Please ask Congress and the president not to kill the US refugee program

On July 5 the US refugee resettlement program will essentially be defunded for the rest of this fiscal year.

If you watch the news at all, you know that the southern US border is being flooded with young people crossing illegally and coming from mostly Central America. The majority are teenagers, but there are also children and babies among those making the crossing. There was a story on NPR about it just this morning, but it didn’t mention the part about funding (You should listen to this story anyway to get a better understanding of the situation and what's driving it).

US law is very clear that when Unaccompanied Alien Minors come into the country, they must be vetted and processed and provided with whatever services they need while in custody (medical, mental health care, clothing, food, school, etc.). Most of these kids are sent by relatives or sent for by family already in the US. In fact, 85 percent are reunited with family here and will likely wait years until they have to talk to an immigration judge. Those who don't have family here are put into the foster care system and cared for indefinitely. Until they are released into family custody or foster care, they must be properly cared for.

On June 20 (ironically, World Refugee Day), The Office Of Refugee Resettlement stated its intention to reprogram the current FFY 2014 budget to shift all existing funds away from refugee resettlement to instead address the flood of Unaccompanied Alien Minors coming across the southern US border. As stated earlier, ORR, by law, must tend to the needs of these minors who are entering the country illegally; however, ORR has not been given adequate financial resources to carry out that duty for up to 70,000 children and teens while also supporting the resettlement of up to 70,000 refugees.

This ORR reprogramming/budget issue will impact real people who waited patiently in often harrowing conditions and came here legally. On the other hand, it's a fact and a law: Unaccompanied Alien Minors need to be processed. There has been no adequate funding put in place to do that. If Congress and other stakeholders in Washington intervene before July 5, though, it needn't be an either/or situation. An emergency appropriation of $200 million dollars will help the children at the border without doing so at the expense of the refugee resettlement program.

In addition, Congress or the appropriations committee needs to separate into two distinct items the currently single-line item in the ORR budget that combines processing of Unaccompanied Alien Minors and the resettlement of refugees.

Here’s the thing: Nobody wants to touch that. Calling for an emergency appropriation and splitting the Unaccompanied Alien Minors funding into a separate, transparent line item could look like tacit support for illegal immigration to some people. Some in Congress will also gladly hold back if it will make the current immigration situation look like a failure on the part of the Obama administration, and others in Washington may not want to stop the July 5 re-appropriation if it appears that doing so is anti-immigration, which could potentially alienate many voters and constituents.

Many refugees wait many years--10, 15, 20--before they are vetted and cleared and allowed to legally enter the US. If the US takes the funding from the refugee program and uses it for other purposes, we also renege on promises we made to people who helped our troops and government representatives in conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. If we can't follow through on the promises of protection and safe haven we made to the people who risked their lives when they provided intelligence, logistical support, translation, and more, we are seen as being untrustworthy and that makes US interests more vulnerable worldwide.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement is truly between a rock and a hard place. They must tend to the needs of the minors crossing the border, but they have only the money earmarked for refugees to work with. This shouldn't be an either/or situation. Congress could make an emergency appropriation. Plenty of people would probably stand behind that option—if they only knew it was an issue at all.

If the refugee budget reprogramming goes through, the services to refugees, many of whom are also children, will be gutted. Refugees who are already here will have limited access to care and support.

Members of Congress will be heading home for the July 4 holiday within days. If you plan to contact them, do not wait. This situation is urgent. If you would like to contact the White House, you can do that, too. The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants committee has a contact form on its website, along with suggested language for a letter if you prefer written correspondence.

Please let President Obama and Congress know that by granting the emergency funding to ORR, it takes away the problem of sacrificing the needs of one vulnerable population to serve another.

Elder refugees thrive in Aurora

Aurora News Today has produced a story about the collaboration between Colorado African Organization, DRCOG, and the Area Agency on Aging, along with the Aurora Center for Active Adults. Elder refugees often feel left behind and isolated in the resettlement process, but these organizations have combined resources to help this population keep moving, keep learning, and keep finding their place in our community. Click here to watch this uplifting story. The video should launch at the 12:20 mark. Enjoy!

