 Here's a press release from the Idaho Alliance for Ukrainian Immigrants and Refugees:
On May 28th, the Ukrainian Welcome Center will be hosting its grand opening event. The Center began providing services to Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war. Idaho has just over 200 Ukrainians already in our state, made up of more than 30 families. The Ukrainian Welcome Center will be offering a variety of services including education, housing, assistance with documentation, access to necessities such as food, clothing, and transportation.
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The Idaho Office for Refugees and our resettlement partners hosted a Community Coordination Meeting on May 10 to connect, share updates, and hear feedback and questions.
These gatherings happen quarterly and are open to the public. Next meeting:
Read on for a recap of our May updates.  The REACH summer youth program starts back up for its second year when school is out! The free program in Boise is geared toward youth from refugee backgrounds who are in middle school and older, as well as their younger siblings. Activities include games, art projects, reading, lunch, and field trips.
The program is organized by the Idaho Office for Refugees with the help of Glocal Community Partnerships and other supporting nonprofits. Last year, organizations including the Boise Bicycle Project, Boise Library, Refugee Speakers Bureau, Tidwell, and Grow Outdoor Access hosted great events for the students. Volunteers welcome! We’ll meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 12-3 p.m., June 7 to Aug. 11. For information about location and volunteering, please contact Chantale Niyonkuru, youth program specialist at IOR: cniyonkuru@idahorefugees.org.  We are halfway through the fiscal year, and Idaho has welcomed more than 600 refugee arrivals since Oct. 1. We are projected to resettle 1,333 men, women and children this year from all over the world.
Click here for the April newsletter from the Idaho Office for Refugees. Photo: Refugee Speakers Bureau Coordinator Salome Mwangi presents at Storyfort 2022. Credit: Brandon Loureiro Photography.  A new U.S. program called Uniting for Ukraine will streamline the process for displaced Ukrainians to apply for humanitarian parole and connect them with sponsors in the U.S.
Starting Monday, April 25, 2022, U.S.-based individuals and organizations can apply through the Department of Homeland Security to sponsor Ukrainian citizens displaced by the war so they can live in the United States temporarily on humanitarian parole. Find more details in our Q&A below.  A woman from Ukraine hugs a child after arriving in Hungary, Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Photo: Associated Press/Anna Szilagyi The Idaho Office for Refugees supports our nation’s effort to welcome Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing war. Click here for resources for displaced Ukrainians and information about how Idahoans can help. In just one month Russia's invasion has displaced 3.6 million people from Ukraine — the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe this century. The U.S. government on Thursday pledged to welcome up to 100,000 people who have fled Ukraine and to develop programs focused on reuniting Ukrainian refugees with family in the states.  Join the Refugee Speakers Bureau at Storyfort this Wednesday! Three Boise-area high school students will share their stories of navigating life while switching codes between their cultures of origin and the homes they are now growing up in. Slavic churches across the Treasure Valley and Pacific Northwest are coming together to collect resources for Ukrainian refugees. Good Word Mission member Tina Polishchuk shared this update:
The reaction from Idahoans for assisting refugees has been incredible. Folks are rallying together in supporting those that are displaced. There is currently a humanitarian aid drive in Meridian. This has grown exponentially, and is quickly expanding across the valley. Idahoans along with the rest of the world are shaken to see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, forcing families to separate, civilians to fight, and over a million people to flee the country.
Many Idahoans are wondering how they can help and if our state is preparing to receive more refugees from Ukraine. Idaho has historically resettled people from the former Soviet Union facing persecution. Nearly 200 Ukrainian refugees have resettled in Idaho in the past two decades, including five people this year. As we watch this unfolding crisis with heavy hearts, we do not anticipate a large increase of refugees from Ukraine to come to Idaho in the coming weeks. Organizations in countries neighboring Ukraine are working diligently to provide shelter and necessities. Keep reading for ideas on how to support them. |
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May 2022
Author: Holly BeechHolly is the communication specialist for the Idaho Office for Refugees. Contact her at hbeech@idahorefugees.org. 
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Idaho Office for refugees1607 W. Jefferson St.
Boise, ID 83702 208.336.4222 |
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