 Giving Tuesday raffle! Donate to the Idaho Office for Refugees this Giving Tuesday (Nov. 30) and be entered to win prizes from Food Land Market, Sunshine Spice Cafe, and Story Story Night. Click here to give and enter the raffle.
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 We stand with Idahoans in calling out the dehumanizing statements of a former Boise police captain. Community members and leaders, elected officials, police officers, and many others have come together to show this is unacceptable. Our office has worked closely with Boise PD for many years, specifically through trainings and the refugee liaison officer role, to build relationships and deepen understanding. These efforts are making an important difference, and the connections are growing across local law enforcement departments. Idahoans for decades have come together to make sure new neighbors in the refugee resettlement program have a place to belong and feel safe again. And that’s what we continue to build upon as a community. We work closely with the refugee liaison officer at the Boise Police Department and welcome any feedback and concerns. Please reach us at iorinfo@idahorefugees.org.  Please join us in welcoming Beth Norton to our team! Beth started today in the role of Events & Partnerships Coordinator, where she will lead events including the Idaho Conference on Refugees and World Refugee Day (Boise) and will be a connector with our community partners.
Beth is a well-known local comedian and storyteller whose projects include Idaho's Best Comedian Competition and Story Story Night's Late Night season. She has a master's in Public Administration from Boise State University, served two terms as a staff member in the Idaho Legislature, and was an Idaho Voices for Children board member for three years, working toward improvements to the foster care system. Welcome, Beth, we are fortunate to have you on the team!  One of our favorite things about the Idaho Conference on Refugees is the workshops! Workshops allow for meaningful conversations and important trainings that bring us together and improve the work we do to build community. Our next conference is coming up on Feb. 22 & 23 in Boise, and we are now accepting proposals from those who would like to lead a workshop. Please learn more and apply here.  The Operations Coordinator will ensure that our work at the Idaho Office for Refugees reaches its fullest potential, both within our office and in the communities we serve. You will help us streamline our operations, set and track goals, create a bigger picture view of activities, and improve the efficiency of how we do things.
Your organization, precision, and attention to detail will enable us to have a greater statewide impact, a focus on outcomes, and stronger connection with our grantees and partners as we carry on the legacy of refugee resettlement in Idaho.
 We're excited to introduce you to Whitney Alsallum, our new Donor & Volunteer Relations Coordinator. Whitney will be your go-to for questions on how to get involved and come alongside our work!
Whitney has been involved in the nonprofit space for over a decade, focusing on community engagement. She has a passion for refugee resettlement and encouraging inclusivity in and around Boise, her hometown. She graduated from Boise State University with a bachelor's in communication and a minor in Arabic. Creating friendships with people from other cultures brings her joy, and she has been involved with Glocal, International Student programs, and local tutoring services to build those connections. Her last project was expanding a program called Serve the City, which managed relationships with nonprofits and connected people for a day of volunteering around the city every month. Outside of work, Whitney enjoys spending time with her husband and their two sons, ages 6 and 1, and practicing Arabic. Welcome, Whitney! Reach her at walsallum@idahorefugees.org.  We're thrilled to introduce Zahraa Naser, our newest career advisor at Global Talent.
Zahraa is originally from Iraq and grew up in Boise. She brings years of experience in working with refugees and immigrants. “I know how difficult it can be to start all over or even find a job within their field," she said. As a career advisor she'll be working closely with job seekers to help them rebuild and reclaim their careers in Idaho.  One way to get toddlers to eat carrots and beets? Let them pick it from the ground and wash it themselves. That’s just what 2-year-old twins Ransom and Rachel did at the Global Gardens Pond Street farm during an August field trip. The twins and their peers from Welcome Friends Childcare & Preschool LLC visited the Boise farm to learn where the veggies they eat at day care come from and how they’re grown. Welcome Friends is one of seven childcare facilities that partners with Global Gardens and Nutrition Works to receive fresh produce grown by local farmers from refugee backgrounds. The program reaches between 60 and 100 children from Caldwell to Mountain Home for 18 weeks during the growing season. “The impact of Welcome Friends Childcare's connection with Global Gardens can't be overstated,” Welcome Friends owner Jacqueline Manderscheid said. “The children in my program have multi-sensory connections with their food. It's an experience every child deserves to have.” Read on to see some adorable pictures and video from the visit! Central District Health is providing a back-to-school immunization clinic at Whittier Elementary School in Boise from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Friday, August 12. Pre-K through 12th grade students will be able to get any required school entry immunizations at no cost. Below are flyers in Arabic, English, Farsi and Swahili. Interpreters will also be available at the clinic.  Check out our latest newsletter here! In it, you'll find:
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Archives
November 2022
Author: Holly BeechIdaho Office for Refugees Communications Manager 
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Idaho Office for refugees1607 W. Jefferson St.
Boise, ID 83702 208.336.4222 |
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