Refugees in the news

In case you missed it, there were some excellent refugee-related stories in the news this week.

From Colorado Public Radio, an excellent overview of the specific and special health needs of refugees. What do doctors and other health care providers need to know and keep in mind when working with refugee patients? This story is about 20 minutes long, but worth every minute. The medical school at the University of Colorado has also added a refugee rotation for its students who are training to be doctors. The first family mentioned in the story was also part of our in-home tutoring program. Click here to link to the story and access the online media player.

From National Public Radio (NPR), an intriguing look at the long, sometimes incomprehensible journey that asylum seekers take to get to the U.S. Although many asylum seekers come into the country as students, workers, or tourists, many others enter on foot, via the U.S-Mexico border, with journeys that originate in places such as China, Sudan, Eritrea, or Nepal. We've heard many similar stories as our students have told us their own accounts of risking everything to find safe haven in the U.S. Click here to listen to the story.

David Gilkey/NPR

Also from NPR, an audio story and photo essay about internally displaced populations in Afghanistan. Although you can read this story, it really is worth the time to listen. The photography tells a story all its own. Click here to access this story.

Photo: KUSA

Last week, you may have come upon this story. It was produced locally and also ran  on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Amira Ali lived the past 24 years believing her daughter had been killed when the family fled an attack on their village in South Sudan. When Amira set up her Facebook account, she soon got the incredible news that her daughter was alive. The two were recently reunited in Denver. Click here to watch this story.

The thing about Facebook...

Did you know we have a Facebook page? We use Facebook to keep our volunteers up-to-date on local events in the refugee resettlement community, to share news, and to offer insights into all things refugee related.

We post updates to our Facebook page several times a week. Even if you follow us there, you might be surprised to know how often we post. You may be thinking, "But I only see posts every few weeks." That's right--it's not you and it's not us and there's nothing wrong with your Facebook newsfeed.

No matter how often we post, Facebook only allows a fraction of those posts to go into the social flow. Most of our posts go out to fewer than ten percent of our followers. Of course, for $30 per post, we could reach a much wider audience, but that's definitely not in our budget. You see, whereas your personal posts go out to all of your friends, posts made on "pages," like those maintained by businesses and nonprofits, only go to all followers if the organizations pay for that distribution. Facebook is only sort-of free in this case.

Why are we telling you this? Because we'd like you understand that the news we post is there for you to see, but you have to go and look for it. It's really easy to do that. Every few days, either search for our name in the search bar at the top of the Facebook page or click on our name on any post you did get to see. Follow that to our Facebook page, and you'll see everything we've posted, in chronological order. You just need to make it a habit to check our page on a regular basis.

Thanks for including us in your social media activities. If you aren't following us yet, just follow this link to visit our page: Colorado Refugee ESL Volunteers. You don't even need to have a Facebook account to view our page; it's public!

In-home tutor training

The next training for in-home tutors will be on Saturday, April 12, 2014. If you would like to join our program, training is mandatory--and you must stay for the entire day! Applications can be found on our website, www.refugee-esl.org under the heading, "Apply to our program."

Save the date!

In-home Tutor Training

Saturday, April 12, 2014

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Breakfast is provided.

Questions? Send your inquiries to sharon_mccreary@dpsk12.org

Coffee, crafts and giving back

Diversity Day is back!

KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI Celebration in Denver

It's Krishna's birthday!

The Bhutanese Hindu community in Denver invites you to celebrate this very special and holy festival with them. Krishna is one of the most important gods in the Hindu faith, and Krishna Janmashtami is the celebration of his birth.

If you would like to learn more about the holiday, the local Bhutanese community invites you to join them in celebrating this auspicious occasion and to mark a day full of joy and blessings. There will be music, cultural dance, and more!
 
Anyone who is interested is invited to observe this unique celebration based on the Hindu Culture. 

Wednesday, August 28

10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Lowry Park

1000 Dayton St., Aurora Colorado

Click here for a map to this location.

Click here to learn about the history and traditions of Krishna Janmashtami.

