Community

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Community.

This word just keeps coming up again and again. As many of y’all know, we’ve been going through a strategic planning process over the last four months, mapping out our Long Welcome Plan for refugees.  We’ve conducted hours of interviews and focus groups, researched best practices from across the country, and worked with consultants to develop a Theory of Change and analyze our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (a “SWOT Analysis” for those experts reading this). And through it all, we keep finding that word. Community.

It’s in our mission statement, it’s in our origin story, it’s a strength, a weakness, an opportunity and a threat all at once. We can’t seem to discuss a single objective or strategy without talking about our community, how we need you, how you affect us, how we impact each other. Community, community, community.

It’s clearly core to who we are—and who we will become. We’re really excited to start unveiling our Long Welcome strategy with you all in the next few weeks (watch this space for some exciting announcements!). But here’s one thing we can tell you all right now: There is no way to carry any of it out without deep involvement from y’all, our Community, at every step of the process.    

With all that in mind, we’ve got an exciting new opportunity coming your way in the next few weeks—April 4th to be precise. We aren’t going to give any more details just yet, but mark your calendars. Watch this space. Get excited.

Recent Posts

  • From Uncertainty to Purpose: Finding My Path Through Refugee Resettlement

    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... Read More
  • What 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 More

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