In general, being a college student is synonymous with a few things: Always feeling tired. Busy. Busy. Busy. Shoestring budget. Can college students, who are typically overwhelmed with papers, exams, campus events, and student loans really afford to invest so much time, energy, and effort into supporting refugees and refugee resettlement? The answer is YES!…
Read MoreCanopy’s High School Employment Program
By Lyna Ninkham, Employment Specialist I first met Mussa “Moses” Mwenda in Summer 2019 when the Canopy team was discussing what it would look like to implement a High School Employment Program. I had joined Canopy NWA as their Employment Specialist prior in March 2019 and had quickly learned that the three main barriers for…
Read MoreDreaming Big: Canopy’s After-School Program for Teens
By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement I had the privilege to sit down with Canopy’s very own Volunteer Coordinator, Danielle Bennett, who currently oversees Canopy’s After-School Program for our teenagers! Canopy’s After-School program aims to provide each student with academic support, help bridge cultural gaps, and create a space with supportive relationships where students…
Read MoreStatement From Canopy’s Board Chair—On the Transition of our Executive Director
By Clint Schnekloth I have loved working with Emily Linn ever since we were in the nascent formation stages of Canopy NWA. Emily showed up, from the very beginning, ready to do the difficult daily work of forming an organization, and building a community ready to resettle refugees in Northwest Arkansas. When it was time…
Read MoreWhy Youth & Kids? Canopy Focuses a Great Deal on Youth Services. Is it Really that Important?
In case you haven’t picked up on this yet, youth and children are a core focus area of Canopy’s Long Welcome plan. We’re right in the middle of hiring a full-time Youth Services Coordinator and suffice it to say, they should have no problem keeping busy! The person in this position will be helping with…
Read MoreOur Voice Matters-2 Powerful Ways to Show Solidarity With Our Refugee Neighbors
1. Thank Our Elected Leaders for Their Consent & Support President Trump passed an Executive Order passed in September 2019 (since halted by a federal judge), requiring refugee resettlement agencies to obtain state and local consent to continue placing refugees in their communities. For Canopy, this meant gaining official consent from Washington County and our…
Read More3 Ways Refugees Make America Better
By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement Today, a public hearing was held at the Capitol in response to Governor Hutchinson’s official consent of refugee resettlement in our state. I had the honor of listening as our Governor not only stood firmly by his decision to consent to refugee resettlement, he advocated for our refugee…
Read MoreArkansans For Refugees.
Time and time again, studies have shown that refugee resettlement in America is good for everyone. It benefits our economy, it strengthens our communities, and it reflects our values as American citizens. It’s also something that brings us all together. It turns out that all kinds of people support refugee resettlement for various reasons— Farmers….
Read MoreAn Afternoon at Canopy’s After-School Program
Written by our Director of Community Engagement, Hannah Lee When I stepped into the room at Good Shepherd Lutheran, I quickly forgot I was standing in a dining area. Small sneakers were scattered across the floor, art supplies filled the tables, and the room was full of laughter and excited chatter as hot dogs were…
Read MoreIntroducing: Canopy’s Integration Unit!
Let the Long Welcome begin: Introducing Canopy’s new Integration Unit! Y’all…We have some exciting news. We are thrilled to announce that in January 2020, Canopy will be rolling out its brand new Integration Unit! This unit is where all of our Long Welcome activities will take place. Its mission is to help every refugee enrolled become a…
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