Dear First name / Great Neighbor, 

 

The fall is in full swing at International Neighbors and I am so pleased to announce a new Director of Programs for our organization, Becky Bassett! Becky is a former JMU adjunct professor, elementary school teacher and reading specialist, having taught in Charlottesville City Schools since 2005.  Becky and I share a passion for education, advocacy, and community outreach—especially for children and families in Charlottesville needing support to meet basic needs in order to achieve success. Becky was an integral part of IN’s creation, and our second full-time position could not be filled by a more compassionate and skilled human being. 

 

Becky served on the very first IN board from 2015-2017, and is proud that her husband Chad's logo design is still our trademark! She has volunteered with IN as a board member, in event planning, and through grocery delivery with her son, Calvin (pictured below, while he was just a toddler at the time!), and has also volunteered and worked with other local nonprofits like the Junior League of Charlottesville, Music Resource Center, City of Promise, and Burnley-Moran PTO. As Director of Programs, Becky has already improved many lives in our community, including my own. Please help me welcome Becky!

 

With our team well-staffed, we are deep into planning programming for our four pillars—home, health, community, and career—this fall. Don't forget to save your gently used winter coats for the Peace Frogs Coat Drive to benefit men, women and children in our IN community. Details to come.

 

We're also working on a new Welcoming Committee with volunteers to serve once a month to conduct in-home needs assessments for newly arrived neighbors. You can learn more at our next volunteer training on September 17 at 6pm on Zoom (link below).

 

Finally, please save the date for a Great Neighbor Guide info session on Wednesday, October 16th at 10am at the IN office. Come learn about the cornerstone of our organization: a 1:1 match of an American and refugee family to strengthen bonds and offer guidance as our neighbors acclimate to their new lives in the United States. Invitation to follow. 

 

Gratefully,

 

Kari Anderson Miller, CEO and Founder