Blog

South Bay Craft Fair Committee

Refugee Transitions — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:42:25 +0000

Student art at our South Bay Summer Cam

Many of our students produce handcrafts, artwork, and other handmade goods, but have difficulty bringing these products to market in the US. The South Bay Craft Fair Committee aims to support student craft projects, facilitate student expression, develop relevant job skills, and help students sell their crafts in the local community.

According to Karen Cotter, RT Literacy Coach and Chair of the CFC, the CFC needs: "creative people; individuals who know the South Bay craft, art, and/or food scenes; people with business or accounting backgrounds; and those with just a desire to see their student succeed."

Interested? Bring all of your ideas to the the CFC's exploratory meeting Saturday May 11 at 10:00 in RT's South Bay Office (1922 the Alameda, Suite 425, San Jose). This meeting is open to both RT volunteers and students.

To RSVP for this meeting or to express your interest in future meetings, contact Karen Cotter.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

Refugee Transitions — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:54:35 +0000

Refugee Transitions annually trains between 250-300 volunteers - and every year we are inspired by our volunteers' level of skill and dedication. RT started as a volunteer-run agency in the 1980s and retains this focus today. Unlike volunteers elsewhere, RT volunteers are central to achieving our organization's mission and are on the front lines of our work. Everyday our volunteers are in site-based classes, after-school programs, and homes teaching English, providing critical services, and helping our community. This makes the RT volunteer experience unique, meaningful, and effective. Our staff are committed to providing our volunteers with the support they need to change their world. Thanks to all of our volunteers who bring our work to life and empower our students to succeed! Happy National Volunteer Week from all of us at RT.

This week we will be highlighting some of the fantastic volunteers at Refugee Transitions, so please stay tuned for more!

Want to join us? We are always looking for dedicated individuals that want to change their world. Consider submitting an application today:

A Safe Home For All

Refugee Transitions — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:39:47 +0000

SF Program Coordinator Grace Lau standing next to her equality sticker.Our staff want Refugee Transitions to be a safe home for all of our volunteers and students regardless of gender - or any other factor. Unfortunately, LGBTQ refugees are often a displaced group within the refugee community itself. Many face discrimination throughout the resettlement process. Our staff are conscious of the particular challenges faced by LGBTQ refugees and are committed to making all our students and volunteers feel included, regardless of gender or identity. Thanks to the Organization for Refuge, Asylum, and Migration (ORAM), one of RT's partner agencies addressing the needs of LGBTQ refugees, we are able to continually improve our inclusion policies. Recently, following a training from ORAM, SF Program Coordinator Grace Lau added an equality sticker to her desk to re-assure incoming students that RT is indeed a safe home for all.

For more on issues facing LGBTQ refugees, please visit ORAM's website.

Welcoming Brenna

Refugee Transitions — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:09:38 +0000

Please join us in welcoming Brenna Marea Powell, Ph.D. to our Board of Directors. Brenna is the Associate Director of the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation as well as the Principal and Chairman at the IPRE Group. We are looking forward to her expert guidance as we continue to develop and expand our services. Brenna joins Nabeel Ahmed and Yaacov Silberman as our 2013 board inductees. For more information on our Board, and for full biographies on Brenna, Nabeel, and Yaacov, please visit our Board of Directors Page.

As we grow our services, RT is looking for a few more highly-qualified and interested candidates to join our Board of Directors. Have someone in mind? Let us know.

"I am very, very happy!”

Refugee Transitions — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:14:04 +0000

Kristen Law (center-left, kneeling) with her ESL/citizenship class, overlooking Golden Gate Bridge.With the help of rings in the tree stump, students receive an American civics and history lesson in the woods!

Refugee Transitions' teachers and Literacy Coaches never fail to amaze our staff! This month, Kristen Law arranged a trip to the Marin Headlands and Muir Woods for Karen students in her ESL/citizenship class. They had an enjoyable day with beautiful weather, a picnic lunch, and even a civics education opportunity in the woods (Christopher Columbus' arrival in the Americas and the signing of the Declaration of Independence were both marked in the rings of a giant tree stump!). Kristen was able to use the Park Ranger activity books for "outside-the-box" ESL lessons in Muir Woods. Kristen writes:

My students are my stars – they keep me motivated. None of the students had been to either location, so it was a lot of fun for them. At the end of the day I asked Win Say (a student from Burma), if he had fun and he said, “When I go to bed tonight, I am very, very happy!” That made my day.

