Joan Hodges-Wu, MA, LGSW, is a licensed social worker who has dedicated her career to transforming how organizations work with refugees. Joan began her career serving asylum-seeking survivors of torture. It was in this capacity that Joan recognized her clients’ ability to obtain refugee status in the U.S. was closely linked to their capacity to remain healthy, safe, and self-sufficient. Joan founded AsylumWorks in 2016 with $4,000 raised from a GoFundMe campaign as the organization that could bridge this gap.

Today, AsylumWorks is a nationally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit providing tailored services to empower asylum seekers and other people fleeing persecution, regardless of language, country of origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender expression. We serve hundreds of individuals and families from over 50 countries every year. Our service model provides services to help clients protect and promote their health, prepare for, find, and keep living wage employment, and fully participate in immigration proceedings.

Joan’s work has been recognized by several prestigious institutions, including the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Joan holds a Bachelor’s from Skidmore College, a Master’s in Refugee Care from the University of Essex in England, and a Master’s in Social Work from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. She has lived and worked in Pakistan, Mexico, and England. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia.

Visitors were taken to George Washington’s historic home in Virginia, where the Ladies of Mount Vernon have undertaken extensive restoration work ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary. The mansion has been repainted in a historically accurate color, several outbuildings have been restored, and a state‑of‑the‑art visitor center and interactive museum have been added through significant investment. Guided tours of the grounds and mansion offer an impressive look at both the site’s history and the preservation efforts underway.