Through an amazing partnership with many local business around town that are providing production space, including our good friends- Imagine Nation Brewing Company, Coaster Cycles is well on it’s way to producing 1,000,000 face shields to be used locally and sent all over the US to COVID hot spots in need of this essential protective equipment. 84,000 shields were assembled and shipped out just last week to hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities in need. And where there is resourcefulness, creativity, and ingenuity- of course there are REFUGEES! Here are a few pictures of some amazing people stepping up to help with productions of these shields. Thank you to everyone involved in this incredible project
Soft Landing is looking for a SUMMER Americorps Team Member
Soft Landing Missoula seeks a summer team member to join their small but dynamic organization. A summer team member would focus on supporting refugee and immigrant youth and their families in Missoula. They would design and implement summer programming focused on educational, recreational and social outings and activities for youth ages 13-20.
Outings and activities would have the goal of preventing summer learning loss, preparing them for future academic and career opportunities and giving them access to experiences they otherwise would not have. The member will communicate regularly with participating youth to ensure their wellbeing and access to food and support over the summer.
In addition, the summer team member would participate in COVID relief efforts of the organization. These may include using community resources to bring food to families, checking in on families via phone or social media, and helping families fill out paperwork for benefits.
Living Allowance: None
Hours Commitment: Members commit to serve at least 300 hours.
Start Date: Flexible (May/June) and end date no later than August 31.
# of weekly hours: Flexible—part-time to full time as long as they are on track to complete at least 300 hours.
Service Eligibility Types: Positions can be work study, internships, practicum or volunteers.
Eligible for Service: College Students or 2020 high school graduates (17-18 years old)
Education Award: Earn a $1,289 Education Award for future schooling or to pay down student loans. 13 MT colleges may match up to $1,000 annually.
Contact Molly Cottrell at molly@softlandingmissoula.org for details on how to apply.
SLM Newsletter 4/16/20
I’ve got that fuzzy feeling…
How the heck are ya? This is crazy isn’t it? In general, I feel like I am doing pretty good, and then all of a sudden I am caught off guard by an awkward laugh turned to ugly-cry turned back to laugh. This emotion, this reaction, is uncomfortable and something I have felt a little hard to nail down, but I think it just stems from general life discombobulation and disconnect. That kind of fuzzy feeling we all have when the path back to “normal” (and I am not sure that is even the best path right?!?) isn’t immediately apparent.
Today, I did something I needed badly to feel a little “normal” again. I left the chilly basement room of my house (where the lower half of my body has been snuggled in a sleeping bag and my face has been in front of a screen for most of my recent work days) and I met up with Maria and Molly (wearing masks and keeping our distance) to deliver special food and supply boxes to every Eritrean Family for the Easter Holiday that they celebrate this weekend. Oh, it was so wonderful to see the beautiful faces of my friends. The positive effect on my heart- immeasurable. Their faces looked a little like mine (wide-eyed and discombobulated- see first paragraph), but they also radiated love and hope and humor and gratitude and resilience. And I just thought, “They are doing ok- WE are doing our job. We are living our mission. This is why we are here”.
So while yes, much of my life feels uncomfortably fuzzy, there is one thing in which my clarity has not wavered. I feel more solid in the mission and the importance of our work than ever and more proud of our amazing team than ever- each doing our own part to adapt, to piece it together, and then to rise to the occasion. As I described in my last email, and that you can now find on our website, we have been able to move quickly to shift the services we offer to prioritize our work with partners to keep families safe, fed, housed, accessing available financial assistance, connected to on-line education, and still feel like they are a part of a community that cares about them. In ways, it has been a magical time that we can do these things, that we are here, and that we can still offer a warm “hug”, even if it is with a “knock and drop” box of holiday essentials.
Uncertainty is hard. It is just emotionally hard to live in the unknown, the uncertain- how ever much you rise to the occasion, still it lurks under the surface. Find small ways that help you feel connected. Get out of your basement and out from behind screens as often as you can. And most importantly, be kind to yourselves. Embrace the uncomfortable laugh turned to ugly-cry turned to laugh. It helps remind us that we are all human and in this together.