Kristen and her students are just some of the stars at Refugee Transitions. We thank her and all of those that made this special event possible, especially the carpool drivers!

Thank you, Elsa.

Refugee Transitions — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:31:34 +0000

Elsa Amboy (R), with Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County volunteers Andrea Lee (L) and Melissa Kreisa (C).After four years with Refugee Transitions, South Bay Program Manager Elsa Amboy has decided to return to the classroom to pursue her passion for teaching. A gifted instructor and educational administrator, Elsa will be a welcome addition to any school or organization she chooses to join. Her background in education, along with her leadership, enthusiasm, and commitment to local refugee and immigrant communities, made her an invaluable member of our team.

Elsa led Refugee Transitions' expansion to the South Bay and has assisted hundreds of students and volunteers in the area. In 2009, Catholic Charities named her a National Volunteer of the Year, citing her volunteer work with refugees in Santa Clara County (see photo). In addition to her career and volunteer accomplishments, Elsa chaired the Refugee and Immigrant Forum (RIF) of Santa Clara County in 2012, working with over 20 of RT’s partner agencies. Elsa will continue to lead trainings for Refugee Transitions and will remain an advocate for refugees and immigrants living in the South Bay. Though we will all miss her, those of us at Refugee Transitions are excited for her next adventure!

Thank you, Elsa, for all that you have given.

"Excited and Proud"

Refugee Transitions — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:02:34 +0000

With the start of the new year, we celebrate the many Refugee Transitions students who are beginning their new journeys as U.S. citizens. This past fall, a number of our current and former students successfully passed the U.S. citizenship test, including Mu Lo, Chun Ai Guan, Jian Qiao Zhen, and John Bakheit. We applaud their successes as well as the work of the RT volunteers who helped make these students' citizenship goals a reality.

Mu Lo was part of a group of eight Burmese Karen refugees who were resettled in Santa Clara County in 2007. She worked extensively with RT volunteer Charmain Escober and with our former South Bay Coordinator Elsa Amboy. On the same day that Mu Lo passed her test, the husband/wife team of Chun and Jian, both from China, also passed theirs. RT volunteer Tracy Gallagher proved a great resource for the couple. Last but not least, John, originally from Sudan, was pleased to pass his citizenship test with the assistance of RT volunteer Sarah Paup. Sarah writes: "we were very excited and proud of him. He registered to vote and is planning on going to visit family in Africa once he gets an American passport."

Like Sarah, RT is excited and proud for all of these students and their volunteers. A special "thank you" to those who help make citizenship a reality!

Mu Lo with RT volunteer Charmain Escober John Bakheit with RT volunteer Sarah Paup

For more on the refugee citizenship process, please visit the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' FAQ Page. To join Charmain, Tracy, and Sarah as an RT volunteer, please visit our volunteer page.

Happy Holidays from Refugee Transitions

Refugee Transitions — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:40:36 +0000

Enjoy Refugee Transitions' 2012 Holiday Newsletter, featuring yearly highlights, annual giving news, + more! Thanks to all of our 2012 supporters for your ongoing commitment to assist low-income, high-needs refugees, immigrants, and asylees. This year we served over 1000 clients, represting 42 countries!

Make a difference this weekend.

Refugee Transitions — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:38:26 +0000

RT supports the work of the International Rescue Committee, and other aid organizations working in the region around Syria. As the conflict continues, please consider making a small donation to assist relief efforts.

For more on the conflict:

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/20000-syrians-cross-into-lebanon-after-violence/

To donate:

http://www.rescue.org/crisis-syria-0

-

Refugee Transitions — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:54:58 +0000

Check out this project submitted by our very own volunteer Karen Cotter to the Marigold Ideas For Good contest! Karen has partnered with RT to help refugee women create small businesses centered around sewing.

Please vote for Karen's project, spread the word, and help us win $5,000 to fund this fantastic micro-enterprise project!

Voting closes July 12 at 5:00 PST.

http://www.takepart.com/thebestexoticmarigoldhotel/voting/may