Welcome to the International Institute of Akron’s monthly newsletter updates! With IIA staff busy at work serving Akron’s refugee and immigrant community, we wanted to keep our supporters up-to-date on the latest IIA news, starting with this past month.
June has been a busy month at IIA! From celebrating Pride, Immigrant Heritage Month, to finishing another successful round of ESL classes and expanding the IIA team with new staff! Learn more about what IIA has been up to these past four weeks below.
Throughout June, we celebrated Pride and Immigrant Heritage Month by sharing stories and resources with staff and the community.
IIA Communications Intern Jamie Brian took the time to write Books on LGBTQ Immigrant and Refugee Experiences and Immigrants and Refugees Who Have Shaped America, which can be found on the IIA blog at iiakron.org/blog. We encourage our supporters to continue reading and learning about different immigrant and refugee experiences so that we can together advocate on their behalf.
Although Pride and Immigrant Heritage Month has ended, IIA and the Akron community continue to welcome and celebrate immigrants and refugees of all backgrounds and identities in our city.
IIA ESOL Classes
We'd like to give a big round of applause to IIA's English students, who just completed another round of English learning.
Congratulations everyone!
On June 2nd, IIA was presented with $50,000 from the Hudson Community Foundation for a new agency van. This was a city-wide effort involving many Hudson community members and organizations, including Hudson DEI Alliance, Clocktower Rotary, First Congregational Church of Hudson, Hudson City Schools, Hudson International Woman’s Club, Hudson Kiwanis, Hudson Rotary, Western Reserve Academy, and Garrett’s Mill Diner. IIA is incredibly grateful to Hudson residents for supporting our mission of serving and empowering immigrants and refugees in Akron.
With the help of the Hudson Community Foundation and the many additional organizations listed above, IIA will provide safe and comfortable transportation for our clients coming in from the airport, going to medical appointments, picking up donations, and much more.
Read more about this fantastic effort in the Akron Beacon Journal, Hudson groups, donors join in effort for refugee resettlement.
World Refugee Day 2022
One of our favorite days of the year is World Refugee Day on June 20th. This year, IIA was thrilled to host a special event for the community to celebrate our refugee friends in Akron in partnership with Summit Metro Parks.
The night was filled with various performances from the refugee community, including The Black Beanz, Mon Dancer – Yun Mi Mi, Neema Bal from Gum Dip Theater, and Ka’ren Dance – Has Win. Guests also enjoyed baklava and Persian cookies from Turkish baker Sima Arshadi. A special shoutout to the fantastic emcee of the evening, Samantha Byake!
Even better than describing the night, we have pictures to show just how great the evening was!
Thanks to our community partners for making this a night to remember.
During the Trump Administration, many refugee resettlement agencies were forced to downsize or close their doors due to refugee admissions cuts. Over the past year, IIA has been rebuilding so that we can continue serving refugees and immigrants in Akron as we have been for over 100 years. That’s why we are very excited to announce new staff and board members who have recently joined our team.
Introducing…
Nicholas Pichichero – Manager of Social Services
Samsor Ziar – Receptionist
Tania Nemer - Board Member
Yamini Adkins - Board member
Recently, Liv Randall has joined the team as IIA’s Communications and Development Specialist. Liv’s primary roles at IIA include media relations, updating our social media platforms, sharing news, action items, and stories on our blog and newsletters, community outreach and education, and overall agency development through grant writing assistance. She is also offering free ‘Refugee 101’ presentations to any community, school, or religious group interested in learning more about refugee resettlement and our work in the community. If you’re interested in a presentation, please contact Liv at liv.randall@iiakron.org.
Welcome to the family, everyone!
IIA Communication and Development Specialist, Liv Randall (left).
Get involved at IIA!
Looking for ways to get involved with IIA or the refugee and immigrant community? Check out a few suggestions below!
Donate! Stay up-to-date on IIA donation needs on our website at www.iiakron.org/donation-room. We also post updates on our Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Volunteer! Since IIA is a small non-profit, we often get more interest in volunteering than we have opportunities for. However, if you choose to apply online, we will keep your application and let you know if a future opportunity arises! Send in your application at www.iiakron.org/volunteer.
Keep Learning! Learning more about refugees and their experiences is a great way to stay involved. You can read a new book, watch a documentary, or follow IIA on social media for more suggestions on educational materials!
· Facebook – @InternationalInstituteofAkron
· Twitter – @iiakron
· Instagram - @ii_akron
Special thank you to Kumpania for fundraising and donating school supplies for ESOL students!
Thanks for taking the time to stay updated on IIA’s work this past month, and we look forward to sharing more with you soon!