One of IWR’s most important programs, Global Roots Play School (GRPS) finished up its first full year since closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with the children and their families forming lasting connections with their teachers and each other.

GRPS is an IWR initiative that helps refugee and immigrant families by providing affordable, accessible childcare to parents eager to learn English. The school coordinates its hours with those of Open Doors English, a short walk away. GRPS enables parents to attend English class, empowering them to seek opportunities for themselves, including employment.

GRPS provided care for 16 children from 10 countries over the course of the 2022-23 school year. The Play School also provided short-term care for the children of newly arrived refugee families as they waited for vacancies in other programs.

“Being able to reopen our program fully and provide a community for children and their families has been so important and impactful after our time closed,” GRPS Director Bronwyn Losey said. “The children born during the pandemic need our emotionally centered, responsive practice more than ever and the families expressed again and again how appreciative they were to be a part of our school community.”

The children spent the year playing superheroes or firefighters on the playground or pretending to repair vehicles and homes. Cooking, whether pretend or real, was another favorite activity, with the children and their families often making enough to share with the class. 

The year also included a field trip to Open Doors English, where many of the children’s parents receiving English-language instruction. There, they enjoyed a special dance performance by Cornell Bhangra, a Cornell University student organization whose goal is to promote awareness of Punjabi dance and culture in the community and across the nation.

For many of the children, it was their first time in a group setting. Helping them to build trust and feel comfortable was a top priority of GRPS teachers, two of whom are parents of children currently or previously enrolled in the Play School. In furtherance of that goal, GRPS staff attended training sessions on emotionally responsive practice and play work in the classroom. Early intervention professionals, librarians, and teachers from Tompkins Learning Partners also joined the classroom to assist staff.

One of the ways that the teachers helped care for the children was by making books about some of the changes they were experiencing. “We take advantage of Google Translate and write books about transitions in the children’s lives to help them understand and talk about them,” GRPS Director Bronwyn Losey said.

The books were made with a printer and computer purchased this year with support from the Legacy Foundation.

Another grant, from the Social Service League, allowed the Play School to purchase new equipment and items for the classroom, including books in different languages. “That has been particularly impactful to many families, as they appreciate being able to read to their child in their home language,” Losey said.

GRPS is anticipating full enrollment next September, with many children returning for another year.

Refugees have already endured more than most can imagine by the time they reach Ithaca, but that doesn’t make them immune to further heartbreak. On Friday, July 14, tragedy struck an Afghan household that Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) had helped resettle just weeks earlier, when the patriarch of the family of six died unexpectedly in an automobile accident.

To better assist this family and others who experience an emergency after resettlement, IWR is establishing a crisis fund. The fund will be used to support households when their needs surpass the resources to which they have access.

IWR is launching a campaign to raise an initial $50,000 for the crisis fund. Thanks to a pledge of $25,000 in matching funds, the organization is already halfway to its goal. Members of the community who are in a position to help are asked to make a donation through GiveGab or send a check to Ithaca Welcomes Refugees at 315 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, N.Y., 14850. If sending a check, please include “Crisis Fund” in the memo.

“This terrible tragedy underscores the financial precarity that refugee families often live with, especially so soon after resettlement,” IWR Executive Director Casey Verderosa said. “By establishing a crisis fund, we can ensure that this family and any other new arrival that experiences an emergency in our community can get the support that they need.”

Refugees typically arrive in Ithaca with very little, depending on government support and community kindness to get by until they become self-sufficient. That leaves them particularly vulnerable should a crisis strike.

The household that suffered the loss of their father arrived in Ithaca in June to begin their lives anew. In Afghanistan, the father was an engineer and worked as a translator for the U.S. military. In Ithaca, he was to be the family’s sole income earner and was the only member of the family who spoke English fluently. Without him, the family needs support for everyday living expenses, including rent, utilities, groceries, and more.

After escaping a dangerous situation in Afghanistan, the family had hopes for each to learn English and for their four children to attend college. This tragedy makes those aspirations all the more challenging.

