Zahraa Aldelfi moved from Iraq to the United States in July 2013 with her young family. Her middle child, Rayhana, was among the first to enroll at IWR’s Global Roots Play School when it opened. Now, her youngest daughter Habiba is attending, and Zahraa herself works there as a teacher.

Zahraa talks from personal experience about the difference Global Roots makes to refugee parents with children under school age. As she made Ithaca her home, the Play School meant that she was able to attend classes at the ESL school Open Doors English, knowing that her daughter was safe and cared for nearby.

“I was interested to learn English, but I have a two-years [old] daughter. I don’t know who was going to take care of her until we found the Global Roots program so I had the time to go learn English”.

Other families she knows have had similar experiences. She recalls that a friend had been taking turns going to English classes with her husband because they had no access to childcare, so one of them was always occupied caring for their young children. When Zahraa told her about Global Roots, she could not thank her enough. It was a lifeline that made a difference to the whole family.

Zahraa talks fondly of the community that she has become a part of through her connection to Global Roots.

“It’s beautiful because you can find different kids from everywhere, like families and kids from different countries, who speak different languages and get to know each other.”

She has enjoyed getting to know Bronwyn Losey, the founding director of Global Roots, and Molly Alexander, the Play School’s child and family support specialist, both of whom are a welcoming presence. The connections made at the Play School go beyond the classroom, and her two eldest love playing with Bronwyn’s children, who are close in age. For the children, Global Roots is a fun and supportive play space where they develop friendships with peers from a wide range of backgrounds.

“Rayhana loved it here because she got to know and make friends and be more independent.”

Zahraa has seen the school develop and strengthen, with better organization and more volunteers brought on board to support the work of the teachers. Having this place of trust has meant a lot during her family’s resettlement journey. She points out that coming to the United States, people often have to find ways to get through hard times independently, but that she has been fortunate to find support within this community. Zahraa’s experience has led her to become an advocate for the Play School, encouraging friends with young children to join.

“I think it’s the perfect program for people who need to learn English and especially would love to leave our kids in a safe place.”

Living in Ithaca for the last eleven years, Zahraa and her family have come to love the area and made close connections here. To her, Global Roots has become just like family.

Immigration has become one of the central topics of debate in the public arena in the run up to this year’s presidential election. This statement is a response to the toxic rumors and xenophobic and racist language concerning newcomers to the US that has regrettably been circulated by high profile actors as part of this debate.

Many discussions of immigration in the media and on the political stage have turned the words immigrant and refugee into abstract categories, rather than descriptors of one aspect of people’s lives. This has made it easy for public figures acting in bad faith to identify these groups as ‘different’ to the majority and scapegoat them for problems in our society. This practice is known to encourage baseless suspicion, hatred and fear, and can incite violence. The resulting erosion of trust in our society impacts everyone, and some of us more than others.

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees wholly condemns all expressions of prejudice towards any group or groups based on perceptions of difference. As an organization partnering with immigrants and refugees, we affirm our commitment to resisting blanket hatred towards a population that contributes enormously to the richness and wellbeing of our community and of the wider society. Hate speech has no place in political debate. We recognize that this is an especially troubling time for many in Tompkins County. IWR stands with anyone who suffers from discrimination. We are grateful and proud to share in this mutually supportive and compassionate community in which so many of us deeply value our diversity and continue to uphold and defend established principles of humanity and social justice.

We encourage all voters to inform themselves of the tone and content of candidates’ contributions to debate on immigration and to vote their values. Please also be informed that if you have experienced discrimination, you can file a complaint with the Tompkins County Office of Human Rights.

“Education is a path to social mobility for refugees. It opens up possibilities.” 

So says Ariela Asllani about the initiative she founded last year, Refugee Scholars in Ithaca, in collaboration with Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR).  

This statement feels like not only Ariela’s mission, but a reflection of her own story—a belief she lives and breathes as a first generation child of political asylees from Albania, a scholarship student at Cornell’s Brooks School of Public Policy (class of 2026), the 2024 winner of the Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Award from the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, and a recent Clinton Global Initiative University recipient. 

