Community as a Source of Strength

By Chris Foley, President & Chief Executive Officer of IFW

As we begin 2026, I’m reminded of one simple truth: community is our greatest source of strength. When we come together – across faiths, backgrounds, and experiences – we renew our resilience, deepen our compassion, and grow stronger as one. Looking back on 2025, I’m profoundly grateful for all the ways you upheld our shared mission. You helped care for older neighbors, welcome new refugees, and open spaces for honest and healing dialogue about belonging and equity. You also helped to ensure that we have the resources necessary to continue serving our community and affirming the dignity of every individual we touch. Each act of kindness, each act of sharing, strengthened not just our work, but the bonds that hold our community together.

In 2026, our goal is to be stronger still: rooted in trust, fueled by collaboration, and guided by care. By investing in one another – our staff, volunteers, donors, and partners – we will continue transforming compassion into action and hope into lasting change. Thank you for being part of the InterFaith Works community and for the many ways you help us live out our mission of dignity, welcome, and understanding. Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected year ahead – and I'm so looking forward to all that we will accomplish together!

As we are celebrating our history of service to CNY, we will be uplifting one of our core programs each month. These programs are our legacy and our future. This month, we focus on the Refugee Resettlement Program. The content below was written by Barbara Davis, Ph.D.

The Refugee Resettlement Program was begun in 1981 with a small grant from Church World Service and one half-time employee. It grew to include the main office in Syracuse, housed with the generosity of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York and the Church of the Savior. It also included three offices in Ithaca, Binghamton and Schenectady, all housed with the generosity of churches, at little or no cost of the program. The program worked to provide support for refugees forced to flee their homelands because of fear of persecution or threat of death. “They leave behind destroyed or occupied homes, lost jobs, lost or missing family, friends, their homeland and all that is familiar. They arrive with nothing but hope for a better life,” the program description read. “The Refugee Resettlement Program provides the opportunity to fulfill that hope. With the cooperation of literally hundreds of congregation and individuals all over Central and Eastern New York, a new life begins. An interpreter is located, arrangements are made for English classes. A group from the sponsoring congregation will meet the newcomers at the airport, and another family begins the long and complicated process of starting over in our community. The Refugee Resettlement Program works in cooperation with other refugee programs, including Catholic Charities, the Jewish Community Center and the Syracuse City School District.” 

Eventually the Interreligious Council expanded its mission beyond dialogue to direct service, addressing issues such as poverty, aging, and immigration. The Syracuse area was becoming home to an increasing number of refugees, and the organization began actively supporting their integration and resettlement. This era saw the birth of the Refugee Center, an organization which played a vital role in helping families fleeing war-torn regions, including Bosnia, Vietnam, Sudan, Iraq, and Somalia, make new homes in Syracuse. They offered support with housing, healthcare, language learning, employment, and cultural orientation. The Refugee Center had a tremendously positive impact, not only on the people it served, but on those who worked in partnership with them.  

Bill & Nancy Byrne



"We have been pleased to give to the Capacity Growth Campaign. We appreciate that Interfaith Works changes the lives of so many people right here in our community. It is important to us that Interfaith Works draws on our shared spiritual values to guide its work."

Thank You to the Rotary Club of Syracuse

The Rotary Club of Syracuse provided a grant of $3,750 to support food and essential needs for the Center for New Americans.

If your organization is interested in making a contribution to InterFaith Works, please contact VP/Chief Development Officer, Marwah Alobaidi at malobaidi@ifwcny.org or 315-449-3552 x219.

It's not too late – contribute today!



At the end of 2025, we shared stories about our programs and the real-life impact these programs have on the lives of our clients.

December Pantry Partners Meeting

On December 18, roughly 35 people - both in-person and virtually - attended the Pantry Partners meeting, which featured a policy presentation by Feeding NYS and the Food Bank of CNY. Participants heard the next steps for NYS with respect to upcoming food justice advocacy.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) had its inaugural volunteer onboarding on January 5. Six volunteers came together to learn about their duties, but also to build community. Among the topics of the session, the staff and volunteers shared why they choose to volunteer and about the people who influenced their mindset. All of the new RSVP volunteers highlighted the joy, sense of purpose, and belonging that volunteering gives them, and showcased their excitement to begin working with their respective stations.  

Stations are the partners that the RSVP program collaborates with to provide services to the community. Right now, the RSVP program is four stations and growing! 

The Aging Services Coalition recently held a Report on Aging presentation in November. The Coalition was presented with the findings from the last year’s Community Convenings - meetings with older adults to discuss their experiences as they age and their ideas for how to make our community a better place to age in. Attendees were also invited to share their own thoughts, takeaways, and suggestions to move forward based on the identified community needs. There will be a second presentation of the Report on Aging on January 26.  

