ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) - More than 400 refugees have made a new home in the Rochester area with the help of one local Christian humanitarian organization. Its goal is to ensure refugees feel supported when integrating into the community, leaning on the U.S. Department of State for help. The World Relief of Western New York held an event Thursday called "Explore the Border Crisis and Life in Rochester." Those in attendance were invited to experience a simulation of a refugee's life, giving them a visual representation of what it's like to journey through displacement. "Less than 1% of the world's refugees ever get resettled to a third country like the United States," explained Office Director of World Relief of WNY, Tiffany Wood. The event allowed stories of refugees resettling in Rochester and beyond to be told, showing how the process even chooses where people end up going. ‘They were very scared’: County leaders explain support for asylum seekers in Rochester "There's a lot of reasons people get resettled where they do it. Could be because they have family or friends who already live here, it might just be - we are an agency that has capacity to take them," Wood said. "But personally, I think Rochester has a lot to offer. We are a welcoming community." According to population data collected across the state for 2023, more than 4 thousand refugees and special immigrant Visa holders resettled in New York State, with a majority coming to Upstate New York. 650 refugees/special immigrant Visa holders were reported in Monroe County in 2023. Burma, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Columbia and Guatemala were among the top seven countries in which refugees have resettled from. Officials with the World Relief of WNY said it all depends on what's happening at the time of resettlement. "This year we've seen a lot of people from Syria, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq. Then it's also switching to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela," Wood said. According to Catholic Charities Family and Community Services in Rochester, over 15 thousand refugees have been aided in this area since 1972. To learn more about World Relief of WNY, or to donate to its cause, click here.