Growing up, Ariela was acutely aware of the many gaps refugee and migrant families experience after they arrive in the United States and her family often needed to rely on religious and charitable organizations for help. Her background as the child of immigrants also inspired Ariela to look at the world around her with a global lens and sparked an interest in forced migration around the world. 

Children across the globe fleeing war, poverty, persecution, living in refugee camps often are not able to access any education at all, let alone think about attending higher education. Children arriving to the United States with these backgrounds have unique and nuanced needs, ranging from language barriers to lack of materials to significant gaps in their education to simply not being familiar with “how things work” here, that federal and local resettlement agencies, or the NGOs and community groups working on the ground, aren’t adequately resourced to provide. These children are, according to Ariela, a “lost generation.” 

“As of the end of 2023, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported that 117.3 million individuals had been displaced in the world due to conflict, persecution, violence, human-rights violations, or other disruptions,” Ariela cites. “Despite 39% of students having access to higher education globally, the proportion drops to a mere 7% for refugee students.” 

Ariela began researching the refugee experience in New York State. She became particularly interested in Ithaca and its history of supporting refugees. Despite its remote  location, “Ithaca has emerged as one of the major hubs in New York for incoming refugees,” Ariela notes. 

This research then brought her to the work of Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR), and thus, an exciting partnership began. The objective of Refugee Scholars in Ithaca was to help address the “academic opportunity gap” for refugee students by supporting them in accessing higher education. 

Working with guidance from IWR and mentors at Cornell, Ariela secured funding from the Community Partnership Funding Board and the Serve in Place Fund to support seven refugee children attending Ithaca High School this past year. IWR staff identified participants from among families the organization had been supporting through their resettlement journey and distributed program supplies to them. The high school students received laptops; school supplies like backpacks, notebooks, pens, and graphing calculators; and SAT and ACT prep books. They were also given access to a series of training videos made by Ariela and hosted by IWR. These covered topics like how to email, getting involved in high school extracurricular activities, how to succeed in school, understanding the SATs/ACTs, and a guide to applying to college, including how to finance higher education, and community colleges as cost-effective possibilities. 

“I want to provide the support—the tools and confidence—I needed when I was younger,” Ariela states in the introductory video to the series. 

With additional funding from a Robinson-Appel Humanitarian Award, as well as a Greenhouse Scholars Flex Funding Grant, Refugee Scholars in Ithaca has secured enough funding to support up to seven more high school students this academic year. 

For Ariela, access to education is one of the most important pathways to refugee and migrant participation in society. She hopes to continue to work on these issues at a policy and advocacy level in the future, promoting the importance of education for those experiencing displacement and forced migration across the globe. Ariela passionately believes that access to education has to happen both locally and globally, through direct engagement at the community level and via legislative and policy changes at the state, national and international levels.

In all the work Ariela does, she remains acutely aware of everything her family has done to support her, and her overall goal in everything she does, beyond the need to “give back,” is to make her family proud. Ariela attributes her success and her commitment to helping others in large part to her family. 

“I am the descendant of Albanian freedom fighters, with my father’s bloodline having championed democracy under an oppressive, autocratic regime,” she says. “This upbringing has inherently instilled in me a profound moral obligation to advocate for refugees and those subjected to forced migration.”

Photograph by Emma Brown

Two IWR supporters are organizing a Fall jewelry sale to benefit Ithaca Welcomes Refugees. The sale will take place on Saturday, November 30 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. in the community room at the First Baptist church of Ithaca. Jewelry donations are now being collected for the sale.

Below, please find a message from the organizers:

Greetings all, 

Please let us introduce ourselves, Yvonne Fogarty and Debbie Benzer. We are organizing a fundraising jewelry sale to take place November 30th, 2024 to benefit Ithaca Welcomes Refugees. 

All jewelry sold at the sale is gently used and donated by people like you. EVERYONE has jewelry they don’t wear anymore or inherited and never wore! What a wonderful way to pass it on to fund an organization that works so hard to help settle refugees into our community. 

