We Need You, NWA.

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 months of canceled travel bookings and restrictions on which nationalities could travel, even for individuals who had long been approved and vetted as refugees. 

 On May 3rd, the White House officially announced the increase on the number of refugees who can be admitted to the United States in 2021 to 62,500.

Due to the four prior years of the systematic dismantling of the resettlement program, our resettlement program will not be able to process this many individuals this year, but it is a policy and a stance that offers hope, the promise to reunite families, and the opportunity for freedom and safety for thousands of people.

Now is the time to prepare to welcome new families!  In June, we will see a 32% increase in refugee arrival compared with the previous three months!

In Fayetteville, we are beginning to see travel scheduled and we are expecting a busy summer!

This is why we need you, Northwest Arkansas! 

Help newcomers get around Northwest Arkansas!  We have three ways you can help with one of our biggest needs, transportation:

1)    Do you have availability and access to a personal vehicle during the week or weekends?  With the limited bus system in NWA, an offer of a ride can both save time and reduce the feeling of isolation as you help a newcomer get out into the community. With the latest guidance from the CDC, Canopy is resuming its transportation volunteer opportunities! Email Mariah Green to learn more here!

2)    Have a truck or van?  We rented a new storage unit and, thanks to this generous community, it is already filling with furniture! But before a family arrives, we need to spend a half day unloading the storage and setting up an apartment and we can use both the help and the vehicle! Learn more about our move-in committee and how to help with moving needs here!

3)    Help us buy a used minivan!  Our goal is to raise $18,000 by August 1st so we can purchase a minivan to help families get to medical appointments, fold down the seats and move furniture into new apartments, and drive student athletes to their tournaments and give their parents a ride to cheer them on!