You are invited to experience a bit of Hindu culture

The Bhutanese Hindu Community of Colorado is asking you to share in a very special event. His Holiness Sri Tridandi Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, a Vedic pontiff, a preacher and Vashnavite guru is coming to Denver to visit the Hindu community.

The Bhutanese Hindu community cordially invites you to attend the program, celebrate with them, and receive blessings from Swamiji.

If you do not speak Nepali or Hindi, please send an email bhagawatprapanna@gmail.com to RSVP and request an interpretation headset. It is requested that, to be respectful, women wear long sleeves with pants or a skirt that cover the legs.

Thursday, August 29

1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Eloise May Library

1471 S Parker Rd

Denver, CO 80231

Organizer: Bhutanese Hindus of Colorado
Contact: 720-422-9978, 720-989-0651

Remote tutoring--or just a visit!

In the past year, several in-home tutors have used Skype with their students. If you're unfamiliar, Skype is a free program that lets you use your computer to call another user and communicate in real time, with or without a video interface. You need an Internet connection, a webcam, and a microphone. If you have a standalone webcam or a laptop computer, the microphone is usually integrated with the camera.you can also use Skype with a smartphone.

For our purposes, using the video interface is preferred because it's the next-best-thing to a face-to-face conversation.

Many of our in-home students have a computer at home, either their own or for the children to use for schoolwork. Your student may not be computer literate, but Skype doesn't require that. Some simple point-and-click mouse skills will do!

How could you use Skype as a tutor?

• Check in between lessons
• Do a short "live" lesson if you're away from home and can't make your regular session
• Practice speaking and listening skills with your student
• Help with homework

Use your imagination. Skype is free and easy to use. If your student is from Iraq, chances are she (or he) already uses Skype to keep in touch with family overseas. Go to the Skype website for more information. If you have used Skype with your student, please share your thoughts about the experience in the comments section.

Looking for a new tutoring challenge?

Attention in-home tutors--especially those not currently working with a student!!

We've had a request for a volunteer to teach a large group of Bhutanese refugees in our area. This is a group of about 16 men and women. You would meet in one of their apartments for a minimum of two hours each week.

The location is in Aurora, a few blocks north of E. Colfax Ave. at I-225. Let me know if you're interested in taking this on: sharon_mccreary@dpsk12.org


View Larger Map

The Refugees' Bicycles

If you tutor at the apartments on Blackhawk/Billings Street in Aurora, you may have seen a man fixing bicycles in the courtyard of the building. Here's the story behind that. Well worth the six minutes!

June = World Refugee Day!

June 20 is world Refugee Day. In Colorado, there are events happening all month and all over to mark the occasion, from Greeley down to Colorado Springs.

Tonight, African Community Center of Denver presents Voices of Refugees, which features refugees telling their stories in their own words. This is always a powerful and moving experience. the event is free and open to the public.

Voices of Refugees

Wednesday, June 12

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Aurora Central High School

11700 E 11th Ave, Aurora, CO 80010

For more information about the event and to read profiles of the featured speakers, click here.

There are dozens more World Refugee Day events happening around our area from now through June 23. Click here for a printable schedule of all events. You can dine out and have part of the price of your meal donated to refugee resettlement. Attend cultural immersion events, enjoy free coffee, learn about employing refugees, visit a photo exhibit or two, shop for crafts, or take part in a 5K run.

Whatever you decide to take part in, please be sure to bring along friends and family to help raise awareness about the refugees being resettled in our communities.

Save the Date!

Tuesday, August 6

 

Emily Griffith Technical College Volunteer Appreciation Event

 

Honoring CRESL classroom volunteers, in-home tutors, Emily Griffith Foundation Board members, and College Advisory Board members

 

Details will be coming soon!

Help our students learn to interview!

Anyone who has ever been new to the workforce--or returning after time away--knows how nerve-wracking a job interview can be. Like anything else, though, practice makes perfect.

