We are happy to continue to sponsor this great series that creates a window to the world in partnership with The Roxy, Arts Missoula, the International Rescue Committee in Missoula, and more. Come check out this fall’s line up of FREE movies- the theme is art from around the world: Cultures on Display.
As the refugee resettlement “ceiling” will be set in the next few weeks for the Fiscal Year 2020 (starting October 2019), we are asking you to help save a very successful program that has changed many thousands of lives across the country, including more than 300 here in Montana in the last 3 years. Refugee resettlement has stimulated local economies with the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of people who have found haven from harm in their home countries. Schools and neighborhoods resound with the spirit and vitality of our new residents. In Missoula, refugee communities have started a church, opened businesses, and begun to participate in the fabric of our town.
But refugee resettlement is threatened as never before. Admissions could be cut to zero next fiscal year. States and cities could be given the option to refuse resettlement. Other initiatives directed at immigrants in general could begin to have an effect on refugees coming to America. As expressed in last month’s Op-ed in the Missoulian, it’s something we are very concerned about, and that’s why we are asking you to do something important to support refugees across the nation.
Please help us reach out to local and state leaders to join a National effort and ask them sign a letter to President Trump by Sept. 9 requesting that no fewer than 95,000 refugees be admitted in FY 2020.
Please share this letter with elected officials all over Montana and urge them to sign. Let’s let the administration know that Montana is a welcoming state that values and supports the resettlement of refugees.
For more information on why we are so concerned or how you can help, please read this thorough report by Refugee Council USA(RCUSA) and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Join Soft Landing for Missoula’s third annual Welcoming Week. In tandem with thousands of other organizations and communities nationwide, Soft Landing hopes to inspire and celebrate welcoming all people to the Missoula community. Together with partners, including the International Rescue Committee, Imagine Nation Brewing, Sweet Peaks, the Jeanette Rankin Peace Center, Missoula Rises, & more, we invite you to this weeklong cultural celebration!
Welcoming Week Kickoff Party:
Friday, September 13th, 6:00pm @ Imagine Nation Brewing
Come kick-off this wonderful week of welcoming events with us! There will be a short talk by participating organizations followed by a fun Global Trivia game to round out the evening. Back by popular demand, the “Together” Global Pale Ale, brewed special for this week by the wonderful folks at INBC, will be on tap and in crowlers for this event and after as supplies last! Food available from Kamoon Arabian Cuisine.
Facebook event to share here.
Eritrean Coffee Ceremony
Saturday, September 14th, 1:00-3:00pm @ Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
Join us for a traditional Eritrean coffee ceremony, which involves hand-roasting, grinding of the beans, and brewing of strong coffee before enjoying a delicious cup sitting in front of a traditional serving table. Come learn a bit more about Eritrean culture and get your coffee fix! Admission is free with a suggested donation to benefit the participating families.
Facebook event to share here.
Congo Vs The World Soccer Match
Sunday, September 15th, 4pm @ Playfair Park
Watch a friendly soccer match between soccer players from the Democratic Republic of Congo and the greater Missoula International Community . This will be a chance to cheer for your favorite players and join in on the celebration of one of the worlds most favorite sports. Make sure to stick around for refreshments after the game. Sweet Peaks Ice Cream will also be generously donating free scoops!
Facebook event to share here.
Community Night at Sweet Peaks
Tuesday, September 17th, 5:00-9:00pm @ Sweet Peaks
Join us for ice cream during this “sweet” night of community giving in which Sweet Peaks will be donating $1 from every item sold to Soft Landing Missoula to support their work to make Missoula a welcoming home for refugees and immigrants.
Advocacy work party with IRC and Missoula Rises
Wednesday, September 18th, 6:00-8:00pm @ Imagine Nation Brewing
Join the International Rescue Committee and Missoula Rises for an advocacy work party to call and write in support of the GRACE Act to set refugee admissions at at least 95,000/year- and enjoy a nice beverage to boot!
Facebook event to share here.
Tap Room Dialogue with the Jeanette Rankin Peace Center & Imagine Nation Brewing Company
Thursday, September 19th, 5:30-7pm @ Imagine Nation Brewing Company
Come and discuss peace, justice and welcoming over a local brew.
Middle Eastern Pop-up Dessert Sale
Friday, September 20th, 5:00-8:00pm @ Goodworks Ventures
Join Soft Landing Missoula for a pop up dessert sale featuring homemade desserts from the Middle East. Come sip free coffee and tea, meet our refugee chefs and buy some dessert to taste and to take home. All proceeds benefit the refugee families selling the dessert.
