It’s Welcoming Week, when communities around the country bring together neighbors of all backgrounds and build strong connections. Celebrate with us this Saturday at the Treasure Family YMCA’s Family Field Day!
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Two Idahoans who resettled through the refugee program share their stories below about what helped them feel welcomed when they arrived, how they have overcome challenges, and how they found belonging in their new community. Read on to get to know them!

USCIS is offering in-person public information sessions in Caldwell, Boise, and Nampa to answer your questions about petitioning for family members and the citizenship/naturalization process:

• How to Petition for Family Members (Green Card Process Overview) - 6:00-7:30pm, Tuesday, Sept. 17th at the Caldwell Library
• Naturalization Overview - Monday, Sept. 30th, 6:00-7:30pm, Boise Downtown Library - Bingham Room
• Naturalization Overview - Wednesday, Nov. 6th, 6:00-7:30pm, Nampa Library

Welcoming Week is a chance for neighbors - immigrants, New Americans, and American-born residents alike - to get to know one another and celebrate what unites us as a community.

Join us! Free and open to the public.

• 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21.
• Sunset Park, 2625 N 32nd St, Boise, ID 83703

Activities include:

• Games, activities, music, and prizes for all ages and abilities
• Bus, bicycle and Lime scooter training
• Free dinner - Middle Eastern and African cuisine
• Volunteers needed!

Please find flyer translations below and help spread the word about this fun event.  There's also bussing available for those needing transportation; please email [email protected] for details.

This event is organized by the Treasure Valley Family YMCA in partnership with the City of Boise, American Red Cross, Agencies for New Americans, Valley Regional Transit, Lime, Safe Routes to School, Idaho Office for Refugees, International Rescue Committee. Huge thank you to sponsors Idaho Central Credit Union and the Krazy Coupon Lady Foundation for funding bussing and dinner.

Welcoming Week is celebrated nationally each year, this year from September 13-22, bringing together neighbors of all backgrounds to build strong connections and affirm the importance of welcoming and inclusive places in achieving collective prosperity.

There’s a new leader at the helm of the Twin Falls refugee center. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) in Twin Falls has selected Chandra Upreti as field office director.

Chandra has a personal understanding of what people resettling in Twin Falls are experiencing. Born in Bhutan, he experienced displacement at a very young age, fleeing to Nepal as a refugee. After spending 17 years in refugee camps, Chandra was eventually resettled in Twin Falls in 2008, where he found a new home and purpose.

“Being able to advocate for and support others in similar situations allows me to give back to the community that welcomed me,” Chandra said.

Read on to learn more about Chandra, USCRI, and resettlement in Twin Falls.

From Boise featured a beautiful story about Global Gardens, written by Sonya Feibert Kuhn. Visit fromboise.com to listen to or read the story. Get to know more about the farmers, what they value in agriculture, and where you can find their produce. 

Every year, refugees and immigrants relocate to Idaho with valuable educational and career experiences. Transferring those skills and credentials to a new country comes with barriers, however, sometimes causing professionals to leave behind careers they love.

Global Talent, a nonprofit program of the Idaho Office for Refugees, formed 10 years ago to help prevent this brain waste from happening. The program assists New Americans with continuing in their careers, growing Idaho’s workforce of skilled professionals.

Starting this year, Global Talent is increasing its support for employers, too, offering cultural education and guidance.
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Global Talent is proud to announce a $20,000 infusion into this work from JPMorgan Chase. The one-year grant, starting in April 2024, is supporting Global Talent’s work not only with job seekers, but with Idaho employers who are hiring professionals from refugee and immigrant backgrounds.

Jennie Buley has joined the Idaho Office for Refugees as the Project Manager spearheading comprehensive initiatives encompassing housing and Welcome Corps. This will include the implementation of a co-signing program as well as a new national initiative for Private Sponsor Groups. She is also serving on the Housing Committee of the Neighbors United Network.

Jennie is a lifelong Northwesterner, coming from Sandpoint, Coeur ‘Dalene, Seattle, and eventually made her way to Boise where she received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Boise State University.

After graduating in 2018, she moved to Kenya to become the project manager of a local charity focusing on school sponsorship for vulnerable youth. She spent five years in Kenya, fully immersed in the community and working side by side with those the charity sought to serve.

“Serving the children and families of the organization was the honor of a lifetime and something that will stay with me forever," Jennie said.

She relocated back to Boise in 2024 and is excited to join the IOR team and be a part of the impactful work taking place. Serving the underserved, advocating for the overlooked, and championing sustainable change are her biggest passions and values.

In her free time, Jennie is an avid runner, biker, and swimmer; anything outdoors in the sunshine is loved! She loves spending time with family, especially her cherished nieces and nephews.

You can reach Jennie at [email protected].

Annual World Refugee Day celebrations will bring Idahoans together this month in Twin Falls and Boise.

Magic Valley Refugee Day in Twin Falls is Friday, June 21, followed by World Refugee Day Boise on Saturday, June 22. Boise’s celebration will include a naturalization ceremony featuring former refugees who are becoming American citizens.
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“First, it's a day to honor and celebrate the lives of refugees as well as our joint efforts on behalf of mankind,” said Joel Ntando, coordinator of the Refugee Speakers Bureau at the Idaho Office for Refugees. “Second, it serves as a reminder that we can considerably alleviate the global refugee issue.”

​We have compiled a list of resources helpful for folks navigating language access, resettlement, health care, housing, and more. 

Find a PDF version of the Resource Guide here or view the guide on the Refugee Welcome Collective website.

This guide is largely focused on the Treasure Valley, but we welcome additions. If you have a suggested addition, please email [email protected].
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