In love and gratitude,
Mary
PS- Those boxes we delivered? They contained all sorts of goodies that your generosity has made happen. We used donated gift cards and recent monetary donations to purchase teff flour, green coffee beans, sanitizing wipes and other essential staples (I got some nasty looks for assumed “hoarding” of wipes as I went through the checkout line this morning-ha!), and each family also got a beautiful handmade mask to keep them safe during trips out of the house. Next week, we will deliver care packages to families beginning to celebrate the Ramadan holiday that begins next Friday. You guys are the ones that make this happen. Please consider an in-kind gift of supplies or gift cards or better yet- commit to a monthly donation to get us through this time if your family feels able to. At the end of this month, there will also be the opportunity to support our COVID specific relief work through Missoula Gives– more info about that on it’s way 😉 Thank you.
PPS- GRETA HAD HER BABY!!!!! HOORAY! Mom and baby are home and happy and healthy. We got in a quick visit to peek in through the window at this amazing woman and our new office manager- Iris 😉 She agreed to let me share this picture with you all. Sorry for the window glare but hopefully we will all get to meet her in person soon!
Here are a few photos of our adventures delivering holiday food and supplies for Eritrean families yesterday- doing our best to follow essential social distancing AND support families.
Kamoon Arabian Cuisine
Did you guys know that the refugee-run Kamoon food truck continues to serve up delicious dinners daily?! Parked in the lot at Imagine Nation Brewing Company (1151 W. Broadway), you are able to order ahead of time via telephone or on-line and then grab a growler or 4-pack of the most delicious beer from Imagine Nation. If you pick up both food and beer, you get $1 off food and $2 off beer! Come out and support these amazing small businesses that add incredible value to our community.
AmeriCorps Position
Soft Landing is looking for an AmeriCorps Volunteer to join our dynamic team for the 2020-2021 school year. This full time position will be specifically focused on working with and supporting refugee youth in accessing and pursuing higher education.
Request for additional information or questions about the position can be emailed to molly@softlandingmissoula.org or learn more by clicking on the button below.
Find out more about how to support Soft Landing Missoula’s COVID-19 response effort during Missoula Gives by checking our our Facebook Event page. Please share widely!
Soft Landing Missoula is recruiting an AmeriCorps Member
Soft Landing Missoula is looking for an AmeriCorps Volunteer to join our dynamic team for the 2020-2021 school year. This full time position will be specifically focused on working with and supporting refugee youth in accessing and pursuing higher education.
Request for additional information or questions about the position can be emailed to molly@softlandingmissoula.org.
Position Title: Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps
Benefits:
· $538/biweekly (pre-tax)
· Healthcare coverage
· Childcare assistance, if eligible
· $6,195.00 Education Award upon successful completion of service
· Professional development opportunities
· 10 personal days and 10 medical/sick days
· Eligible for hiring preferences at Employers of National Service locations
Commitment: September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021
How to Apply:
Applicants must apply through the Montana Campus Compact website. The application can be found at: https://mtcompact.org/americorps-vista/apply-to-serve/full-time-member-application-process/
To learn more about national service with Montana Campus Compact, visit https://mtcompact.org/
SLM Newsletter 4/1/20- Connecting in a time of social isolation.
Connection…
This is a word I have been thinking about and hearing about so much over the past 2 weeks. Many of us seem to be struggling to find that balance between social isolation (think: shelter in place, working and parenting from home), connection (think; friendships, hugs, seeing extended family, loved ones, and co-workers), and over stimulation (think: there is such thing as too much information- even in times of crisis right?). While this is certainly a personal challenge, it is also an organizational challenge and we hope we can hit the sweet spot- a heartfelt true connection that brings value to the lives of those we interact with and serve. While I don’t want to downplay the challenges that our community faces, including newly resettled refugees who are some of the most economically vulnerable among us (many have not yet had enough time to build the needed financial security to get through something like this unscathed), I have also been so fortunate to see beautiful silver linings emerge and one of these is connection – even if it is connection at a distance. For Soft Landing, this unprecedented situation has grown and solidified bonds with partner organizations, supporters, and the refugee families we serve. In some ways, we feel even more connected because we have had to step a bit out of our comfortable bubble we had found over the last couple years with our core programming and back into the unknown (not a place we are unfamiliar with!). So yes, while this crisis is mind-blowingly challenging on so many levels- there is actually a lot we can do as individuals and as a community to make sure we come out on the other side stronger, better equipped for future challenges, and yes, more connected than ever.