If you or your friends have jewelry to donate,  this is an excellent time to get it cleaned and organized. 

We accept all items, such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hair pins and barrettes, rings, pins, tie pins, watches, ankle bracelets, cuff links, and anything I’ve forgotten! 

If you have the inclination… it is lovely to have the items separated by category in whatever containers you choose, ex: bags, small boxes etc. Necklaces can be tied with a twist tie, so they don’t get tangled. If you are donating items that are more valuable, PLEASE include a note alerting us to them so they can be priced accordingly. We work with jewelers to appraise them. We do have places that buy random pieces of gold or silver, ex: broken chains or only one earring from a pair. 

There are a number of ways for you to get jewelry to us so give one of us a call and we can figure out what works best for you. 

This is the 10th year we have organized jewelry sales to benefit local or national non-profit organizations. It is always a fun event. If you’d like to work with us, please let us know.

Any Questions? Please call Yvonne at 607 592-2799 or Debbie at 607 279-7174.

Thank you all in advance!!! 

Yvonne Fogarty and Debbie Benzer

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees is raising funds to help a refugee family seek justice for their father and husband, who was killed in a traffic accident last year.

In July 2023, we created a Crisis Fund to help people served by IWR in times of exceptional need. The decision to start this fund was made in response to the tragic passing of a man from Afghanistan, whom we had helped to resettle locally with his wife and four school-aged children just weeks earlier. The deceased, who was the sole income earner in his family, lost his life in a traffic accident in Ithaca. He had worked as a translator for the US military before fleeing Afghanistan with his family. As his family grieved, they also found themselves in an immediate crisis without an income or means to support themselves.

Thanks to the generosity of community members, we raised $72,470 for the Fund. As a result, we have been able to support the family over the past year with critical monthly expenses such as household bills, medical expenses and a travel loan repayment to the US government for the cost of the family’s flight to the US when they first arrived. The fund is enabling us to continue to support the family while they still need assistance. We are heartened to see how, despite such a challenging start to their new lives in the US, the children are rapidly learning English and have made friends through shared interests at school.

An update to the case now brings us to open a new public appeal for donations to the Crisis Fund. The authorities recently concluded their investigation, and found insufficient evidence to press charges against the driver of the vehicle that caused this tragedy. The family would like to pursue a civil case against the driver and are able to count on the support of a lawyer in the community who is representing them pro bono. However, an anticipated $5,000 is needed to pay for out-of-pocket costs to proceed with the case, including fees for subpoenas and depositions. We are asking community members to help us raise this sum to cover the family’s legal fees and pursue the compensation and closure that will help them move on. If you can help, please donate here or send a check to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees at 315 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, N.Y., 14850 and note ‘Crisis Fund’ in the memo.

In creating the Crisis Fund last year, we recognized that while this family’s predicament was exceptional, there are likely to be future occasions when unforeseeable events land community members already coping with adjusting to a new country in a situation of special need, beyond what can be covered by our existing programs.  

Only three months after we launched the fund, we were saddened by news of a second tragedy in the IWR community. A man we had helped after he migrated alone to Ithaca from Iraq unexpectedly died of natural causes. To honor his memory and give closure to the family he left behind, we drew on the Crisis Fund to transport his remains to them in Iraq.

“You could make the case that every family and individual IWR works with is in crisis, otherwise they would not have had to leave their home behind,” said Casey Verderosa, IWR’s executive director. “Our Crisis Fund is a crucial support when additional tragedies or emergencies befall our new neighbors, allowing IWR to provide meaningful aid without delay.”

A year after its successful launch, we remain grateful to those who generously contributed to the Crisis Fund. As we all deal with uncertainties in our lives, we reflect on the importance of being able to be there for some of the most vulnerable in our community when the worst adversities do arise.

When Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) performs outreach to volunteers, donors, and the community in preparation for arriving refugee families, it is natural to think of short-term needs; beds, cookware, and towels are generally required to help make a new living space feel more like home. Quietly waiting with open arms, however, is a steady second home for families with young children.

