Dear First name / Great Neighbor,
I hope you've had a wonderful start of summer and a Happy Independence Day! Summer has been sweet at International Neighbors. Last week, we celebrated with four IN newcomers who were naturalized along with 70 other amazing individuals at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello! We heard keynote remarks from American Ballet Theater's Misty Copeland, and the best moments of the morning came from newly naturalized citizens as they articulated what the day meant to them.
Now in our third week of summer camps, more than 50 refugee children have experienced the joy of being a day camper (many for the first time ever)! We are grateful to Camp Corwith at St Anne's Belfield and Fry's Spring Beach Club for making these opportunities possible.
Last night, three of our staff members completed a certificate program through The Women's Initiative in Trauma-Informed Cross-Cultural Psychoeducation. I look forward to the ways in which our staff will bring this knowledge to our community so that we can better support the IN families we serve.
Finally, as our staff and volunteers enjoy a slower season, we are working on compiling a list of refugee-owned businesses and services for you! There are so many talented chefs, bakers, tailors, makers, mechanics, housekeepers, and artists in our newcomer community. We look forward to sharing a list with you soon so that you can support the work of your amazing neighbors!
