Hello Neighbor!
We have an incredibly exciting announcement! Let me start at the beginning… of course….
In one of our last newsletters, I wrote a bit about being on this life-changing adventure for 4 years now. Well, early early in those times, Molly and I spent a ton of time putting our heads together, trying to figure out what serving refugees might look like in Missoula. As per usual, much of that involved getting on “The Googles”, and typing in various combinations of “Refugee Nonprofit”. It’s amazing what you can find with a little perseverance, and lots of wee hours of the night time while nursing children! What we found was an incredible number of amazing folks around the country doing the same stuff we wanted to do! Then, we picked up the phone. We spoke with people in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Pittsburg, Boise, Seattle, Salt Lake… the list goes on and on. We gained strength, inspiration, and the programatic ideas we were searching for from each one. Each organization is so unique in what they offer and how they approach their challenges, their celebrations, and their communities, but there was ALWAYS a common thread of enthusiasm, openness, collaboration, feistiness, and local community. Each call felt like we had just discovered a new sister, a new confidant, a new mentor. The best thing is, we have kept in close touch with quite a few of these organizations over the years, and the feeling of awe and inspiration has never faded. And at some point, the questions on “what” and “how” also turned to us! “What is fiscal sponsorship and do you like it?”, ” How do you run your supper clubs?”, etc… And our questions, as you can probably guess, never ever stop! “Oh! Your cookie sale looked fun! What platform did you use?” HA! You get the picture…
So today, eeeeeeeee! I am so so excited that through the hard work of one of these nonprofits, Hello Neighbor out of Pittsburg, 8 women-lead, refugee-centered organizations are joining hands and hearts in a network designed to amplify our voices, exchange ideas, and work together to increase inclusiveness for refugees in communities across the nation.
As refugee numbers decline and community/state support for the resettlement program come in to question, we know there is another side to the story. The story of regular citizens coming together to uphold values of safety and opportunity for all. This is our story. This is the story of the Hello Neighbor Network. Stay tuned for adventure!
In love and gratitude,
Mary Poole
ED Soft Landing Missoula
November Supper Club!
On November 3rd, join us at Masala around 5:30 to enjoy a traditional Congolese meal prepared by the lovey Micheline Daphrose Radjabu! Reservations are required and these amazing dinners fill up fast! Check out the menu and call Masala today!
Holiday Cookies!
Remember our wonderful Valentines day Baklava sale this year? The one where you guys bought over 1,000 pieces of baklava in under 2 days!?! Well, stay tuned for a Thanksgiving Cookie Sale in the works. Whether you just want a few new treats to sample, or a huge platter for your holiday table, we have ya covered and will let you know more details soon!
Events and Opportunities
>> For all of you Bozeman folks- Gallatin Refugee Connections is doing another incredible Welcome Kit Drive on November 2nd! Check out their FB event for more info and get involved with this incredible organization! <<
>> We are still looking for warm, weatherproof winter outerwear- coats, gloves, hats, snow pants, etc.. We are especially in need winter gear for kids of all ages! Items can be dropped off at our office Monday-Friday between 9am-4pm. <<
>> We are also still looking for pumpkins to carve with our after school kiddos on Halloween. There is still time to pick up a pumpkin- we suggest the win-win of buying it from Pumpkins for the Pov– and drop it off at our office Monday- Friday 9-4. <<
Just for Fun!
Remember one of the first viral You Tube sensations- the Kid President? Well, he is back, a bit older, and hanging out with refugees! Check out this great video!