On April 30 and May 1, Emily Griffith Technical College will be hosting a mock career fair to help our students get interviewing practice and gain confidence for the job search..Here's a chance for you to get in touch with your inner actor! We need volunteers to stand in and "play the roles" of human resources professionals. Volunteers will conduct mock interviews with our students and help the students polish their interviewing, presentation, and networking skills.

Volunteers will be assigned to conduct interviews for a particular career area or industry. For example, you might be assigned to play the role of HR representative for "Restaurant," "Hospitality/Hotel," "Healthcare/Hospital," etc. You will be given a script of sample questions to ask and the types of responses expected from the students. After each mock interview, you'll offer feedback and advice on what the student needs improve upon or change.

Volunteer participants should be outgoing, friendly, able to convey a professional demeanor, and enjoy interacting with students from very diverse backgrounds.

Tuesday, April 30

2:00-4:00 p.m.

and

Wednesday, May 1

9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon

You can volunteer for one or both sessions, for even for just an hour.

If you're interested in volunteering as an interviewer for the mock career fair, please contact Kevin Mohatt at Kevin_Mohatt@dpsk12.org or 720-423-4753.

Events that might interest you

Outcasts United:
A Community Conversation with

Luma Mufleh

Inspirational Coach and Founder of The Fugees Soccer Team

Thursday, March 21, 2013, 7:00–9:00 PM

Place Bridge Academy Auditorium

7125 Cherry Creek N Drive, Denver

Luma Mufleh is the inspirational coach of a soccer team called the Fugees—short for refugees. Players, selected for resettlement in a small town outside Atlanta called Clarkston, are from 28 war-torn countries, and most of them have endured unimaginable hardship. They share the experience of being caught between worlds, and something else—a love of soccer, a game many of the boys learned to play in refugee camps, using a bundle of plastic bags and twine for a ball.

The New York Times bestseller Outcasts United documents the remarkable story of how these players, with Mufleh at the helm, found ways to connect and come together across broad cultural divides and oftentimes strong local resentment. Universal Studios is currently making the story into a major motion picture.

Seating is limited. To RSVP, please visit facinghistory.org/communityconversations or call 303-316-4848 x221. As part of Facing History’s national series of Community Conversations, this event is free and open to the public.


Film screening

America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa:
Clarkston, Georgia

This short film explores what it takes to be inclusive, engaged and living in the “New America.” It is the story of a small town of 7,500 people that has gone from being 90% white in the 1980s to less than 14% white today. Located in the shadow of Stone Mountain, once a gathering place for Ku Klux Klan cross burnings, Clarkston today is home to thousands of refugees from Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq and Bhutan – along with some forty other countries. This is an intimate look at how changing demographics are reshaping the political landscape of America.

This free event includes time for a community discussion following the screening.

Friday, April 19, 2013

3:00 p.m.

First Universalist Church

4101 E. Hampden Ave.

Denver (NE corner of Hampden and Colorado Blvd.)

Presented by Colorado African Organization, Colorado Providers for Integration Network, Welcoming America, and Welcoming Colorado

Resources you can use

What's new at the library
The Arapahoe Library District recently made a helpful addition to its website. As a tutor, you might find this new web page quite useful. The URL for the site is http://arapahoelibraries.org/new-americans. If you get to the website via search in your browser, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and under "Services," click on "New Americans."

Some of the resources on the site include information about free ESL classes, conversation groups, support services for newcomers who have been in the U.S. for less than three years, ESL collections in the library district, online ESL learning tools, downloadable ESL materials, citizenship information and resources, adult literacy resources, and more.

The Denver Public Library also has a many resources for newcomers. On its Community Learning Plazas section of the website, you'll find information about citizenship, language learning, online ESL help, and video language lessons, among other helpful tools. Click on one of the colorful bubbles at the top of the page to access the Learning Plaza you wish to explore.

Just below the graphic for the Learning Plazas, there is a link to Immigrant Resources. this comprehensive list of organizations and services is a good reference for anyone who is or who helps newcomers in the Denver area. Click here to access the DPL Community Learning Plazas.

Take a look around both sites--you are likely to find something of use to you and to your student.

