CWS - Lancaster Immigration & Refugee Program

We will be welcoming many new neighbors into their homes this coming month, and we could use YOUR support with donations! We are particularly in urgent need of the items listed.

Contact Farida, our Housing Navigator, at [email protected] to schedule a time to drop off items, or (easiest option) donate through the Amazon wish list to have items delivered straight to CWS Lancaster!

Amazon Wish List: cwslancaster.org/in-kind-donations

CWS believes that by opening our doors, we will build stronger communities together. That is why we are inviting you, our Lancaster community, to host new neighbors.

Learn how you can help a new neighbor feel at home in Lancaster; join one of our virtual info sessions on Wednesday August 14 @ 5:30pm or Thursday August 15 @ 11am! To register: https://buytickets.at/cwslancaster

"I am an immigrant too, so I understand that people struggle when they arrive here. They don't know the local restaurants or where they can get halal food. We want to give back to the community because we are part of the community. Giving creates a happy flow between businesses and the community." - Bushra, owner of Flavors of Morocco

Stop by of Morocco today to Buy a Meal for yourself and Give a Meal to a new refugee neighbor for only an additional $15! When you choose to donate through the Buy a Meal, Give a Meal program, a local restaurant gives a hot meal directly to new refugee neighbors upon arrival in the Lancaster! Learn more at cwslancaster.org/buy-a-meal

As we relaunch the host homes program, we are reminded of when Shafiqa and her family came to Lancaster during the evacuation of Afghanistan. Like many newcomers, they needed temporary housing quickly. That's when Ann and Jerry King Grosh opened their doors.

"I met Ann King Grosh when I first arrived in the United States. My family was living in her house for about a month, and she gave me a feeling of knowing her for years. She played a great role in my new life here in the USA - as a great mother, a best friend, and a great tutor. She showed me how to live and changed my life. Ann made it easier for me to get around with all the barriers and proved that we are all descendants of the same grandparents, Adam and Hawa (Eve). I will never forget all that you did for us and other refugees, Ann! You're the best I have ever met, and I wish you a long life of health and prosperity."

Learn how you can help a new neighbor feel at home in Lancaster; join one of our virtual info sessions on Wednesday August 14 @ 5:30pm or Thursday August 15 @ 11am! To register: https://buytickets.at/cwslancaster

Boxer Cindy Ngamba has achieved the first win for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

“Being here means the world to me, and I hope it means the world to many other people. There are many refugees around the world who are not even athletes, who are going through many different issues, so many obstacles and they don’t believe in themselves. I hope that them watching me, they can see that through anything in life I was able to overcome.”

Cindy Ngamba was born in Cameroon and later moved to the UK at the age of 11. As a young girl, she was always interested in sports and initially joined a football team. However, she eventually discovered that boxing was her true passion.

(Olympics.com)

The work and support of volunteers and community members is extremely valuable, and CWS believes that by opening doors we will build stronger communities together. That is why we are inviting you, our Lancaster community, to host a new neighbor(s).

If you are interested in learning more about how you can help make a new neighbor feel at home in Lancaster, join one of our online info sessions on Wednesday August 14 at 5:30pm or Thursday August 15 at 11am!

To register: https://buytickets.at/cwslancaster

Refugees and immigrants play a large role in Lancaster's workforce. If you or someone you know are interested in hiring our newest neighbors, please contact Alain Martinez de la Torre at [email protected]

Khudadadi made headlines competing at Tokyo 2020 just days after a harrowing escape from her home country. She is a competitor once again in Paris this summer.

"I am representing millions of refugees who have disabilities in these Games, and I will participate with immense pride. I want to send them a message and show them we are examples of peace, acceptance, courage, friendship and equality. Hopefully we can inspire them and encourage them to follow their dreams."

(Paralympic.org)

Born in 2004 in Sudan, Musa experienced the hardships of war and displacement from a young age. He moved to Cairo at the age of nine due to his father’s health, where he worked to support his family. Musa arrived in Switzerland in 2021 as a refugee, and his love of sports quickly led him to join a local football club in Bern. He caught the attention of his peers when running during training, which earned him an invite to join a local running club. Soon after, he competed in a 400m competition and won.

Today, he trains six days a week whilst rapidly progressing in German and is looking forward to competing at his first Olympic Games.

(Olympics.com)

"If boys can do it, so can girls."

Originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, Manizha discovered breakdancing through social media just before turning 18. Seeing videos of power moves such as the 1990 move, where a breaker spins continuously on one hand - she immediately fell in love with the sport.

Arriving in Spain as a refugee, Manizha was initially separated from her breaking community, but little by little found her way back to training. Today, she has been reunited with the members of her hip-hop community from Kabul.

'I want to say who I am, where I’m from and I want to express art, culture, sport, that women are strong… and peace.'

(Olympics.com)

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team is made up of 37 athletes from different backgrounds, living in 15 countries and competing in 12 different sports.

The IOC Refugee Paralympic Team includes 8 athletes and 1 guide runner from 6 countries, making up the largest RPT ever.

Both teams represent more than 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. Participation in the Olympic Games is not only a testament to their resilience and excellence, but also encourages hope, belonging, and welcome.

