January Is Human Trafficking Awareness Month January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, a time when organizations across the country work to shed light on one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time. It is also a meaningful moment for Canopy to announce the launch of our Anti-Trafficking Program, a long-needed service designed…
Read MoreImpact Report 2025
Click on the image to open the Impact Report We’re proud to share Canopy NWA’s latest Impact Report, a reflection of a year marked by challenge, resilience, and community. Inside, you’ll find stories of welcome in action, milestones across our programs, and the collective impact made possible by donors, volunteers, partners, and the families we…
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 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 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 MoreWhat Does It Mean to Become the Person You Once Needed?
A retrospect for refugee students by Shabnam Faizy We’re standing in the hallway at NWACC (Northwest Arkansas Community College). You’re holding your enrollment folder in one hand, your eyes scanning everything, the signs, the people, the kind of place where everyone seems to know where they’re going except you…, like any of it might give…
Read MoreCitizenship. A Reflection from New Arkansans
A conversation with Odette and her son Christian on becoming American citizens. As of today, Canopy NWA has welcomed over 950 refugees to Northwest Arkansas. But in 2018, when Odette and her three children arrived at XNA to begin a new life, Canopy’s resettlement programs were just getting started. Today, Odette and her children are…
Read MoreAn Introduction to Kuomboka
Early April in Northwest Arkansas is its own kind of storm—thunderstorms one moment, sunshine the next. But on April 4th, Irvine Mbanga arrived at Canopy undeterred by the rain, dressed not in his usual work attire, but in vibrant traditional clothing—the Siziba, a ceremonial outfit worn by men during the Kuomboka celebration in Zambia. His…
Read MoreOrly Koko’s Promotion | A Story of Hope
Orly Koko is an accomplished young man. Fluent in seven languages and college-educated with a focus in IT and computer science, Orly’s greatest ambition has been to “make my momma proud” with a career in business. Based on the smile across his mother’s face during our interview, he has certainly done just that. I had…
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