JFCS Refugee & Immigrant Services

Live Discussion Tonight Featuring Exclusive Carnegie Mellon University IFF Interview with Ai Weiwei and panel of experts including our very own Director of Refugee and Immigrant Services, Leslie Aizenman! The live discussion is on the topic of migration and refugees, based on the film The Rest. This discussion is FREE and open to the public. Advance registration is required. Spots are limited, so register now! Register here: https://watch.eventive.org/cmuif//605120ce854c713650641aa6

On March 11, we're excited to be welcoming a new refugee arrival! She is a single woman, pregnant with her first child. Her family is also traveling with her and she has friends here in Pittsburgh. We need your help to make sure this new mom has a wonderful welcome to Pittsburgh! As with any new mom, we're sure she is very excited, nervous, and anxious to meet her new baby. And traveling to a new country while pregnant is definitely a difficult journey. We're extra excited to welcome this new arrival with a little one on the way! To help this mom-to-be make her new home here, check out the list below to see what you can help contribute to welcome her!

NOW HIRING We are seeking a Refugee & Immigrant Client Services Administrator to ensure the smooth functioning of the department. This individual will assist with administrative tasks, client services and grant/program compliance. In addition, this individual will assist with development and maintenance of client and program tracking systems, ensuring excellence in service provision and compliance with grant requirements. jfcspgh.org/refugee-immigrant-client-services-administrator/

During the pandemic, our Refugee & Immigrant Peer Support Groups (RISG) have provided a welcoming space for many foreign born in our community, helping to lessen isolation and also disseminate information and share resources. Currently, JFCS is running RISG in several communities, including Bhutanese, Congolese, Iraqi, Uzbek, Ugandan, Venezuelan, and more, including a Bhutanese ASL learners group and a parenting group for Spanish-speakers. All groups are meeting virtually, ...but they’ve adapted well to an online platform, continuing to invite guest speakers, offer presentations, and practice yoga and other activities. jfcspgh.org/refugee-immigrant-peer-support-groups/

122 of our neighbors, friends and supporters have donated $51,880 this #GivingTuesday! We're ready to double our goal before midnight tonight and reach $60,000. Donate now at jfcspgh.org/givingtuesday!

Thanks to more than 90 donors, we reached our first #GivingTuesday goal of $30,000! But that doesn't mean the giving party is over! Help us reach our next goal of $50,000 RIGHT NOW at jfcspgh.org/givingtuesday!

Last week, HIAS released Once Refugees, Now Veterans, a video paying tribute to refugees who have served in the U.S. military. It features the stories of six veterans including Lt. Cols. Alexander and Yevgeny Vindman (resettled by HIAS in 1979) all of whom came to the United States as refugees and felt called to serve their adopted country. #HappyVeteransDay http://ow.ly/zC0650ChSId

This year’s #GivingTuesday our biggest one yet! Help us reach our goal at jfcspgh.org/givingtuesday!

The leader of the Turkish group, Serap Uzunoglu, just shared this lovely video with us! Last year the Turkish women's support group volunteered to help make fleece blankets during last year's commemoration event. This year, the women worked together to make a lovely embroidery project. Each group member worked on a different letter of the word "hope". To see more >> create.jfcspgh.org

YOUR commitment to JFCS means so much to all of us, especially during these challenging times. Keep doubling your #GivingTuesday impact by making a matched gift at jfcspgh.org/givingtuesday!

From Uzbekistan to Pittsburgh: Oydinoy’s Story >> We sit down with JFCS’s employee, Oydinoy Nazarova as she tells her story about coming to the US, her husband being selected for the Diversity Visa Program (commonly known as the green card lottery, working at JFCS and the growing Uzbek community here in Pittsburgh and more! jfcspgh.org/from-uzbekistan-to-pittsburgh-oydinoys-story

A family of 4 from Burma arrived in Iowa in mid-September. They got there and realized how far away from Pittsburgh it is and how difficult life will be without knowing anyone in the state. To support this new family, we're asking for household donations that will eventually make their way to the client's new home! signupgenius.com/go/8050d44afa62eaaf49-transfer

#ThrowbackThursday to the 2020 World Refugee Day! This year's event was a very special virtual experience! Click the link below to relive all of the culture, music, food and more!... Check it out: https://isacpittsburgh.org/wrd/