Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Let’s Celebrate Our Refugee Advocates!
As evident in the current national conversation, our country is already on a path towards implementing harsh immigration policies. The Trump administration’s policies, such as the travel ban and “zero tolerance” have created a hostile environment for refugees and immigrants. This is not the America we know! We cannot be bystanders and let politics get in the way of American values. America strives to be a country with a high moral ground and a nation that has a place for humanity, compassion, and tolerance.
Similarly, at Hello Neighbor we believe in America and the American people. The incredible individuals who fight back when they see injustice inspire us. Hello Neighbor originated from our belief in the power of a simple “hello”. For our founder, Sloane Davidson, a simple “hello” to her new Syrian neighbors caused her to go on a mission to make Pittsburgh even more welcoming to hundreds of our new neighbors. Her passion to bridge barriers and ease refugee transition resulted in the origin of Hello Neighbor, a mentoring nonprofit based in Pittsburgh, PA.
In 2017, Hello Neighbor matched 50 refugee families to 50 Pittsburgh families. This “match-making” resulted in more than 2000 mentoring hours, 500 individual activities, and 20 community events.
The success of our organization goes beyond leadership and the Hello Neighbor team. Without compassionate mentors and enthusiastic mentees, our initiatives would not be fruitful. We offer our sincere gratitude to our mentors for their time and resources and for capturing the true spirit of Pittsburgh that welcomes refugees and makes Pittsburgh a city for all. The support Hello Neighbor has gotten from local Pittsburghers and people all over America is astounding. Time and again, we are reminded that America is a land for all and Americans are willing to do everything in their power to welcome refugees and immigrants to this melting pot.
We want to celebrate the support we get every day. To create an awareness of the #refugeeswelcome and #immigrantsrightsarehumanrights movement, we have decided to create a list of refugee and immigrant advocates in order to honor these wonderful individuals for their dedication and passion in this field of work. These extraordinary individuals work tirelessly for our refugee and immigrant friends. The effort of advocates makes it easier for refugees and immigrants to fully embrace their lives in a new country. For refugees still in their home/host countries, the work of refugee advocates gives them support and survival needs.
The work of refugee and immigrant advocates is very important! Today, we are presenting a list of seven people on our radar who we believe have made an impact on this movement.
- Wendy Young- President of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND). Young has extensive immigration policy experience and has previously held positions with organizations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Women’s Refugee Commission, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the National Council of La Raza.
- Wilmot Collins-Mayor of Helena, MT. Collins, a former Liberian refugee and a first time candidate, won the seat as the Mayor of Helena.
- Charlotte and Dave Willner- This couple started a Facebook fundraiser to help immigrant children. So far they have raised more than $20 million for The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES).
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez- Democratic nominee from NY-14 Bronx+Queens. Ocasio-Cortez ran a campaign that brought New Yorkers together to champion the needs of working families in the Bronx and Queens. She calls to “abolish ICE” all together.
- Becca Heller- Director/Co-Founder of International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP). IRAP organizes law students and lawyers to develop and enforce a set of legal and human rights for refugees and displaced persons.
- Hamdi Ulukaya- Founder/CEO of Chobani Yogurt and founder of The Tent Foundation. Through The Tent Foundation, Ulukaya is mobilizing the private sector to improve the lives & livelihoods of more than 20 million men, women and children forcibly displaced from their home countries.
- Eric Schwartz-President of Refugees International. Schwartz has had a three-decade career focused on humanitarian and human rights issues. Between 2009 and 2011, he served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration.
Later this fall we will be publishing a longer list of refugee advocates. Today we are asking you to nominate those influential individuals or groups you know. Nominate a refugee/immigrant advocate today, someone whose work you think deserves a recognition.
Fill out our call for nominations form here.
The entire refugee and immigrant advocates list will be published online on November 4th! Submission forms will be open till July 25th. If you have additional questions or comments, you can email info@helloneighbor.io or visit our website: https://www.helloneighbor.io/.
