Category: Stories

When I joined Canopy NWA as a Program Coordinator in 2021, I could not have imagined how deeply this experience would shape my professional growth and understanding of leadership. As an immigrant, I carried a personal connection to the journeys of many refugees and newcomers. That perspective helped me approach my work with empathy and…

Last Friday, under the soft winter sun on Dickson Street, I met Anzuruni at Puritan Coffee to talk about his next step in life. What unfolded across the table mattered far more than an ordinary conversation. Anzuruni is graduating this May from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus…

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…

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….

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…

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…

By: Elizabeth Baldwin, Employment Services VISTA When I first joined the Canopy team as an intern, I felt like I was standing at a crossroads. As a Family and Human Services major, I had assumed my path would lead to counseling or social work. But as I immersed myself in a diverse academic environment—the most diverse…

By: Wael Rabeay, Case Manager As usual, I found myself sitting on those uneven seats in the small waiting area tucked into a corner of XNA airport. The whole place felt like a metaphor—half-finished, slightly chaotic, under renovation. It was late. I was waiting for the Salim family (name changed for privacy), the last refugee…

My name is Malath, a name that means “refuge,” “haven,” and “safe place” in Arabic. This week marked 11 years since my arrival in the United States as a refugee from Iraq—a journey that has profoundly transformed my life and the lives of my children. I never imagined leaving behind my home, my career, and…

“Yesterday, I had the privilege of sitting down with Lusia Akilimali in her cozy Springdale home. Her laughter echoed warmly as she cradled her two-month-old grandbaby, and her stories painted a picture of resilience, hard work, and the transformative power of community.”– Khalid Ahmadzai A Personal Connection I first met the Kalulu family in 2018,…