“Ithaca and Tompkins County have always been supportive of refugees,” Verderosa said. “Community support is needed more than ever to ensure that this family and others can rebuild their lives and pursue their dreams in their new home.”

As I sat with Jan and IWR volunteer Glen Robertson, their comfort with one another suggested they’ve been friends for years. Yet the two were only introduced in January 2022, when Jan arrived in Ithaca as a refugee from Afghanistan. Glen, a member of IWR’s Response Team, has worn many hats for Jan in the time since: chauffeur, doctor researcher, learner’s permit test scheduler. 

At one point in our conversation, after describing all of the ways that Glen has helped him, Jan turned his body away from his roommate and interpreter, Sean, and towards Glen. Jan apologized to Glen with great sincerity, prompting laughter in the room.

I soon received the backstory: after Jan arrived in Ithaca, he received a donated bicycle from Bike Walk Tompkins, which was unfortunately stolen. Glen then lent Jan a used bicycle of his own—this time, with a lock. It met the same fate as the first. In response to Jan’s apology, Glen reassured him multiple times—with a warmth that again put Jan at ease—that he was not upset about the bike. It was refreshing to witness the depth of their relationship after only one year.

Life in Ithaca

Jan is easy to root for. Kind and gentle, the 26-year-old spoke about his appreciation for the opportunities he has had in Ithaca. He expressed a love for his new city, overlooking its unfortunate topography for someone who once got around solely by bicycle.

Jan is, in many ways, a model community member. He spends forty hours a week at his two retail jobs, having received USCIS humanitarian parole, which allows him to work while he pursues a more permanent residential status. When two new refugee families arrived in the area in January 2023, Jan took their grocery lists, shopped, and delivered food to them. He taught one of the new arrivals how to drive, and is working with a second on the same task. He connects with his mother and five siblings in Afghanistan each week, and worries for his father, a former member of the Afghan army.

In his free time, Jan studies English with Open Doors English, with concrete goals in mind, including obtaining his certification to be a pharmacist. Jan worked for many years as a hospital pharmacist in Afghanistan, and hopes to continue in the United States. He recently received his pharmacy technician certificate from Tompkins Cortland Community College, a course that was funded by the NYS Department of Labor. He and Sean enjoy driving by Cornell, where Jan dreams of studying law one day. 

Journey to a New Home

Jan’s journey to Ithaca was unexpected. He arrived at a military base in Wisconsin in August 2021, after rushing aboard a plane leaving Afghanistan following the American troop withdrawal. “I thought I was dropping my uncle at the airport,” he explained.

In addition to having no notice that he’d be leaving the country, he had no belongings beyond some papers. His uncle’s suitcase was stolen in the chaos. Once aboard their flight, they didn’t know where the plane would be landing; rumors circulated that it could be Dubai, or somewhere in Qatar. After landing in Germany, the plane ultimately made its way to the United States, a fact for which Jan feels lucky. He spent three months at a military base in Wisconsin before his move to Ithaca, where his uncle, a former interpreter for the U.S. army whose family IWR supported, resides. Before he arrived, his uncle told him not to worry: IWR would be ready to assist him.

After initially living with his uncle, aunt, and five cousins, Jan was soon ready for more independence. IWR connected him to a generous couple, Chris and Steve Zinder, who allowed him to live in an apartment they own rent-free for nine months. There, he further developed his community: Jan still gets phone calls from former neighbors to perform odd jobs. Chris shared an anecdote that fits in with everything I’ve learned about Jan: one winter day, she arrived home to see her walkway was shoveled. “I could get used to this!” she recalled thinking.

After several months, Jan moved in with Sean, the brother of an Afghan interpreter who he met through his uncle. Glen cited housing as a critical need for refugees, especially when they first arrive.

Growing a Network in Ithaca

Jan recently marked one year in Ithaca, a time filled with anxiety for his family but hope for his future. Despite feeling more comfortable, Jan still regularly reaches out to Glen for support.

“It’s very nice that he’s there whenever I need him,” Jan said. “He reaches out as soon as he sees my message.”