Facebook event to share here.
Venezuela Night at MIS
Saturday, September 21st, 7:00-8:30pm @ Missoula International School
Venezuela is a country with extensive cultural diversity. Reflected in its dances and music, Venezuela’s indigenous, European and African heritages are merged to form the identity of a country proud of its diversity. Come to experience a little of the different types of music common in Venezuela, as well as their dances and traditions: The Dancing Devils of Yare, La Parranda de San Pedro and El Sebucan. Get ready to have fun and receive Latin music dance lessons in Merengue and Salsa.
Facebook event to share here.
Together Missoula Rally
Sunday, September 22nd, 1:00-4:00pm @ Caras Park
Please join us for this inaugural event to experience the joy and harmony of many cultures bringing you three hours of inspiration: speakers, music, dance, art, museum tours, and general celebration! Hosted by the City of Missoula, local non-profits, and diverse faith and cultural communities, this event will be a wonderful way to wrap up Welcoming Week!
Facebook event to share here.
Soft Landing Missoula will be collecting winter clothing for refugee families. We are accepting new and gently used winter coats, winter boots, winter socks, snow pants, hats and gloves. Items can be dropped off at our office Monday-Friday between 9am-4pm. We cannot accept sweaters or other clothing.
We are also looking for volunteers to head up their own drive – use your own network (church, book club, school) to collect items and bring them to Soft Landing.
Contact volunteer@softlandingmissoula.org with questions or for more information.
Soft Landing is looking for Volunteers for our after school tutoring program for middle school and high school refugee students.
This program was developed a year ago in response to frequent requests from refugee students for help with their homework. After a year of tutoring, the response from both teachers and students was unanimous: tutoring not only helped students do better in school but it also helped in providing a safe social space for students who are adjusting and acclimating to a whole new way of life. Some students come to hangout, dance, surf the web, and play games while others want serious help with algebra Science, and Writing.
The program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-5:30. We are looking for individuals who are willing to commit to at least one day a week throughout the semester. Tutors need to feel comfortable working with students in at least 1 of the following subjects: Algebra, Geometry, Earth Sciences, or Essay writing/Research Papers. Preference given to tutors who can also help transport students. If you are interested please email greta@softlandingmissoula.org for more information.
Greenheart Exchange is looking for a family to host family for Ami, 17 year old Japanese student from Kumamoto, Japan. Since 1985, Greenheart Exchange has placed over 20,000 international exchange students with families seeking to host a foreign exchange student. Greenheart provides a strong support system to both participants and families. You can learn more about Greenheart Exchange here. This is a great opportunity to learn about another culture and share your own!
Ami is 17 years old, and she will be entering Hellgate High School as a senior. She loves to sing and play guitar, and dreams of becoming a rockstar. One of her favorite past times is reading. She feels that reading is a way to gain skills for the future. When she has spare pocket money she would spend it on books, and pass a whole day lost in a book. She is half Japanese and half Filipino and has lived in both countries.
All interested families are asked to submit an inquiry form, complete the application process, and pass a background check per US State Department regulations. Families who are interested in this experience can apply here: Apply to Host an Exchange Student | Greenheart Exchange.
Please direct any questions to the local coordinator- Sarah Smith. As school starts soon, time is of the essence 😉
Sarah Smith
Missoula Local Coordinator for Greenheart Exchange
smaigin@yahoo.com
406.270.1811
We asked and you responded! Thank you to the many donors who stepped up to help us fund ongoing swim lessons for refugee kiddos. Not only did we get the $250 to fund the next session, but because of your generosity, we will be able to fund multiple sessions, plus provide all the equipment necessary.
Our amazing volunteer swim instructor, Kyle Watson, had this to say: “My hope is to provide skills that are fundamental and critical for survival in the event that a child needs to self-rescue. In a town like Missoula, that situation could and does present itself a number of ways. My sister, who’s also a swimmer, donated because she really believes in this message. She lives on the Boise River, and two years ago a 15-year old refugee drown while at a popular swimming spot not far from her house.”
Wow. Thank you to Kyle and everyone who donated to help make this happen. We feel great knowing that families exploring all of the wonderful rivers and lakes in Montana this summer will not only have a ton of fun, but also have skills to keep themselves safe.
