Big news! American Refugee Committee is becoming ALIGHT! It's more than just a name change. It's a re-committment to the people we serve and the promise we've made to them. Part of that promise starts with Changemakers 365. Doing the doable is all about removing the barriers to making change - just diving right in and doing something good. It's about giving first, and believing in the abundance of ideas, creativity, and goodwill in people everywhere. That's why, to celebrate the launch of becoming Alight, our teams started by giving - we started by getting out into the communities we call home and making a difference, one idea at a time. First stop - a celebration of Khmer culture at Minnesota's own IKARE museum! IKARE is a first of its kind space promotes and preserves the rich legacy of the Khmer people. 40 years ago, American Refugee Committee began its journey in response to the crisis on the Thai-Camodian border, where a terrible genocide of Khmer people was … [Read more...] about Full Circle

Yesterday, we met the incredible members of Siiqqee International Oromo Women. They're working tirelessly to support the Oromo people of Ethiopia. Today, we're seeing if we can do a little more. Yesterday's event served to raise awareness about the conflict in Ethiopia. Their big goal? To raise enough funds to build homes for displaced communities. So, we had an idea for how to help. We pledged to contribute $500 toward building homes for Oromos caught up in violence and conflict – and the Siiggee Women wanted to leverage this contribuate as a match to help kick off the evening of fundraising! And it worked. By the end of the evening, and spurred on by the energy of that first contribution, the Siiggee Women had raised $36,000! It was incredible to see everyone come together to support a community so in need. "The Oromo are in a state of limbo," said Najat from the group. "That’s no way to live. I don’t want to just be talking about how my people are suffering. … [Read more...] about Stepping Up