Impact Stories

JUL 13 2023 We are grateful to be a part of a community that welcomes and invites new neighbors to build new lives and follow their dreams. For Ernest, a Cameroonian immigrant, his dream became a life-changing reality when he won the US Visa Lottery in 2021. With a burning desire to create his own…

APR 25 2023 Sanya is a local entrepreneur in our community and a member of the thriving Marshallese community in Northwest Arkansas. She decided to serve her community by providing foods and products that cannot be found anywhere else and that feel like home. Her market, Alele Mart, which is a word for a “basket…

FEB 20 2023 The Strategic Plan Canopy NWA is pleased to introduce our strategic plan for 2023-2025, developed through key stakeholder interviews with people resettled as refugees through Canopy, Canopy staff, board members, partner organizations, and local faith leaders. The strategic planning process was facilitated by the refugee resettlement and organizational development experts at Multicultural…

JAN 24 2023 Kara, Canopy’s Housing Specialist, shared with us about her process of finding each new family a home here in NWA and answered a variety of frequently asked questions by landlords and property managers in our area. “My job is to secure safe, affordable housing for refugees as they arrive in Northwest Arkansas….

JUN 29 2023 World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home to escape conflict or persecution. Each year on June 20th, we come together to honor this day and…

DEC 7 2022 My name is Saratiel Mugisha, I was born in Rwanda. I was young when I left in 1994 after the genocide. We went to the northern part of Rwanda and stayed for a while and went back [home] in ’96 when things cooled down. Due to issues of insecurity, in 1999 we…

NOV 22 2022 Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson visited the Canopy team at our Fayetteville office in October. We had the incredible opportunity to thank him for his crucial vocal support of our Afghan Allies and his ongoing support of Canopy over the last several years. Clint Schnekloth, the Chairman of Canopy’s Board of Directors, wrote…

OCT 20 2022 Hamida’s Story Wardak Province, Afghanistan After the collapse of the government in Afghanistan, Hamida was one of the many professional women who were sequestered in their homes by the Taliban, unable to leave unless accompanied by a male relative. Hamida, unmarried at the time, was the sole bread winner for her family–her…

SEP 22 2022 Our staff put together a fun collection of songs and artists that they love for our community to enjoy! Read about our favorites — songs, albums, artists, or all of the above! — and hear from each staff member about why these choices have been so impactful. Find some great new songs…

SEP 7 2022 Join us for Welcoming Week NWA: September 9-18, 2022 Welcoming Week is an annual week-long event hosted by Engage NWA that brings together NWA Leadership Pledge supporters and the broader community to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity. Next week, you and…