I want to share with you a bit about what we are doing to make sure the roughly 45 refugee and immigrant families we serve are staying safe and getting what they need in this uncertain time. This has been a substantial (temporary) shift in programming for us and I want to say here, that the Soft Landing team has stepped up to the plate with grace and passion- THANK YOU Molly, Greta and Maria- you guys are my heroes. Also, we are doing this with so many great partners, including the International Rescue Committee, Missoula Alliance Church, the Missoula City/County Health Department, and Missoula County Public Schools and we are in AWE of how many individuals and organizations have stepped up to assist those in our community affected most.
Here are some quick bullet points about what we are up to and later in this (way too long, I know…) email, I will be posting a Zoom link to hop on a “Town Hall” video chat with us to hear more or ask any questions you may have! Kind of a fun way to get some face time with you all, many of you we dearly miss seeing in the office regularly, so I really hope you will join us on Friday April 3rd at 11 am OR 7 pm (MT) on Zoom (same content, two different time slots).
SLM’s last 2 1/2 weeks (and the foreseeable future):
1- Research and dissemination of culturally appropriate information about COVID-19 safety and available resources (changing constantly) in native languages so that refugees can have equal access to information.
2- Delivery of supplies (food, diapers, etc…) to families that already struggle with transportation, many of whom work in the service industry and have been laid off due COVID-19. (Shout out to the amazing work of the Missoula Food Bank!!!)
3- Purchasing of food and supplies for affected families. This especially includes culturally specific food items that are essential staples in these family’s diets that are not available through the Missoula Food Bank (ie: teff flour for injera, cornmeal for ugali, etc…).
4- Providing technology assistance (securing donated or purchased computers and helping to set them up, get them online, etc..) for middle school and high school kids during school closures to make sure they have equal access to education.
5- Organizing and providing appropriate training for volunteers for online tutoring for middle school/ high school kids to support MCPS online learning curriculum.
6- Providing support to families with young school aged children through dropping off books and school materials and talking with parents about academic activities (such as trying to have the kids reading for at least an hour a day).
7- Ensuring that refugee adults with lost and/or reduced employment are able to access available and appropriate financial resources such as Unemployment Insurance, TANF, SNAP, etc…
8- Providing connection to community for refugee families. SLM is doing regular check-ins (per most recent safety guidelines and social distancing rules) with each family and coordinating with partners to make sure physical and emotional needs are being met during this time. Although this is a confusing and isolating time for many refugee families, knowing that they are connected to a community and have a circle of people who care about them is reassuring and important to their mental health.
9- Connecting with our Soft Landing community- this is where you come in! Hop on the Zoom Town Hall with us this Friday, or email me to suggest another time that would work for you to connect! We are here and working hard and want you to continue to feel connected to this work you have so generously supported with your time and resources!
OK! Thanks for making it this far in this email update, and we really do hope to “see” you Friday to chat more! Hang in there guys. This is hard. Never hesitate to reach out to us and PLEASE, stay well in health, mind, and spirit.
In love and gratitude,
Mary
Friday April 3rd- 11am
Town Hall style video meeting to chat about what has been going on with refugee families in Missoula and how you can help!
Friday April 3rd- 7pm
Town Hall style video meeting to chat about what has been going on with refugee families in Missoula and how you can help!
Enjoy these super boring pictures of us Zooming the last couple weeks with board members, donors, and University classes- intended to make us look savy and smart but which will almost certainly result in karmatic unplanned technical difficulties with our Town Hall calls!
Virtual board meeting
Individual check-ins with donors and volunteers
Education and outreach efforts also switched to Zoom! This is a previously scheduled presentation for a UM class that we were able to still do virtually.
Soft Landing COVID-19 Response Town Hall
In order to connect with all of you- so many of whom we miss seeing on the office on a regular basis- we have 2 time slots set on Friday April 3rd- 11 am MT and 7pm MT for a Town Hall style video meeting. We will talk about what our past few weeks have looked like in trying to support refugee families during the COVID-19 crisis and hopefully get to hear ideas and thoughts from you and your experiences in these unprecedented times.