The Olympic games begin THIS FRIDAY. Keep an eye out for profiles of IOC Refugee Olympic and Paralympic athletes we're excited about!

Along with the Global Shapers Lancaster Hub, we are hosting job readiness workshops this summer for mentees in our Youth Mentoring Program! These Mentees are learning useful skills that will prepare and support them in future job opportunities.

In honor of Disability Pride month, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) recently hosted its second annual disability conference, “Don’t Leave Me Out! Holistic Approaches for Disability Inclusion & Resolving Conflict.”

We were beyond thrilled that one of our amazing newest neighbors, Neswil, participated as speaker and was honored for his contribution and advocacy. Thank you for using your voice to take action, Neswil!

This conference was designed to inform Pennsylvanians about their rights, explore new ideas, and connect individuals with resources to help them successfully work through conflict situations.

Together, we welcome 37 new refugee neighbors to hope and home here this month! New neighbors arrive from Somalia, Eritrea, Venezuela, Haiti, and Afghanistan. We are glad you are a part of our community!

UPDATE: We have a donor! Thanks so much, John Ranauro!

A refugee neighbor is currently in urgent need of a bedside commode chair, due to inability reach a bathroom on the second floor. If anyone in our welcoming community is able to order through this link and donate, please DM us. We will update this post once we receive an offer of donation. We appreciate the support!

An additional but less urgent need would be a set of room dividers for privacy.

Drive Medical 11148-1 Folding Steel Bedside Commode Chair, Portable Toilet, Supports Individuals Weighing Up To 350 Lbs, with 7.5 Qt. Bucket and 13.5 Inch Seat, Grey Increase bathroom safety and stability, regain your independence and dignity with the Drive Medical folding toilet chair for bariatric individuals and larger users weighing up to 350 pounds can be used as a bedside commode for elderly, individuals recovering from surgery or individuals which requ...

Do you like free ice cream? We sure do. Help our newest neighbors beat the heat by donating a fan or AC unit and earn a free ice cream scoop from Splits & Giggles Cafe! All you have to do is bring in your donation and we will give you the voucher. Schedule your drop-off time today with our Housing Navigator, Farida Mohammadi at [email protected]

When you choose to donate through the Buy a Meal, Give a Meal program, a hot meal goes directly to new refugee neighbors upon arrival in the Lancaster!

Our friend and owner of Frisco's Chicken, Francisco “Frisco” Gomez De La Torre, and his team have worked hard to create delicious meals donated by our Lancaster community! "I can't think of anything more appropriate to welcome than with a meal."

Here's how it works:
1. Buy your meal from a participating restaurant (see cwslancaster.org/buy-a-meal)
2. Donate $15 (or more) toward a welcome meal
3. Restaurant provides a welcome meal to a new refugee neighbor!

Thanks for your support, friends!

To celebrate , we've collected a list of fun, family-friendly activities and inspirational quotes to help enrich your days throughout the month of June. To help you get energized for the Olympics this summer, we suggest you watch, "The Swimmers" tonight!

Check out the full IHM24 calendar in our bio and click each day to see what other enriching activities and inspirational quotes we have scheduled throughout the month of June. Celebrate, support, and learn about the contributions of our refugee and immigrant neighbors, while recognizing the continued humanitarian crises that have forced more than 120 million people to flee their homes worldwide.

IHM24 Calendar: https://cwslancaster.org/ihm/

ReHome, a tech startup focused on refugee housing, to launch crowdfunding effort - One United Lancaster The drive launches on Thursday, World Refugee Day.

Millersville a ‘Refuge’ for Refugees Students, faculty and staff pitched in to welcome the new campus residents.

Happy World Refugee Day! We have lots planned for you today and this weekend.

1. Local coffee shops Amanita and Endo Cafe will be spreading awareness about the services offered through CWS Lancaster by using themed coffee sleeves. Support our mission by scanning the QR on the sleeve to donate or get involved!
2. Attend the World Refugee Day Dessert Hour and Interfaith Service at Saint James Episcopal Church. Ten Thousand Villages will be selling merchandise during the desert hour. Leaders from across faith traditions join together in a celebration of the shared values of humanity and hospitality to the stranger. Congolese Gospel group Joel Makeci and the NGGBC band will perform.
3. Shop at Ten Thousand Villages. 10% of sales will go towards supporting new neighbors through CWS!
4. THIS SATURDAY. Join us for the Spanish Book Club! Participants will read the novel La hija de la española (known in English as It Would be Night in Caracas) by Venezuelan expatriate journalist and novelist Katrina Sainz Borgo. Leading the group is Alvaro Suarez-Perez, who came to Lancaster last fall as an exile from Venezuela, , where he spent many years as a librarian and academic at the Merida Polytechnic University. People at all Spanish speaking/reading levels are welcome.

Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when soldiers reached Galveston, Texas, with the news that enslaved people were free and the Civil War had ended (more here). The resulting celebrations were the first Juneteenth parties.

More than 160 years after Juneteenth began, we know that we each have more work to do to make “liberty and justice for all” a reality.

CWS will continue to support those who are displaced with the values of inclusivity and equity at its core.