By Keith Richards I’m a driver for Canopy clients. When I began to volunteer, I looked forward to meeting some of our new neighbors and hoped to make their transition to America a bit easier. But I didn’t fully consider how the folks who ride with me would enrich my life. Getting to Know Grace…
Read MoreMeet Your Neighbor: Sue Artiga, Business Owner and Canopy Alum
Meet Sue Artiga, Founder of Pinchos Pinchos is a delightful dessert mobile cart owned and operated by Sue Artiga. Specializing in frozen fruit skewers dipped in rich chocolate and loaded with delicious toppings, Pinchos brings a fun, refreshing twist to sweet treats on the go. Sue launched her business and completed the 12-week Entrepreneurship Class…
Read MoreMeet Your Neighbor: The Youngest Welcomers
By: Wael Rabeay & Kimberly Elder Through the Eyes of Two Young Volunteers It was a unique experience to witness the excitement on their faces at the XNA airport. Their expressions held a beautiful mix of shyness, love, and anticipation. With flowers in hand and signs reading “Welcome to America” in Arabic, Talia and Eliza…
Read MoreMeet Your Neighbor: The Story of Separation
Family at the Heart of Our Work Family is at the center of everything we do. It’s what motivates parents to cross oceans for safety, what comforts children in moments of fear, and what gives hope when the world feels uncertain. At Canopy NWA, we believe that every family deserves the chance to be together….
Read MoreCircles That Can’t Be Broken: Honoring Our Circle of Welcome Volunteers by Kim Elder
As the new year arrived, anticipation filled the air, Canopy NWA was busy preparing to welcome new neighbors. Five families scheduled to arrive in Northwest Arkansas during the month of January, just before Inauguration Day. Among these arrivals were two young individuals finally reuniting with their mother after years apart. The last family touched down…
Read MoreVISTAs Facing the Government Shutdown
At Canopy NWA, we’re no strangers to resilience. Every day, we see it in the families we serve, the volunteers who dedicate their time, and in our staff and AmeriCorps VISTAs who bring our mission to life. Right now, the shutdown is putting that resilience to the test. At the start of the government shutdown,…
Read MoreSeeing & Being Seen
A Reflection by John WilsonVolunteer Services Supervisor A Season of Change Almost five years ago my family and I uprooted our lives and relocated to NW Arkansas. We left family, the church I had pastored in for 29 years, and the slow-growing relationships nurtured over decades. COVID made the transition even harder. It’s almost impossible…
Read MoreFour Years After Kabul Fell: What We Carry
By: Khalid Ahmadzai Four years ago, the world watched Kabul fall. The images remain seared in our collective memory: families in despair, people running after planes, children lifted over barbed wire at Hamid Karzai International Airport. They were not just snapshots of chaos. They revealed the collapse of a republic and the shattering of countless…
Read MoreAdapting with Purpose: Canopy’s 2025 Mid-Year Update
The past six months have brought significant change to Canopy and the broader refugee resettlement landscape. Federal policies have shifted, funding has fluctuated, and uncertainty continues to challenge many of the families we serve. But through it all, one thing has remained clear: our community’s resilience, compassion, and commitment to welcome. This report shares the…
Read MorePartner Spotlight: BOK Financial- A Conversation with Christopher Schaechtel
At Canopy, our work is made possible through strong partnerships with local organizations that share our vision of building a welcoming community for all. One of those partners is BOK Financial, a company deeply invested in giving back through both financial support and employee engagement. We recently sat down with Christopher Schaechtel, BOK Arkansas Market…
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