JUL 20 2020 By Lauren Husband, Communications Team What is the American Dream? Does the idea conjure images of white picket fences and homemade pies, or Hollywood Boulevard and NYC sky rises? For Majidi, and so many other refugees, the American Dream is simply being able to think past the needs of the moment— to…
Read MoreFrom Outspoken Opposition to Vocal Support:
JUL 13 2020 — How Governor Hutchinson became an advocate for refugee resettlement. By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement Take a moment to step back in time with me. The year is 2015, the height of the national media’s coverage on the Syrian Refugee Crisis. As concern for refugees around the globe grows, many…
Read MoreUpdate: Covid-19 Impacts
JUL 10 2020 By Emily Crane Linn, Executive Director So much has happened since we made the difficult decision to shift to remote services in March. As we all know, Washington and Benton counties are two major hotspots for Covid-19 right now. The outbreak has been particularly prevalent in poultry plants, where many of our…
Read MoreRefugees Keep the American Dream Alive
JUL 6 2020 By Lauren Husband, Communications Team Although the United States is a nation founded by refugees and is known for its reputation as a refuge for immigrants around the world, we’ve only had comprehensive refugee admission policies for 40 years. The Refugee Act of 1980 standardized federally-supported resettlement services for all refugees admitted…
Read MoreIranian and Iraqi Refugees: the Untold Story of Manus Island
JUN 28 2020 By Lauren Husband, Communications Team Two clients whom I love dearly and worked very closely with last summer are victims of an unimaginable detainee crisis in Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Ali fled Iran and Fahad fled Iraq, both by boat, in 2013. Although they did not yet know each other, they…
Read MoreUkraine’s Hidden Humanitarian Crisis
JUN 21 2020 By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement When you think of refugee crises around the world, what comes to mind? If Ukraine didn’t make the list, you’re in good company; in fact, the conflict in Ukraine is often referred to as a hidden humanitarian crisis. Hidden in plain sight Unlike many displaced…
Read MoreMeet Canopy’s New Executive Director — Joanna Krause!
JUN 14 2020 Meet Joanna If she looks familiar, it is because Joanna has been an integral part of Canopy since its founding in 2016. Joanna has served Canopy in various capacities over the years. She first began her work with Canopy as a volunteer, then as a part-time program director for the Refugee Health…
Read MoreThe Northern Triangle: The Refugee Crisis in El Salvador
JUN 8 2020 By Lyna Ninkham The UNHCR defines a refugee as a person who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution due to his or her race, religion, nationality, political opinion or social group. In El Salvador, gang…
Read MoreThe World War We Never Learned About: the Democratic Republic of Congo
MAY 31 2020 When most of us think about the biggest refugee-producing conflicts, we tend to think about the Syrian civil war and the war against ISIS in Iraq—after all, those conflicts have dominated the news cycle the past few years. So most people are surprised to learn that the largest refugee population to resettle…
Read MoreInterns are an essential part of Canopy— let us introduce you to one!
MAY 26 2020 By Lauren Husband, Communications Team At any given time, we can have up to 10 interns working diligently behind the scenes at Canopy NWA. Our interns perform a lot of the day-to-day grind that keeps Canopy running, like transporting clients to medical appointments, facilitating Job Club, and caring for children while parents…
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