The Aging Services Coalition is also hosting two upcoming Age Well Days. The purpose of Age Well Days is to connect older adults with services and resources that can help stretch their income and improve the quality of their life, while also being a safe space for learning and connection. The first Age Well Day is on 1/23 12-2 pm over zoom with the theme of palliative care. Please use the QR code on the flyer to register. The second Age Well Day is on 2/11 1-3 pm at Bellegrove Church and focused on caregiving. 

Last year, Jess Van, an undergraduate at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication, approached IFW and the Center for Healthy Aging about a story for her capstone project. Van worked closely with the Senior Companion Program staff and volunteer Barb on “Two-Way Street,” a photographic documentary. Van’s goal was to highlight, “both the reality of aging alone in Syracuse and the simple, consistent acts that keep older adults connected—showing how resilience grows when people show up for one another, week after week.” The project, as well as Jess Van’s other works, can be viewed at www.jessvan.com.

The Senior Companion Program also held its annual holiday party! This event is highly anticipated every year by the volunteers and program staff; it’s a time for reflection on and celebration of all the great work they did the past year. We would like to thank the Church of Latter-day Saints and Cindy Rahrle for preparing and serving a delicious buffet for this event!  

For the Holiday season, community members generously donated gift baskets full of goodies. Our staff spent a day delivering these baskets to participants of the One-to-One Program, which supports older adults in assisted living facilities. These baskets brought a lot of smiles, joy, and gratefulness to not only the residents who received them, but everyone involved with the project.  

Additionally, on December 18, the One-to-One Program hosted an art show to display final works from the Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) 3-week program. OMA is an intergenerational program that pairs people living with dementia with trained volunteers for one-on-one, “no-fail” artmaking.  

Artists from Sedgewick Heights made 3 pieces during the OMA program and were happy to put them on display for the community. Additionally, students from Henninger High School also participated in an OMA session, and some generously chose to donate their finished artwork for inclusion in the show. 

The Neighborhood Advisor program received medical supplies from generous community members for its Medical Supply Closet. The Medical Supply Closet helps older adults access the medical equipment they need. We want to thank all our donors - your contributions support the seniors in our community to achieve independence!  

Tax season is here! PEACE, Inc. is offering free tax preparation to income-eligible Central New Yorkers. For questions and assistance with setting up an appointment, please contact Joseph Ndagijimana, Neighborhood Advisor, at JNdagijimana@ifwcny.org or 315-449-3552 x260.

MAC-Making A Connection is a program serving youth clients aged 18-25 and helps them assimilate to life in the United States. In December 2025, the program hosted a social event aimed at getting to know everyone's culture. During the event, five youth clients and some of their family members brought dishes from their culture to share with the group and gathered gifts, games, and karaoke. The event was held at Interfaith Works and several IFW staff also attended, including our new President/CEO, Chris Foley.

As we wrapped up the 2025 year, our Employment Center continued to roll up its sleeves and put boots on the ground to help New Americans who are already here become independent. IFW Employment Center participated in job fairs, held job training classes, and organized interview preparation sessions at IFW. Our Employment Center also assisted families in applying for jobs and provided transportation to job interviews. As a result, 284 new job placements were made from January 20, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Additionally, we are continuing to assist families in bridging the gap toward success stories.

The Senior Manager of Development Strategy advances relationship-based fundraising, supervises assigned staff, oversees the processing of all incoming donations and gifts, tracks pledges and ensures the integrity of the donor database. The role actively supports agency fundraising campaigns and events and engages directly with donors, sponsors, and partners.

The Operations Coordinator supports the Operations Manager by carrying out agency logistics, coordinating interdepartmental event communications, and ensuring organizational processes operate smoothly and efficiently. This role serves as a key point of contact for building maintenance and agency training activities.

This person would be excited to engage youth in Central New York, through established programs in dialogue opportunities, leadership and facilitation trainings, and positive group development in order to break down stereotypes, build bridges of understanding, and empower students to make change in their environments.

In coordination with the other Interfaith Works program staff and the ONA Job Coaches across New York State, this person will participate in recruiting, screening, job placement, and providing ongoing direct support to immigrant 

job candidates participating in the NYS Professional Pathways for Highly Skilled Immigrants Program.

About InterFaith Works of CNY



InterFaith Works affirms the dignity of each person and every faith tradition, builds racial and religious equity, and creates bridges of understanding among us. The agency has served the Central New York Community for 50 years with programs that include the Center for Healthy Aging, the Center for New Americans, and the El-Hindi Center for Dialogue & Action.

InterFaith Works of CNY | 1010 James St. | Syracuse, NY 13203

Phone: 315-449-3552 | Fax: 315-449-3103 | Email: info@ifwcny.org | interfaithworkscny.org