Both meetings are on Friday April 3rd and are meant to cover the same content, we just picked two times to accommodate varying schedules.
Join at 11 am MT – Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/629333558
Join at 7 pm MT – Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/535266733
Please join us for one of these time slots- WE MISS YOU!
SLM Newsletter 2/3/20
WTF.
I’m pissed. I’m confused. I’m sad. I know that you guys usually get a sunny message from me to “hold firm” to “celebrate the beauty”, but right now I am just plain fired up and I need you all to know why. The US travel ban for select countries that has been in and out and back in again since 2017, just got expanded. Immigrants from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, and Nigeria, as well as diversity visas from Sudan and Tanzania have now been added to the original 2018 ban of people from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and North Korea.
So, I know these things are nuanced. I know they are not black and white. While I honestly don’t feel like I have near the expertise to understand the minutiae of all of the countries on this ban, and there is so much to know, I do feel solidly able to speak to the addition of Eritreans to this list, as well as the standing ban on Syrians. I am not an expert, but the last 4.5 years of my life has been spent learning the best I can about what is going on in these countries and with new friends in my life that I have come to love, admire, cherish, and trust.
So, the ban. The excuse for the original and extended ban is our safety. It is said that the reason for the ban is that these countries can’t or won’t provide the US with the appropriate standard of information on its citizens coming to the US (ie: in the case of Eritrea and Syria- it’s citizens that are trying to flee). Well, no crap.
Why would they? Why would the Eritrean government, one that is creating over 5,000 refugees a MONTH (so so many of whom are children), one that is brutally imprisoning and torturing its own people in secret underground prisons, one that uses indefinite forced military conscription of men and women to create what amounts to slave labor for those at the top- why on earth would THIS government have any motivation to comply with US standards of reporting so that those who have fled can seek safety? Let’s look at Syria- from the original travel ban. Why would a regime that is CURRENTLY still holding millions of its own people under siege, to the tune of hundreds of civilians (yes- civilian men, women, and CHILDREN) still being killed each month, care about complying with the US? Just because their governments are failing them, why do these families deserve our protection any less? Shouldn’t these situations warrant EXTRA assistance and hospitality to the survivors of this horror?
But here is the kicker. Does not allowing entry of a tiny portion of highly screened refugees (less than 1% of refugees end up being resettled in the US), even those from countries that don’t give us the exact level of information we ask for, make us any less safe? The answer is a resounding “no”. The US system for screening refugees is strong. It is safe. To the point of ridiculous. When the screening is already so thorough that it takes multiple years and you have over 3.5 million refugees that have come to the US in the past 4 decades and not one person has been killed in a terrorist attack on US soil due to a refugee, it’s a dang tight system. Let’s give ourselves a little bit of credit. Why are we pretending we are weak? We already do a great job of providing safety to refugees and to the US at the same time- without these travel bans.
I know I am venting (ie: ranting) and I am “sorry, not sorry”. But the truth is, this ban is a continued smear campaign on refugees and immigrants, further impacts a dismally low number of refugee arrivals, and most tragically, it keeps families apart. Families that are now Missoulians. Families that are our own. I keep going back to the saying, “There is no such thing as someone else’s child”. We have to stand up for each other.
It may feel like there is not a lot we can do to change things, but we can pledge to keep fighting, to keep pushing. We will not be caught hopeless and helpless and we are asking you to join us in strength. Soft Landing has a lot of events coming up and at each event, we will provide post cards you can write in support of refugees and robust resettlement numbers. We will provide info on who you can be calling. We will bear witness to films documenting the tragedy of countries at war, yet the strength and resilience of their people. We will sell you delicious cookies that will excite your Valentine AND put essential income into the pockets of refugee chefs. We will partake in the grand opening of an incredible all-ages art center (the new ZACC) by helping refugees share their own art in a public space. We ask you to stand up and be counted as an ally to refugees and immigrants by joining us for these events, then using those experiences to not only talk to your elected leaders, but also your friends and your family (extended included). Let’s not let our frustration paralyze us, but encourage us to do more to lift up our voices in support of refugee families.
In love and gratitude,
Mary Poole
ED Soft Landing MissoulaP.S.- There is SOOOOO much going on in February! You can check out the info below and/or keep an eye at our on-line calendar to participate.