Global Roots is an international, play-based preschool that serves children in Ithaca aged 18 months to 5 years. Its founding director, Bronwyn Losey, shared that the preschool was formed in 2017, when several refugee mothers to toddlers needed affordable childcare in order to attend their English courses. Julie Coulombe – a longtime ESL teacher (whom Open Doors English: The Julie Rudd Coulombe Language Program is named to honor) and Julie Petrie, IWR’s former board chair – met about this barrier, and the idea of Global Roots was born. “We received funding,” Bronwyn recalled, “And I said, ‘Great! We can run for a month!’ And we’ve steadily grown from there.”

Bronwyn, armed with twenty years’ worth of experience in early childhood development, has helped cultivate an environment she calls “a soft landing” for immigrant and refugee families settling in Ithaca.  For some families, the school remains a place where their children can be cared for while they attend English classes; for others, including native Ithacans, it is an intentional choice for international exposure for their children. For all, it is a child-focused environment that serves the entire family in a trauma-informed manner. Bronwyn emphasized that staff need to be emotionally available for families, and ready to serve as a steady, welcoming environment amidst a significant amount of change for many students. This specialized skillset and mission are two of the many reasons why funding the school with a living wage for educators is critical.

In painting the picture of a soft place to land, Bronwyn shared the story of a refugee who was father to a young Global Roots student. The student had significant difficulty saying goodbye in the morning, so his father would stay with him during the day, providing additional support for him. Bronwyn recalled seeing the father napping on the couch in the classroom on several occasions, and felt grateful to be able to be a support for both him and his son. She further described the classroom as a common meeting spot for parents, where community can be developed.

Global Roots operates downtown, in a space that previously housed a church-based preschool. The classroom is a peaceful spot, with colorful workspaces. Nearby, students play in the gymnasium or outside on the playground. During my visit, language differences did not appear to be a significant barrier to relationship development: I observed pool noodles serving as a stimulus for uproarious laughter among several pockets of students, who Bronwyn pointed out spoke different languages from one another. Students often attend the part time program alongside their siblings. The curriculum is play-based, meeting children where they are developmentally, and the school summarizes its educational beliefs with the following pillars: (1) Children are capable. (2) Children are unique learners. (3) Children learn through relationships. (4) Play is essential, as a natural mechanism for learning. (5) We are part of a community caring for children.

Global Roots gratefully receives donations. Particularly in advance of a school year, a monetary donation goes furthest. Financial support from donors allows IWR to support Global Roots’ great mission, including funding current teachers whose individual backgrounds are as varied as the families they serve. As Global Roots embarks on its annual fundraising effort this school year, IWR hopes that this peek behind the proverbial schoolhouse gate leaves you inspired to help support its efforts.

Our Back to School campaign for Global Roots is now live and will run from August 26 to September 13. As a fresh school year begins, help us keep alive this nurturing space and welcome in our youngest new arrivals and their families! To make your contribution or become a fundraising champion, visit the Back to School campaign page.

IWR’s annual picnic affords its community members the opportunity to gather and celebrate one another. IWR hosted its 2024 picnic on June 22, on an afternoon marked by both figurative and literal warmth: the 88-degree day followed a week-long heatwave, but attendees smiled, laughed, and hugged anyway.

There were plenty of activities for attendees to enjoy, thanks to Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and other volunteers. Children seemed to particularly enjoy one of CCE’s activities where they built marshmallow sculptures (though some marshmallows mysteriously went missing following their architectural endeavors). Meanwhile, a kung fu clinic was hosted by a CCE staff member, young children worked with blocks, and groups of attendees played lawn games in the shade. Laughter and cheers transcended any language limitations: it turns out everyone shouts when a cornhole beanbag goes in.

Eventually, the smell of food tempted attendees to a meal together. New Delhi Diamond’s, the CCE, and some attendees generously donated delicious fare to the picnic, and soon the pavilion was filled with refugees, volunteers, and staff members, getting to know one another and eating.