Refugee health and the CDC
Also on the Internet this week, the U.S. Centers for disease control (CDC) has updated its site with some new refugee-specific health information. The first refugee health profile is about the Bhutanese population. More profiles are in development and will be added soon.

While much of the information is intended for medical professionals who encounter refugees in their practice, the information will also provide insight to anyone who has contact with the refugee population. Topics include cultural background, common medical conditions in populations being resettled, migration information, and healthcare and diet in camps. Click here to go to the homepage for Refugee Health Profiles.

TRAINING SCHEDULE CHANGE

The first 2013 training session for in-home tutors has been changed from January 26 

to Saturday, February 2.

Your vote matters!

"It's a major award!"

The Emily Griffith Foundation was presented a check for $15,000 this week from the Hyatt Regency hotel.  The check was awarded to the school’s Work Intensive Skills Camp (WISC), a refugee job-training program that, for six years, has partnered with the Hyatt Regency to help newly-arrived refugees in Denver secure employment in the hospitality industry.

Work Intensive Skills Camp instructor, Kate Goodspeed and student,
Rup Neupane accept a check for $15,000

In addition to Hyatt, the program partners with businesses like The Brown Palace, Curtis Hotel and Denver Athletic Club, but this is the first time that one of the partnering companies has financially supported the EGTC program.

Vote. Give. Thrive.
In addition to the $15,000 award, Emily Griffith Foundation has the opportunity to receive additional funds as part of Hyatt’s Vote. Give. Thrive. contest in which anyone can view and vote for a video of the Work Intensive Skills Camp’s partnership with the Hyatt Regency. 

Now through December 31, Emily Griffith Foundation will be competing with organizations throughout the world in this contest. Individuals can vote on Hyatt’s Facebook page. The non-profit with the most votes will receive an additional $10,000, and the second and third place organizations will each receive an additional $5,000. Visit Facebook.com/Hyatt for more details. You can vote once a day through December 31.

“The Hyatt Regency was our first community partner,” said Kate Goodspeed, instructor for the Work Intensive Skills Camp. “In 6 years, we’ve had over 320 students job shadow at Hyatt Hotels and many have been hired.  We are very grateful and excited that they successfully nominated us for the Hyatt Thrive grant.” 

This year the Emily Griffith Foundation is one of 26 non-profits worldwide to receive funding from Hyatt Hotel.  In 2012, Hyatt Hotels awarded more than $300,000 in grants to non-profits in communities where Hyatt hotels operate. The funding is a key component of Hyatt Thrive – Hyatt’s global corporate responsibility platform which encourages hotels around the world to identify and nominate local nonprofits for funding consideration through the Hyatt Hotels Foundation. The program builds on Hyatt’s belief that nobody understands a community’s most pressing issues – and their solutions – better than those that live and work there.   Hyatt Thrive encourages hotel associates to guide charitable giving in support of local organizations and  efforts to further economic development.

Work Intensive Skills Camp was developed because of a need to provide more job-training resources for refugees with low levels of English. In the 2012 fiscal year, Work Intensive Skills Camp trained more than 130 refugees for jobs in Colorado.  The program focuses on industry driven demands of the workforce and trains individuals through hands-on skills and classroom instruction.  Individuals in the program come from countries like Somalia, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan, Ethiopia and Iraq. 

Learn about Tibetan Buddhism

A discussion about Tibetan Buddhism
Thursday, December 6, 2012

3:30-5:00 p.m.

Emily Griffith Technical College

1250 Welton St., Room 123

Click here for a map

This presentation is free and open to the public. 

Join us on Thursday, December 6 for a presentation about Tibetan Buddhism. The presenter, Yungdrung Gyeltsen, is Buddhist monk who fled Tibet 26 years ago. Yungdrung, who holds a Ph.D. in Tibetan Philosophy, currently lives in Denver and studies English at Emily Griffith Technical College.

In addition to being a student, Yungdrung is passionate about helping others understand Tibetan culture and the philosophies and beliefs behind Tibetan Buddhism. You may remember him from a video produced by DPStv earlier this year. His story is compelling.



Refugee Profile: Tibetan monk from DPStv on Vimeo.