As Afghans struggle, Iowa is poised to take refugees from Ukraine. But is the state ready?
April 6, 2022 By Lee Rood for the Des Moines Register RISE AmeriCorps Alumna and EMBARC Navigator Mu Paw shared her knowledge of refugees with the Des Moines Register. In the subscriber-only article by Lee Rood, Mu Paw explains the experiences of refugees from Burma. "Mu Paw.. said many still experience trauma, depression, addiction, legal issues and financial hardships years after coming from the refugee camps where they fled during one of the world's longest civil wars.” |
Helping Refugees Expand Their World of Possibilities | Livvy Su
April 5, 2022 By North Gate Marketing, Inc. RISE AmeriCorps' program coordinator, Livvy Su, discussed RISE's mission of supporting diverse immigrants and refugees on a recent episode of Northgate Cafe. She was featured as the main guest in the podcast with Northgate Marketing's CEO David Tracy. |
Volunteers Set up Home for Afghan Refugees
February 12, 2022 By Mollie Swayne for KCRG RISE AmeriCorps Member David Clower was featured on KCRG TV-9 for his service with Catherine McAuley Center (CMC). With the help of volunteers from Mount Mercy University, CMC furnished and prepared homes for new refugees from Afghanistan. On the news, Clower said his goal is to see “this community come together to welcome folks. I want to make Cedar Rapids a home for everybody.” |
The Art of Healing
2021 edition of dsm Magazine By Brianne Sanchez for dsm Magazine ArtForce Iowa was featured in dsm Magazine for their unique initiatives serving underrepresented youth with art workshops. The article highlights RISE AmeriCorps Member December Paw's transformational experience since becoming involved with the organization as well as the uplifting methods ArtForce has designed to help youth heal from trauma. |
Two outreach organizations receive $50,000, career certificates from Google
December 9, 2021 By Business Records Google announced they are donating $50,000 and 75 Google Career Certificates to help the RISE AmeriCorps host site La Luz Centro Cultural continue preparing Iowa's Latino community for careers. The Hampton-based nonprofit organization was featured on the Business Record's website for its plans to advance their mission with Google's help. |
RISE AmeriCorps receives $195,000 matching gift from Schultz Family Foundation
November 9, 2021 By Business Records The Schultz Family Foundation selected RISE AmeriCorps for its National Service Challenge, which is matching grant funds for service organizations across the United States. The foundation gifted RISE AmeriCorps $195,000 to boost professional development for members, make Iowa AmeriCorps programs more accessible to people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, better serve diverse Iowans and more. |
Centro Latino kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month with ribbon cutting, open house
September 16, 2021 By Mike Brownlee for The Daily Nonpareil The RISE AmeriCorps site Centro Latino of Iowa was featured in Council Bluffs' local newspaper, The Daily Nonpareil. The article describes Centro Latino's ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their newly doubled space. Centro Latino expanded to create an open area for classes. The nonprofit plans to host various classes for the Latino community on topics such as English, navigating cultural differences, and job skills. |
Meet Henny Ohr, an Advocate for Iowa’s Refugees
July 23, 2021 By Claudia Thrane for Iowa Starting Line The life of EMBARC's director and co-founder, Henny Ohr, was chronicled in a story for the news site, Iowa Starting Line. The article dives into the origins of EMBARC, which is RISE AmeriCorps' parent organization. It also reveals Henny's experiences as an immigrant from South Korea and her journey toward becoming an advocate for refugee communities. |
CMC Healthcare Navigator Bonnie Lunsford speaks on KCRG-TV9 News
|
“I’m feeling good”: Immigrant and refugee population turn out to get vaccine at clinic despite hesitation among others
April 27, 2021 By Taylor Holt for KCRG-TV9 RISE AmeriCorps host site Catherine McAuley Center was featured on KCRG-TV9 News for its COVID-19 vaccine clinic geared toward immigrants and refugees. CMC hosted an inclusive, accessible clinic for multilingual community members. The KCRG news video and article also discusses factors behind many immigrant and refugees' reluctance to receive the vaccine.
|
Photos: Oakridge Neighborhood hosts COVID vaccine clinic
April 10, 2021 By Brian Powers for the Des Moines Register The RISE AmeriCorps host site and non-profit organization, Oakridge Neighborhood, hosted a vaccine clinic accessible to immigrants, refugees, and the surrounding Des Moines community. The Des Moines Register captured photos of the Pfizer clinic along with detailed captions of the process. |