This need for support after one year stands in stark contrast to the 90 days’ worth of support given to refugees by the federal government. Ninety days is also the timeframe that private community sponsors are expected to assist and financially support refugees under the new State Department Welcome Corps program.

IWR’s focus on building sustainable relationships allows for open communication over time, so refugees can pursue independence on a timeline that reflects their individual circumstances. It is a focus that will continue to develop with a growing network of refugees like Jan, who pay it forward, and volunteers like Glen and the Zinders. 

“I want to thank IWR, especially Glen, for all that I’ve achieved,” Jan said. “Without these guys it wouldn’t have happened. I will forever be grateful for IWR.”

At the end of our time together, I asked Glen about his experience volunteering. He shared that volunteers should expect the experience “to be really kind of emotional.” Despite the need to keep emotions at bay, Glen described his experience with Jan as “one of the most fulfilling things” he had ever done. And just as Jan turned to Glen in the beginning of our conversation, Glen then shifted his focus to Jan. “And whatever you need next, you let me know,” he said.

Jan smiled and agreed, clarifying: “But maybe no more bikes.” 

Women’s Political Action Group in Ithaca is organizing a special jewelry sale to benefit Ithaca Welcomes Refugees. The sale will take place on May 13 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. in Thompson Park on North Cayuga Street near Gimme Coffee.

Below, please find a message from WPAG member Yvonne Fogarty:

Greetings all, 

Please let me introduce myself. I am Yvonne Fogarty and I am a member of WPAG (Women’s Political Action Group) here in Ithaca. We are organizing a fundraising jewelry sale this Spring 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 clean 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 me 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 me call and we can figure out what works best for you. 

This is the 9th 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 contact me. 

Any Questions? Please call me at 277-7240 or 607 592-2799. 

Thank you all in advance!!! 

Yvonne Fogarty 
WPAG 

Featured image: Photo by Cornelia Ng on Unsplash

***UPDATE: This position has been filled We are no longer accepting applications.***

Global Roots Play School is looking for an enthusiastic early childhood specialist to join our mixed-age, family-focused half-day program in downtown Ithaca. We are hiring 1 maternity leave replacement position, to begin as soon as possible and continue through the end of the school year (June 15, 2023).

Early Childhood Teacher (Maternity Leave Replacement) 8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Global Roots Play School is a project of Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR). Our mission is to provide educational and social opportunities for refugee and immigrant children and families in our community. Global Roots is a place where families and teachers come together to build a community where children can feel safe and nurtured, while enjoying the socialization of group care. Our focus is on learning through play experiences. Our classroom is currently a group of very young children ranging from 18 months to 4 years old, most of whom are English language learners, with some parents who stay in the classroom.

Teacher Qualifications:

Experience with and genuine love for working with toddlers. Classroom hours are Monday-Thursday, 8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m., plus hourly staff meeting once a week. The right candidates will be reflective practitioners who have a passion for working with toddlers and their families in a diverse, international setting. They will have a thirst for developing their thinking about how best to work in a community with families, teachers, and children as co-collaborators. Empathy and sensitivity toward supporting the unique needs of very young children who have experienced their first years of life in the pandemic. Knowledge of or interest in emotionally responsive practice preferred. Preferred knowledge of languages other than English. Special education experience is a plus. All staff are required to have Covid-19 vaccination.

Wages:

This position pays an hourly wage of $20 per hour.

Responsibilities:

• Observe and assess children’s needs
• Communicate with and build relationships with families
• Maintain a safe and healthy classroom environment
• Delight in children’s play
• Support children’s social and emotional needs
• Participate in parent-teacher conferences
• Attend weekly staff meetings
• Collaborate with team members
• Comply with all school policies

Application Instructions:

Please submit a cover letter and resume to director@globalrootsplayschool.org.

For more information about Global Roots Play School, visit www.globalrootsplayschool.org.

The work of Ithaca Welcomes Refugees (IWR) was featured in an op-ed in the Ithaca Times’ Community Connections section. IWR Executive Director Casey Verderosa was interviewed for the story. Read the full op-ed on Ithaca.com.