Monthly Update

Happy Snowy Monday Fabulous Supporters!

....And a belated Ramadan Mubarak and prosperous year of the Fire Horse to all those that celebrate!

Despite the holidays last week and a month of several weather related delays, we at Homes Not Borders have been busy stepping up our Sew Successful artisan training program. Twenty refugee women are working hard in this five-month program where they not only learn advanced sewing skills, but also learn business basics and get connected to income generating projects with individuals and small businesses (see more on that below).

Speaking of generating income our, storytellers made their first appearance of the year earlier this month with Storai and Ezatullah sharing their amazing journeys (and earning some extra money) with students at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. It was so wonderful to see teenagers so engaged and interested in the refugee experience. And we hope more storytellers can visit other schools and community spaces later this year.

And continuing with the ebbs and flows of HNB, while set ups were up for January, they have slowed down once again in February, with only two set ups a week at most. But thanks to everyone who donated furniture and extra home goods as we are more prepared than ever for the remaining new families settling into their homes.

Check out our impact below for not only set ups, but all our programs - including our new metrics for pounds of food!

JANUARY IMPACT

15

homes set up

10,392

pounds of food distributed

203

individuals supported with food

$41,200

in household goods and furnishings passed along to refugees

544

volunteer hours

$4,000

in money to refugees (Moving Up Fund, artisans & storytellers)

REFUGEE & SIV UPDATE

Just when you think it could not get any worse for the newcomers and refugees in the U.S, then you hear the news that the federal government now can arrest refugees who do not apply for their green card immediately after their first year here. While the news is bad enough, reading the USCIS memo is even more enraging. The claims are ridiculous that the refugee - who are thoroughly vetted and have to wait years - are some how security threats and that their refugee status is only temporary, implying that their stay in the U.S. might be, too. Added to the awfulness of this all is that refugees from Afghanistan and 18 other countries have not even been able to apply for a green card since December when the federal government supspended all immigration processing for these individuals

So we at HNB are working with our partners on how to best help our new neighbors navigate these new threats, and are open to any and all legal assistance referrals that could make this trying time easier for our new neighbors.

HNB NEWS

Host a Storytelling

After a successful storytelling kick off to 2026 (see above) we are gearing up to get more of our storytellers out and about to share their experience with the wider world.

So if you know of a school, community or faith group, or workplace interested in hosting a storyteller, please reach out the Amy Wrona, amy@homesnotborders.org.

Besides refugee stories, we can also share more about HNB and the refugee experience. We just ask all hosts to provide an honorarium of at least $200 per storyteller.

If you missed any of our previous monthly updates, or just want to stay up to date on all things concerning refugees and HNB, check out our new Monthly Updates page.

3610 East Street, Landover, MD 20785

info@homesnotborders.org • www.homesnotborders.org