Valentine’s Day Cookie Box Sale
It’s here! Ordering starts NOW and only goes through the end of the week (Sunday Feb 9th)! Decadent Baklava and 6 other types of amazing cookies to tempt your Valentine- or to enjoy yourself! Profits go directly to the local refugee chefs who hand-make these treats and provide critical support for these families to get established in the community.
SLM is Hiring!
We are incredibly excited to announce a new position with Soft Landing’s food based programming- United We Eat. We are looking for a Program Manager experienced in business and/or non-profit management with a passion for food and it’s intersection with social justice. This will be a dynamic and creative position – not to mention, a lot of FUN!
Events and Opportunities
>> Community Day for Soft Landing at The Notorious P.I.G.- TOMORROW Feb 4th. Join us for lunch, dinner, or anything in between and SLM gets 15% of the day’s proceeds. More info on theFB event. >>
>> SLM teams up with the ZACC for February’s First Friday Art Walk and their Grand Re-opening this Friday Feb. 7th. Come see the new space and enjoy art by our Congolese neighbors. More info here. >>
>> YES! It’s almost here! The Big Sky Documentary Film Fest, running Feb 14th-23rd, is one of our favorite events all year and we are sponsoring 4 films this year! Come check it out and maybe we will see you at one of our 7 screenings during this week! Check out our schedule and more info here. >>
>> Dinner for the Displaced. Hands On Global, a Helena nonprofit, is hosting and informational and fundraising dinner for their work providing medical relief in refugee camps around the world as well as at our southern border. This is a really amazing group. Come support their incredibly important work with us on Saturday Feb 22 at 6p at St. Paul Lutheran Church. More info here. >>
Spread some love this Valentine’s Day!
Roses are red,
Cookies are sweet,
Order some now
For a Valentine’s treat!
We’re bringing back our Valentine’s Day Baklava sale, now with additional mixed cookie box options! You can celebrate the holiday and indulge knowing that you’re spreading the love around Missoula. Profits go directly to the local refugee chefs who hand-make these treats and provide critical support for these families to get established in the community. Give to your Loves, share with your office, or surprise your kid’s teacher- there is no bad reason to buy a box (or four) today!
Options:
Small Box- includes all 7 unique cookies above- $12
Large Box- includes 15 cookies- 2 of each with a bonus baklava – $24
Baklava Box: You know you Bak-LOVE-a this treat, so grab some extra to share with your Valentine (or enjoy by yourself!) -$10
Order: Please place your orders here before February 10th
Pickup: Your order will be available for pickup on Thursday, February 13th from 12-5:30pm, and Friday, February 14th from 8am-12pm. Your treats will be waiting for you at the Soft Landing Office:
939 Stephens Avenue
Suite C
Missoula, MT 59801
Big Sky Documentary Film Fest 2020
For the fourth year in a row, Soft Landing is proud to sponsor films for the incredible Big Sky Documentary Film Fest (BSDFF).
This week-long event allows us to explore the world through film and presents artful productions that cover a diverse range of topics. We thoroughly believe that stories unite people from all walks of life and are always so excited to be a part of such a beautiful and at times complicated view of humanity. This is a wonderful community event that showcases diversity and supports the arts! We advise trying to see as many of these great films as you can (take the week off work?!?!)!
Our four sponsored films are:
Chèche Lavi (Looking for Life)
Sam Ellison, 2019, Mexico, Haiti, USA, 76 minutes
Montana Premiere
CHÈCHE LAVI is a lyrical portrait of two Haitian migrants, Robens and James, who find themselves stranded at the US-Mexico border with no way forward and no one to depend on but each other. As the two men drift towards drastically different futures, a picture of their unexpected friendship emerges against the backdrop of an incomprehensible political situation and a new wall rising on the horizon.
Screening:
Saturday, Feb 15th @ 5:00 pm- Roxy Theater
Wednesday, Feb 19th @ 2:45 pm- Elks Lodge
Mollie Moore, 2019, USA, 19 minutes
Cosmo, originally from South Sudan, seeks help from childhood friend Moon, a poet. After having to flee his home country, he attempts to tell his story for the first time through the medium of poetry after 18 years of silence.
