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

For a week or so now, we’ve been doing the doable right here in Minnesota – reaching out to new neighbors and supporting our amazing local counterpart organizations who are doing important work with refugees in this community. One such incredible organization is Brian Coyle Community Center, which works with refugee and immigrant communities in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. From employment services to English Language Learning classes, the community center is a critical resource for families living nearby. So on Day 49, we decided to give a boost to one of the center’s very most vital services – their food shelf. First of all – we were totally blown over by how the ARC community came out in force to support our food drive. We printed a few flyers, sent an email or two that let people know the sort of food that was needed – rice, canned and dried fruits and vegetables, canned meat, oatmeal and cooking oils. In three or four days we collected 575 pounds of … [Read more...] about Sharing Abundance

For the next few weeks, we’re bringing you change closer to home – in Minnesota, where ARC is headquartered. There are so many people and organizations that are already doing amazing things for refugees right in our own backyard. Green Card Voices is one of them – they’re an incredible group of people that give refugees and immigrants a platform to share their stories through video. So we decided to help them do what they do best – by sponsoring the production of three videos, three refugee voices. These are our neighbors, people who have vastly different stories - but who all call the Midwest their home. The first was Rebecca. And the second is Muhend. Meet Muhend. When Muhend Abakar first arrived in Fargo, North Dakota, he couldn’t believe his eyes. “I opened the door and I saw white stuff,” he says, “and I was like ‘what is this?’” He soon learned that the “white stuff” was snow, and that it would become a regular part of his new life in Fargo. Originally from … [Read more...] about Getting to Know Muhend

We work with refugees all around the world, but we don’t always have the chance to get to know those who now call Minnesota home. So, for a few weeks this month we’re reaching out to refugees in our own communities. Moving halfway across the world can be exciting but stressful – and that’s especially true for kids. So we were hoping some small gestures of support and welcome will mean something for the youngest refugees in Minnesota. Minnesota winters can be brutal, particularly when you’ve come from a place where the temperature never dips below freezing. Newly arrived families spend a lot of time inside – and for kids used to spending lots of time outdoors playing, that can get quite boring. So on Day 47, with help from some amazing local resettlement agencies, we’re reaching out to refugee kids with some toys and other fun stuff to tide them over until Spring. There are just a handful of agencies tasked with helping refugees transition to life in Minnesota. In … [Read more...] about Time To Play