We’ve got a number for you: 41. That’s the number of new refugees who have joined us here in Northwest Arkansas since we last wrote an update in this space (in… April. Whoops). That’s 41 men, women and children in seven families who have come to call our community home in the last four months….
Read MoreURGENT: President Trump is considering ending refugee resettlement
We’ve learned that President Trump is seriously considering shutting down the refugee resettlement program in Fiscal Year 2020 (beginning October 1, 2019). We need you, our community, to help us raise a strong and forceful response in opposition to this. By law, the president is authorized by Congress to determine the appropriate number of refugees to…
Read MoreWorld Refugee Day Recap And Some Good News!
On World Refugee Day we took 72,927 steps for refugees. Walking 1 mile alone doesn’t seem like much. In fact it’s only about 2,701 steps, but when we work together and combine our steps, we can cover a lot more ground! And we did, thanks to a group of 27 community members and Canopy staff who participated in UNHCR’s #stepwithrefugees on…
Read MoreWhy we need a Long Welcome
Meet Zawadi. She’s brilliant and brave. She arrived here in Northwest Arkansas 30 days ago, a single mom of 8, and she instantly stole our hearts. She radiates positivity, she’s fearless—and did we mention she’s incredibly smart? She’s soaked up English like a sponge and is already able to carry on basic conversations. She’s mastered…
Read MoreThe Receiving End of Welcome
A note from our director Last Saturday was one of the most special, remarkable days of my life. I left my house to go to what I was told was going to be a university function—and ended up walking into a crowd of singing, cheering Congolese, Kenyan and Rwandan women, who smothered me with hugs…
Read MoreBuilding a Community of Welcome
We were so excited to share our vision with y’all last week for this next chapter in Canopy’s story: To see refugees and our community thrive together. That’s what’s next for us on our ambitious mission. We don’t want to merely get our refugee families on their feet here —we want them to thrive here,…
Read MoreThriving Together
What does it look like for our community in Northwest Arkansas to extend a Long Welcome to refugees? We’ve spent over four months hearing from our refugee families and volunteers, researching best practices from around the country and strategizing with our community partners, seeking to answer that exact question. And we’re excited to say we…
Read MoreCommunity
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…
Read MoreWhy Refugee Resettlement is Worth Fighting for
When we started the grueling groundwork of launching a resettlement site here in Northwest Arkansas three years ago, we did so because we believed we had something special to offer refugees in our community. What we didn’t yet know was just how much they had to offer us. Today, here is what we see: Northwest…
Read MoreWe’re Growing Our Team!
Friends, we’re hiring and want YOU to apply. We’re looking for a part-time Volunteer Coordinator and a full-time Employment Specialist to join our team starting in March. Sound like you? We’re looking for people who are: We strongly encourage applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds, especially members of our refugee and immigrant communities and those who have…
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