Our time in Minnesota has been all about supporting those who do this work here at home, where our international office is headquartered. It's our time to be Changemakers in our own backyards. The Refugee Team at Macalester Plymouth United Church are doing the doable every single day. Not only has this group and their church supported ARC for over 10 years, they sponsor a newly arrived refugee family, too. Since the family’s very first day in town, they’ve dedicated countless hours to making sure they feel at home, that they get what they need to build a future in Minnesota. So for day 59, we decided to help them spread the love a little further – by giving the volunteer group $500 worth of support to help the new arrivals get back on their feet again. Chantal, Semucyo and their five children are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They spent many years living in a refugee camp in Rwanda, so transitioning to life in Minnesota has had its challenges. But … [Read more...] about Neighbor to Neighbor

Learning new things and shifting the way you understand and think about your world is some of the most important change that can happen. So, on Day 58, we wanted to provide supporters in Minnesota the opportunity to do the doable – and come educate themselves about the current crisis in South Sudan. About 50 people attended a briefing at ARC’s Headquarters on the humanitarian situation in South Sudan. ARC President Daniel Wordsworth talked about ARC’s work providing health care and protection services in South Sudan, as well as our efforts helping South Sudanese refugees in Uganda at Bidi Bidi refugee settlement. Daniel also set the scene a bit with a few sobering statistics on the crisis: more than 3.5 million South Sudanese have fled their homes in the last few years as a result of the conflict; 40% of people in South Sudan are currently in need of urgent food aid; and 100,000 people are in serious threat of starvation due to famine. But, as Daniel often repeats, ‘statistics … [Read more...] about Informing For Change

At ARC, we believe in the goodwill of everyday people. And that’s because time and time again, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges, we’ve seen an abundance of amazing individuals step forward to do amazing things for each other. These are people who make our programs happen, day in and day out – often outside of the limelight. And in many cases, they’re volunteers. From Nakivale and Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlements in Uganda to Minneapolis, Minnesota, volunteers jump in and make things happen. For Day 57, we wanted to do something special for these volunteers near home – something unexpected. Knowing the power of breaking bread together – sharing a meal and relaxed conversation – we decided to take a group of these dedicated people out to dinner to say thank you. And what better place to go than a refugee owned business – Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis. Serving up traditional Somali and East Africa dishes, Safari is more than just a restaurant – it’s a place … [Read more...] about Celebrating Volunteers

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve brought you impacts from inside Minneosta, where ARC has its international headquarters. We’re showing that even with relatively few resources, real, doable change can have a big impact right here at home. The American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis is a gathering place – a place where the Twin Cities community can come together to share experiences around themes of culture, migration, and our enduring links to Sweden. And for the next few months, ASI is featuring multiple exhibits on the refugee experience – both inside and outside of Minnesota – that seek to draw connections between past and present. Through refugee and immigrant stories, guests gain a different perspective of migration – and how it relates to all of us. The American Swedish Institute’s (ASI) mission is to encourage greater understanding and empathy between people and cultures. That's something we feel everyone should have access to - our friends, supporters, and refugees … [Read more...] about Uncovering Connection

Changemakers 365 is in Minnesota for just a little while longer. We’re reaching out to get to know new neighbors and to boost the efforts of organizations and individuals doing great work with local refugee communities. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is one of those organizations. On Day 55, we did what the folks at LSS do every day – help refugees get settled in their new homes. The team at LSS gave us a few families to go and visit – families who needed a few additional household items to get settled. So we headed out to visit the Alis, the Mohamuds and the Abanoor families in St. Paul. We brought with us just a few basic things the families had said they needed. One family got a vacuum cleaner, another requested a microwave – and we delivered everyone some basic items like a colander and toilet paper. But we soon learned that a friendly face - eager to help - was much more valuable to the families than anything we had brought there with us. At the Abanoors, … [Read more...] about Making a Household