As with so many of you in our community, across the state, and around the nation (and sheesh! THE WORLD), we have been horrified at what is going on with family separation and detention of children on our southern border. There is not much I can say that has not yet been said about it, but I did want to touch on a few things.
One- We have an incredible community with a lot of people who care about this issue. We were so honored to partner with Missoula Rises, Montanans for Immigrant Justice, and the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center to host a Lights for Liberty vigil in Missoula and also be a part of 7 cities around the state, and over 700 around the world that not only expressed our outrage, but also demanded action from our elected officials. We have posted some great photos of the evening and ways you can KEEP ACTING so it doesn’t just stop there. It is hard to imagine that this has now been going on for well over a year and only seems to be getting more dire with recent efforts by the administration to make asylum completely unavailable at our southern border. Yes, this will probably be blocked by a judge, but if you remember, so was family separation and it is STILL happening! We have all got to dig deep and make the call, then call again.
Second- Have you noticed the (small but mighty) change we have made to the wording of our mission? Last winter, during our annual board meeting, we all arrived at the realization that we have never closed our door to anyone seeking our services, and in that way we had already been holding a place in the community for refugees as well as other immigrants, including those seeking asylum. In fact, interesting SLM trivia, we have had the honor of serving asylum seekers before refugees even arrived in Missoula. We feel like there is no better time to announce this change in wording and honor all of our work and all of the community members we serve by the addition of “and Immigrants” to our mission. At this moment, this does not mean an expansion of services that we offer, but that our doors will remain open to all immigrants and English Language Learners who seek our existing services. To further explain and give context for this addition in wording, we are sharing a letter from the Soft Landing Missoula board with you. I feel blessed to have a board that so closely shares the staff’s vision for this organization. Thank you board!
Lastly- We have got to keep celebrating! This is just as important as the rest. Refugees and immigrants fill our lives with richness and bring with them experiences, culture, and a resilience we would not otherwise know. We are getting excited for all of the events we and others are planning for Welcoming Week (Sept 13-22) and are bringing back our SUPPER CLUB for the month of July! Maybe it is by attending one of our many events, maybe it is through a small shared experience with a new neighbor you know, or maybe it is through taking 20 Eritreans to the lake for a day of fun (Andi- WE LOVE YOU!), but we all need to remember to celebrate.
In love and gratitude,
Mary
We took a little break this spring, but we are back with a July Supper Club at Masala! We are so excited to feature our newest Iraqi neighbor, chef Suhad Munshid!
Join us at Masala on July 28th at 5:30 pm for this amazing meal.
Click below to view the menu, more details, and reserve your spot. Act fast—reservations only and the seats go QUICKLY!
You guys already know Hanan for her incredible cooking and near-famous Butter Chicken, but did you know that she has been an essential welcomer for refugees coming to Missoula? She is incredibly generous with her time, volunteering to translate and make sure Arabic speaking refugee families have access to all our community has to offer and advocate for them so no one falls through the cracks. She is a true friend and a large reason that these families are thriving here in Missoula. Thank you Hanan!
>> Help Soft Landing raise $250 for swim lessons! We have been working with a local swim instructor since last winter who is voluntarily providing swim lessons to refugee students. Please help us cover the cost of pool rental and equipment so that we can keep the fun (and important instruction!) going!>>
>> Have you been tutoring English for a while and want to step up your game? Or maybe you are new to teaching English Language Learners but are excited for the opportunity to teach at home or abroad. Either way, this TESOL class is for you! Learn more!>>
>>ELI is looking for host families for the afternoon of July 27th from 2-7. This is a minimal commitment to have a lot of fun and get to share our great city with high school visitors form Japan! Learn more.>>
In 2015, a 2-year-old Syrian boy named Alan Kurdi drowned while trying to reach Greece, as did his mother Rehan and his older brother, Galip. Images of his body, which had washed ashore at the Turkish resort of Bodrum, circulated throughout the news and social media, sparking outrage, despair, and, in many corners of the world, including ours, action. After seeing the haunting image of Alan’s body lying alone on a beach and reflecting on the global refugee crisis that has only grown since 2015, a group of women in a Missoula book club sought to make a difference. Soft Landing Missoula was born. The small organization grew, held community meetings, got key stakeholders, such as Missoula County Public Schools, on board, and contacted refugee resettlement organizations throughout the U.S. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which had resettled Hmong refugees in Missoula from the 1970s to the early 1990s, responded to their call. Starting in August of 2016, refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, Iraq, and Eritrea began to call Missoula home. Almost three years later, over 300 refugees have relocated to Missoula through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program and the IRC, and also continue to receive support from Soft Landing Missoula.
