Refugee health

Health has
no borders.

Beyond Borders is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit expanding access to healthcare and essential resources for refugee communities. We bring students, healthcare professionals, and community partners together through service, advocacy, and research.

Beyond Borders volunteers and community partners at the Altadena health fair.
In the community
Student volunteers preparing boxes of Beyond Borders hygiene kits.
A health and hygiene kit, shown with updated Beyond Borders branding.

Our collective impact

1,000+
People connected to healthcare and essential services
1,100+
Health and hygiene kits distributed
$50,000+
Mobilized for refugee-serving programs
150+
Active student volunteers

Our Work

Three ways we advance refugee health.

  • 01

    Service

    • Health fairs
    • Resource navigation
    • Essential supplies

    We spearhead community health and resource fairs that connect refugee families with preventive screenings, multilingual health education, health insurance enrollment support, and referrals for continued care. Working alongside healthcare professionals and community organizations, our volunteers coordinate outreach, event operations, and resource navigation. Beyond the fairs, we organize digital health workshops to help families navigate clinics, patient portals, and appointments, and lead essential supply drives guided by the needs our community partners identify.

  • 02

    Advocacy

    • Youth education
    • Community perspectives
    • Healthcare access

    We build understanding of displacement and mobilize support for refugee communities through high school presentations, public education, and community engagement. Our outreach examines the barriers families face when rebuilding their lives in Los Angeles, including language, transportation, and the cost of care, and connects students with concrete opportunities to help. We are expanding this work through community-led panels, photography exhibits, and focused healthcare access campaigns that bring refugee perspectives into public dialogue and encourage institutional action.

  • 03

    Research

    • Needs assessments
    • Evidence reviews
    • Program evaluation

    We connect student scholarship with the health priorities of refugee communities. Building on our displacement research showcase, we are developing faculty-mentored needs assessments and health-fair evaluations to understand barriers to care, identify unmet needs, and strengthen our programs. Our research agenda also includes literature reviews and evidence briefs examining refugee health and social disparities. Through research showcases, we bring students, faculty, and community partners together to share findings and translate knowledge into more responsive services.

Why it matters

Care begins with access. It continues with support.

We work alongside community partners to help families navigate barriers to care after displacement.

Barriers families faceHow we respond
Unfamiliar healthcare systemsResource navigation
Fragmented servicesReferrals for continued care
Language barriersMultilingual health education

Inside a community health fair

Your path through a health fair.

Five stops, one shared purpose: making care easier to access. Choose a stop to see what happens there.

Start with a warm welcome.

Volunteers explain the available services, ask about language preferences, and help participants choose where to begin. Participation is voluntary.

Station 1 of 5

Illustrative event model. Services vary by event and partner availability; referral follow-up is a program-development priority.

Our work in action

Our commitment in practice.

Through community screenings and health fairs, we bring our mission into the communities we serve.

  1. 2026

    Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) Community Health Fair

    1879 N Lake Ave, Altadena, California

    Explore the day
    View location on map Open in Google Maps
  2. to

    UCLA Displacement Research Fair

    University of California, Los Angeles

    View location on map Open in Google Maps
  3. 2025

    International Rescue Committee Los Angeles (IRC-LA) Community Health Fair

    625 N Maryland Ave, Glendale, California

    View location on map Open in Google Maps

Recognition · Altadena, California

Recognized for community service.

Beyond Borders was recognized by the California State Senate for its partnership in CHIRLA’s Rising Together Mental Wellness and Health Fair in Altadena, California. Student volunteers provided health and wellness resources for immigrant families.

Presented by State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, California’s 25th Senate District, on May 16, 2026.

California State Senate Certificate of Recognition awarded to Beyond Borders, May 16, 2026.
Select to enlarge

Our Network

A shared mission. Local leadership.

Our chapters at UCLA, USC, Cal State Fullerton, UCSB, and CSULB translate a shared commitment to refugee health into locally led initiatives. Each chapter connects student leadership with community priorities through service, advocacy, and research.

Find your campus.

Select a campus to explore its chapter.

Explore our Southern California chapters using the campus buttons below.

Campus locations shown for reference.

  • Sasha Gladkikh

    Founder and Executive Director

    Sasha Gladkikh

  • Kasra Eshtehardian

    Founder and Outreach Director

    Kasra Eshtehardian

  • Nickolai Gladkikh

    Finance Director

    Nickolai Gladkikh

  • Elle Tonnu

    Finance Director

    Elle Tonnu, CPA

Our student-led publication

Common Ground

Explore research, stories, and perspectives on displacement and health.

Explore Common Ground

Get Involved

Help advance the next chapter of refugee health.

  • Join

    Contribute your time and skills through community service, advocacy, research, and chapter leadership.

    Find your chapter
  • Start

    Establish a Beyond Borders chapter and build a team committed to advancing refugee health in your community.

    Start a conversation
  • Partner

    Bring your organization’s expertise to community health fairs, educational outreach, research, and resource distribution.

    Explore a partnership
  • Give

    Support the essential supplies, community programs, and chapter operations that make our work possible.

    Contact us about giving

Start a conversation

Your next step.
Our shared mission.

Bring your time, ideas, or expertise to advancing refugee health. Tell us how you would like to contribute.

Let’s connect.

Fields marked * are required.

Our team will respond using the email address you provide. Please leave out sensitive personal or financial information.

An example hygiene kit with toothbrush, comb, razor, bandages, and toiletries.

Everyday essentials

Inside a hygiene kit.

Select an item to take a closer look.

Toothbrush

Individually wrapped oral-care supplies for an everyday routine.

An example kit with updated branding. Contents vary with community needs and available supplies.