Beyond the fellowship, food, and activities, this year’s attendees were able to participate in a workshop on household money management. Topics included the use of checking and savings accounts at a bank, debit and credit cards, tips for enhancing financial health and credit history, and the creation of a household budget. In recognition of the numerous backgrounds of refugees and immigrants at the picnic, there were tables set up with interpreters for speakers of Haitian Creole, Pashto, Spanish, and Ukrainian, to help facilitate nuanced dialogue around these important topics. Seventeen participants joined this program, while many of their children meandered away towards the nearby games and activities.

In reflecting on this hot but warm day, Leila Wilmers, IWR’s new Development Director, summed it up beautifully, noting, “There was a wonderful energy to this event. It gave me a real sense of the shared spirit of community that IWR creates through its work.”

I meet Lilli and Michael in mid-November, almost four months to the day after their arrival from Nicaragua. As they share their story with me, their three children, ages 9, 10, and 14, are never far from the plotline. “They love the weather,” Michael says, as I stifle laughter. I make a poor attempt at a joke about Ithaca’s winters in Spanish, and Michael smiles and shares that his family wants to be part of this community. His response is genuine and gentle, traits both he and his wife reflect throughout our conversation.

Caring for a family of preteens is not easy for most families; acclimating to a new country and language at the same time makes Lilli and Michael’s current situation even more daunting. But while we speak, their focus remains on the positives of their experience. They speak with excitement and humble pride about their youngest children, who are quickly learning English at school. Although they share that their older child has had more difficulty due to the rigors of academics, they are quick to give him credit for his success in math. Lilli also shares that he is ready to mow lawns this summer, a departure from the previous summer in Ithaca, which he spent at camp. Ithaca Welcomes Refugees helped make up for the gap between a scholarship the children received and the remainder of the tuition so that their parents could identify work opportunities and pursue English instruction while they settled in Ithaca.

Lilli and Michael’s original connection to Ithaca stems from Michael’s cousin, Alejandro. Alejandro and his family came to Ithaca in 2016; five years later, they were able to sponsor Michael’s family. Having navigated many of the new circumstances of the United States personally, Alejandro has been able to orient Lilli and Michael to their new community and also reached out to IWR to request additional assistance. IWR partnered with a local landlord to secure housing at a discounted rate near Alejandro, so the two families’ children can attend the same school.

After a few months’ wait, Lilli and Michael now both have work authorization and are actively seeking employment within their fields, as an agronomist or in the water sector, and in childcare, respectively. IWR volunteers have assisted with their resumes, while they diligently attend English classes with Open Doors English four times a week. The family recently obtained a used car, which has helped tremendously for the practical difficulties of getting to and from the laundromat and grocery store.

In our conversation, Lilli and Michael reflected on how the community has welcomed their family. IWR and the Ithaca College VITA Tax Clinic hosted their family for a tax information session in November and the family received winter coats and accessories during IWR’s winter clothing drive.

Even some dental trouble had a silver lining. Their oldest child had braces put on only a few months before leaving Nicaragua and began experiencing mouth pain soon after their arrival in Ithaca. A local orthodontist agreed to see him and, much to Lilli and Michael’s surprise, the doctor offered to complete the child’s entire treatment, free of charge.

On the horizon for our new neighbors is their continued pursuit of work within their fields while supporting their children as they complete their first full year of school in Ithaca. Michael shares that he feels very aware of the community’s willingness to help and is grateful for the network his family has grown in such a short amount of time.

“We have felt welcomed since our arrival,” Lilli says, “And the generosity of this community has exceeded all our expectations.”

Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) is seeking a half-time Development Director to work with a vibrant and diverse volunteer team on the development of this small but growing organization. The IWR Development Director should have a personal commitment to the goals and objectives of IWR.  

About Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR): IWR is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that partners with newly arrived refugees and immigrants as they rebuild their lives in Tompkins County. IWR began as an all-volunteer organization and now has a small, part-time staff. Up to this point, development duties have been filled by volunteers and the Executive Director, and communications duties have been filled by volunteers. IWR currently receives county funding, grant monies from local community foundations, and contributions from private donors. Volunteers and other staff will continue to provide development and communications support to the person who takes on this role. IWR’s work environment is defined by teamwork. We strive to contribute to other staff and volunteer efforts, to lift one another up, and to re-prioritize when needed, in service of helping our new neighbors realize their resettlement goals.

About the Development Director position

To empower Ithaca Welcomes Refugees to carry out our mission-driven work, the Development Director will obtain funds from existing sources, expand IWR’s funding from grants and private donors, and create external communications regarding activities and needs of IWR and the newcomers we serve to the community. This position reports to the Executive Director.

This is a half-time, non-exempt, 20-hour-per-week position with an hourly rate of pay of $30-35, depending on experience. IWR requires that all personnel having direct contact with IWR clients and/or donors undergo a background check through our vendor, including this position. This is a hybrid remote/in-person position. Most work can be performed from home but most meetings will occur in person. The person filling this position can make their own schedule as long as they can find common meeting times with staff and volunteers, often on weekday mornings. Paid time off benefits are included. 

Duties

• Grants:
  • Identify grant opportunities that expand IWR’s funding
  • Write and submit grant applications and reports in collaboration with the Executive Director
  • Publicly acknowledge grant funders (e.g., write press releases, incorporate acknowledgements into other public communications)
• Private Donors:
  • Draft twice annual mailers (spring and year-end), with support and direction from Executive Director and development volunteers
  • Cultivate and manage donor relationships (e.g., outreach to expand donor pool, personalized communication with existing donors)
  • Ensure donors receive tax receipts and donation acknowledgements
• Communications
  • Create or assign mission-driven content for IWR’s blog
  • Proofread content created for IWR’s website, blog, and newsletter
  • Schedule content for IWR’s newsletter and publish the newsletter monthly
  • Assign content to Communications volunteers to post to IWR’s social media accounts
• Lead IWR’s efforts to meet annual fundraising goals
• Plan a small number (1-2 annually) of fundraising and/or community events, with support from staff and volunteers
• Other assignments and tasks as needed

Required qualifications

• Compassion and sensitivity
• Commitment to IWR’s mission, and to diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• Ability to work independently  
• Excellent communication and organization skills 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of refugee client and donor information 
• English fluency 
• Computer literacy 

Experience

Required experience:

• Grant-writing experience
• Experience writing for publication

Preferred experience:

• Prior experience working in a development capacity for a nonprofit organization
• Familiarity with donor databases
• Prior experience working with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds

How to apply

We welcome individuals who are passionate about helping refugees in Tompkins County to apply for the Development Director position. IWR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals with lived experience as a refugee or immigrant are strongly encouraged to apply. Please submit a cover letter and resume to IWR Executive Director Casey Verderosa at caseyv@ithacawelcomesrefugees.org. We look forward to
hearing from you.

Written by Christine Uliassi

The Cornell Bhangra dance team will hold its 21st annual PAO Bhangra event on Saturday, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. in Barton Hall. Tickets cost $3 and are available for purchase online. Proceeds will benefit Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR).

Cornell Bhangra is a student organization that practices the vibrant and energetic style of folk dance from the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. PAO Bhangra is the largest Bhangra showcase in the United States. Five teams from across the country will perform. “We know that they will bring energetic performances to the stage, filled with colorful uniforms, expressions, and more,” PAO Junior Director Asmita Mittal said.

In addition to the dance performances, there will be samosas and mango lassis available for purchase.

Cornell Bhangra has been supporting IWR since 2019. The group made a $5,000 donation in 2023. They also gave a special performance for children who attend IWR’s Global Roots Play School and their families.

“With their high energy and visual bursts of color, Cornell Bhangra’s performances are stunning and joyful,” said IWR executive director Casey Verderosa. “IWR is thankful for our partnership.”

Cornell Bhangra Captain Amulya Puttaraju said that her organization is becoming more well-known on the Cornell campus and around Ithaca.

“As Bhangra gains traction, we want to use that to propel IWR forward,” she said.