Minnesota is home to the American Refugee Committee’s international headquarters, the base from which ARC operates its programs serving refugees in 11 countries worldwide. The state is also home to the largest community of Somali immigrants and refugees in North America. The last week or so, we’ve been taking small actions in our local community to create big impact. And today, we’re reaching out alongside our neighbors to support Somali small business owners right here in Minnesota. Karmel Square Mall is located in the heart of Minneapolis, located just a few blocks from the intersection of Lyndale and Lake Street. Home to dozens of Somali businesses – clothing stores, henna salons, import/export businesses – 80% of the shops in Karmel are women-owned and run. Entrepreneurs lend each other seed money to get businesses off the ground, with repayment based on social contracts rather then the legal variety. It’s a center of the Somali community in Minnesota, a center of the community … [Read more...] about Discovery Near Home

This week we’re bringing you stories from inside Minnesota, where ARC is headquartered, to show that doing what we can for one another doesn’t have to take place in faraway places – change can happen much closer to home, too. There is an abundance of people in our community who are doing the doable for our refugee neighbors, using the skills and resources they have at their disposal. And today, we’re introducing you to one such person - Ryan Jordan, a native Minnesotan who is putting his talent toward making a difference for refugees. And it all starts in his kitchen. For Ryan, making and enjoying homemade pizza is all about a connection to family, a way to bring loved ones together. “Pizza was the food of my childhood,” he explains. “It marked celebrations, was the comfort food of choice in times of sadness, and was a weekend routine.” Over the years, Ryan grew his skills as a pizza maker, and he continues to delight his friends and family with pizza parties and gatherings on … [Read more...] about A Slice of Generosity

Doing the doable doesn’t have to happen thousands of miles of way. In fact, making change for refugees can happen right here at home – for our neighbors, friends, and colleagues. That’s why for the past ten days we’ve brought you stories of small changes that have had big impacts in Minnesota, where ARC is headquartered. Stories of people who use the skills and relatively few resources they have to do something amazing for someone else. Imagine arriving in a brand new country, where you don’t know anyone – you’ve left your community and your friends behind. You don’t know how to get to the grocery store, how to pay your bills, or who your neighbors are. Life can be overwhelming. That’s the reality that many refugees face when they first arrive in Minnesota. And for families who are going through this difficult adjustment period, a smile from a stranger, an extra gesture of kindness, or a word of encouragement can go a long way in helping to make them feel at home. So on Day 52, … [Read more...] about A Message of Hope

Even though our programs normally happen outside of the U.S., doing the doable – tackling big problems one step at a time – is a powerful way to affect real change at home, too. That’s why for the past week we’ve been reaching out to refugee communities right here in Minnesota, where ARC is headquartered. Green Card Voices is an extraordinary example of a group of people who – step by step – are giving voice to our refugee neighbors. Through the production of video interviews, Green Card Voices helps refugees tell their stories in their own words – how they came to Minnesota, the adjustments they’ve had to make, what life was like before coming here. Knowing the enormous value that Green Card Voices brings to our community, we set out to support them in continuing to tell those stories – by financing the production of three of their videos. We’ve shared the first two on Day 45 and Day 48. And for Day 51, we’re getting to know Ayan. Meet Ayan. For Ayan –a teacher in … [Read more...] about Getting to Know Ayan

Changemakers 365 is here in Minnesota for another week or so. We’re reaching out to get to know new neighbors and to boost the efforts of organizations and individuals doing great work with local refugee communities. Brian Coyle Community Center is an amazing resource for refugees and immigrants in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. The people and organizations you find at the community center are incredibly dedicated to serving others. So on Day 50, we wanted to serve them and do something small just to show our appreciation for all that they do. A sambusa is a popular East African savory treat and consists of vegetables, lentils or meat wrapped up in a pastry shell and fried up. To thank everyone at Brian Coyle Community Center who is helping families adapt to a new country, community and future – we decided to throw a little sambusa and tea reception! We invited the center’s English teachers and their students, the folks who run the food shelf, the people … [Read more...] about A Moment of Thanks