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…
Read MoreTales From a Canopy Volunteer: Football, Fishing, & Friendships.
“One thing I’ve learned is refugees are self-sufficient and resilient. ” Our vision is to see refugees and our community model thriving together. Together. That means one of our most important values is to cultivate reciprocal relationships: living, learning, and thriving together. But to do this, we depend heavily on the support of our amazing community…
Read MoreSo Now What?
Last Thursday, President Trump proposed a record low refugee admissions number of 18,000, crippling the refugee resettlement program and throwing the lives of tens of thousands of refugees into jeopardy. For decades, the US has admitted an average of 85,000 of the world’s most vulnerable refugees per year, leading the world in this vital humanitarian…
Read MorePresident Trump’s Record-Low Refugee Admissions Number Will All But End the Resettlement Program
Yesterday afternoon, President Trump proposed a record low refugee admissions number of 18,000, crippling the refugee resettlement program and throwing the lives of tens of thousands of refugees into jeopardy. For decades, the US has admitted an average of 85,000 of the world’s most vulnerable refugees per year, leading the world in this vital humanitarian…
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