Screening:
Tuesday, Feb 18th @ 4:00 pm- ZACC
Saturday, Feb 22nd @ 5:15 pm- ZACC
Dia Sokol Savage, 2020, USA, 21 minutes
World Premiere
When asylum-seeking immigrants are released from an ICE detention facility onto unfamiliar streets near Denver, Colorado, where can they go for help? Since 2012, Sarah Jackson and her team of volunteers have welcomed them into her home and helped to reunite them with their families.
Screening:
Sunday, Feb 16th @ 9:00 pm- Elks Lodge
Wednesday, Feb 19th @ 1:30 pm- ZACC
Francesca Trianni, 2019, Greece, USA, 76 minutes
Montana Premiere
Inside the delivery ward of a Greek hospital, two Syrian women share the same dream: to raise their newborn daughters far from war. Taimaa and Nour begin a journey navigating an inflexible European resettlement program that rarely takes their needs into account. A tender and at times infuriating view into a new mother’s choices at the height of Europe’s refugee crisis.
Screening: Wednesday, Feb 19th @ 5:30 pm- Elks Lodge
*** The filmmaker and a representative from TIME Studios are also scheduled to be at this screening***
For more information on BSDFF, a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets and passes, please visit their website here.
SLM Newsletter 1/17/20
Let’s get this party started!
Is the turning of the year always a reflective time? Do I really have to take a look back at 2019? With the wacky news cycle, the constant bombardment of one thing after another and a million little changes in between, I can understand why this term “reflection” takes a bit of the breath out of me these days. Right now, I am much more excited to look ahead in projection rather than behind in reflection, and some times you just have to grin and listen to your heart- so I will.
Instead of trying to wrap one more brain cell (or heart cell as it stands) around wrong-headed decisions to reduce the national number of refugee arrivals in 2020, in a time when more people are displaced world wide by war and conflict (yup- not even counting natural disasters, fire, and climate) than ever in recorded history and what that might mean for the institution of resettlement in America let alone the world, I am going to rejoice in the positive decisions our state and local government have made to support and welcome refugees. I am going to celebrate the work done by local organizations such as the Lifelong Learning Center, the International Rescue Committee, Missoula County Public Schools, Job Services Missoula, and more, to work with refugees with an emphasis on dignity and opportunity. I am going to rally alongside our diverse and compassionate faith communities, and I am going to be in awe of volunteers- ALWAYS the volunteers- as you all make this world go round. I am going to scheme, build, grow, and maybe even learn how to say “no” every now and then with the most incredible humans that make up the staff of Soft Landing. And last but certainly not least, with fierce gratitude, I am going to walk, play, dance, and eat beside wonderful new neighbors that now call Missoula home. That is my proactive plan for 2020.
There is plenty of room in this plan for you 😉
In love and gratitude,
Mary Poole
ED Soft Landing Missoula
PS- We hope that you have all recovered from the gluttony of the holidays, as well as the frantic fasting in recovery of said gluttony, and are ready to join us for more adventures in food in 2020! Look below for information on our January Supper Club- An Eritrean feast that is sure to sell out quickly so hop to it!- as well as a job listing for a new full time employee with Soft Landing Missoula to manage all of our food adventures so we can grow this incredibly well received branch of our programming.
January Supper Club
Join us at Scotty’s Table on Monday January 27th for delicious Eritrean food full of warmth, spice, and love. Similar to Ethiopian food, sharing in this family style meal is a real treat. Click below to view more details and reserve your spot. Our first Supper Club of the year, spots are sure to go QUICKLY!
Job Opportunity
Do you love food and people and have experience in business and/or nonprofit management? We are looking for a creative, energetic, and experienced person to run our food-based, social enterprise program- United We Eat. Check out the Job post and more info below.
Events and Opportunities
>> We are looking for volunteers to join our fun and rewarding after school tutoring program for middle school and high school students. We especially welcome folks interested in tutoring math and science and the kids would be especially excited for someone who shares their love of Hot Cheetos. Check out this an other volunteer needs here. >>
>> Do you have experience in setting up websites and would be interested in volunteering to help a woman set up a simple website with instruction on how to manage it for her new small business? This is a fun opportunity to be a part of economic sufficiency and work one on one with a new refugee entrepreneur! Email mary@softlandingmissoula.org >>