JUN 21 2021 Resettlement is being rebuilt- and we can not do this important work without our community. Thank you to all who advocate for refugees from your homes in Northwest Arkansas and across the country. Earlier this year, we feared that refugee resettlement would not resume as promised. The national refugee resettlement program faced…
Read MoreSaw Wah: A Man With A Vision
JUN 6 2021 Saw Wah has faced the most difficult challenges with hope and purpose. Here is his story— and how you can help us welcome more people like saw wah to NWA. We got to sit down with Saw Wah, one of the newest members of our NWA community, as he shared a bit…
Read MoreRefugees Can’t Afford to Wait for May 15
APR 19 2021 The Biden Administration has signaled that a revised admissions cap will be given after all- but not until May 15. By Joanna Krause, Executive Director On Friday, the Canopy team was stunned when the news broke that the U.S. would admit a maximum of 15,000 refugees this year. On February 14th, the…
Read MoreWhy Community Matters for New Refugee Households— and How You Can Help us Build it.
APR 12 By: Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement We asked a few members of our community what the word “community” means to them. Here are a few of the responses we got: “A sense of belonging.” “Good friends who are like family- people you can share food with, do life with.” “Where you feel…
Read MoreThe Importance —and Urgency of Rebuilding the US Resettlement Program
MAR 30 2021 The Refugee Resettlement Program is a life-saving system for tens of thousands of people each year. Rebuilding the program isn’t just imperative – its urgent. By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement In early 2020, the Canopy office was abuzz with excitement: we had just received a new travel notification. A new…
Read MoreBill and Saw: How Co-Sponsorship Led to a Wonderful Friendship
MAR 16 2021 By Sylvia Tran, Digital Content Coordinator, and Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement This is a story of friendship between Bill and Saw. Today, we hear from Bill’s perspective. Join us for the next installment of their story to hear from Saw. A few months ago, Bill Roberts had never even heard…
Read MoreResilience After One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
MAR 9 2021 The one year pandemic anniversary is a gruesome milestone. However, we have made it through, as a community To-date, our refugee community has ZERO COVID-19 deaths or hospitalizations. We have simply been lucky. While our clients, staff, co-sponsor and volunteer community have taken precautions during our Canopy-related interactions, many refugees in Northwest Arkansas work…
Read MoreOur Co-Sponsorship is Getting a New Look: Introducing the Canopy Co-Sponsor Department!
MAR 1 2021 By Hannah Lee, Director of Community Engagement + Mariah Green, Volunteer Coordinator There are many exciting things happening this year: the US refugee resettlement program is being rebuilt, Canopy’s work is growing, and our Co-Sponsor Model is getting a brand new look! As Canopy continues to grow, we want to make sure…
Read MoreA Beautiful Friendship: How riding bikes bonded two newcomers for life.
FEB 18 2021 In the Summer and Fall months of 2018, Alysia and her mom had just moved to Northwest Arkansas for her mom to begin her new job. She was brand new to the area, and making friends in a new place can feel especially scary when you’re a kid! Fortunately, Alysia wasn’t the…
Read MoreThe Helping Hand Podcast Amplifies Local Voices
FEB 15 2021 Meet Sherjeel- a college student with a creative idea to help us welcome refugees home. Sherjeel Naeem, a pre-med student at the University of Arkansas, wanted to set his podcast apart from the 500,000+ active podcasts available. Sherjeel knew he wanted his show to be a resource for the community — amplifying…
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