Now, another image haunts us, one reflective of the asylum crisis at the U.S. border with Mexico. This image, eerily familiar, has circulated through the media and social media worlds. A father and his 23-month-old daughter lay dead, having drowned in the Rio Grande River. Like Alan’s family trying to reach Greece while escaping the civil war in Syria, Oscar Alberto Martinez and his daughter, Valeria, died trying to seek asylum in the U.S. while Tania Avalos, Oscar’s wife and Valeria’s mother, watched helplessly from the shore.
The parallels are striking. Between 1993 and 2018, over 34,000 asylum seekers died trying to cross the Mediterranean, with the majority of those deaths occurring between 2014 and 2018. They often crossed from Libya, Turkey and other countries, hoping to make it to a European Union country in order to seek asylum. Today, growing numbers of migrants from Central American countries such as El Salvador are seeking asylum at the southern U.S. border with Mexico, hoping to escape violence and poverty. Whereas the U.S. was, until 2018, the worldwide leader in third-country refugee resettlement, these asylum seekers are coming at a time when the U.S. is cutting the number of official refugees that it accepts while also reducing the number of asylum seekers entering the country. The administration’s increasingly restrictive policies are contributing to a growing humanitarian crisis at the southern U.S. border, and abroad. As a nation, we have successfully resettled over 3.5 million refugees since the formal resettlement program began in the late 1970’s. We can and should continue to be a global leader in this humanitarian effort.
Recently, Soft Landing Missoula, an organization created to assist refugees, has expanded its written mission to include other kinds of immigrants, including asylum seekers. While we have been serving all who come to us through our regular programming these last almost 4 years, including other immigrants and those seeking asylum, we feel at this time it is especially important to declare this out loud. Those seeking asylum in the U.S., including those at the U.S. border, are, in many instances, fleeing similar circumstances to those who have sought and obtained refugee status here. Their countries of origin, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Syria, and Eritrea, might be an ocean and continents away, but the circumstances of their departure are often very much alike.
Thus, SLM will begin to include a section in subsequent newsletters to highlight the plight of asylum seekers at the U.S. border and the people trying to do something about it. We hope to humanize the crisis and spark the kind of commitment to action that created this organization in the first place and resulted in the resettlement of over 300 refugees in Missoula. We at Soft Landing Missoula believe that Oscar and his young daughter, Valeria, deserved a chance at a better life. They made a dangerous trek hoping for that chance and their lives ended as a result, just like that of Alan, his brother, and his mother. These children and their families remind us of what is at stake in the global refugee crisis with 70 million people and counting displaced from their homes worldwide – people like Oscar, Valeria, Alan, Rehan, and Galip. People like the seven children seeking asylum who have died after being taken into U.S. custody. People whose lives should not end face down in a river or in a sea. This conviction is at the heart of Soft Landing Missoula’s mission and it is the belief that started the movement for the most recent chapter of refugee resettlement in Missoula.
Please join us in supporting and advocating for fair and humane treatment for asylum seekers at the southern U.S. border. To learn more and to contribute your time and resources, please see the following:
Call/Email/Visit our Members of Congress OFTEN! Tell them you oppose the separation of migrant children from family members and that holding asylum seekers in concentration camps is inhumane, unjust and a violation of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights. Demand inspection of detention centers and the release of children and families. Let them know that you would like to see an INCREASE in refugees and people seeking asylum being allowed legal entry to the US. The Congressional Switchboard is: 202-224-3121.
Reach out to local groups working on immigrants’ rights like: Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance, National Lawyers Guild Chapters, Montanans for Immigrant Justice, Billings Sanctuary Rising, Montana ACLU, Montana Human Rights Network, and the International Rescue Committee.
Contribute to organizations on the front lines of assistance like: El Otro Lado, Together Rising, United We Dream, RAICES, Angry Tias y Abuelas of the Rio Grande Valley, KIND – Kids in Need of Defense, The Florence Project, Make the Road, La Union del Pueblo Unido, Annunciation House, Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and the Tucson monastery shelter, No More Deaths. Check out Miles for Migrants to donate frequent flier miles to reunite families.
Thank you for joining your voice with ours to protect and support families seeking safety and opportunity.
In love and gratitude,
Soft Landing Missoula Board of Directors,
Gillian Glaes, Alysha Goheen, