crystal Carroll said the “Friendship Fund” has raised $350,000.

“The $350,000 fund will be distributed amongst the IRC, AIC and other grassroots organizations working to help Syrian Refugees resettle in North America,” Carroll wrote in the email.

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Lush, which has launched similar campaigns to raise money for humanitarian causes in the past, is also raising awareness of the Syrian conflict through the social media hashtag #refugeeswelcome.

The brick-and-mortar stores also provide blank “Welcome” postcards for customers to fill out to show support for Syrian refugees.

“Our vision is for all people seeking asylum have their human rights upheld and receive the support and opportunities they need to live independently,” the website reads.

The IRC volunteers with the Department of State to help refugees settle into the U.S. Its website lists several ways that Americans can welcome refugees to the U.S., including becoming an English tutor, becoming a mentor for refugee families and volunteering with local resettlement agencies.

The IRC has 26 offices in the U.S.

According to mercycorps.org, since its start in March 2011, the Syrian Civil War has killed more than 220,000 people, half of whom were believed to be civilians.

According to worldvision.org., the war has displaced 6.6 million people within the country and has created 4.6 million refugees. The Lush website called the Syrian Civil War and resulting refugee crisis the “largest humanitarian crisis of our time.” At the end of 2015, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. will allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country in 2016.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the Friendship Fund will be donated to the Asylum Seekers Resource Center.

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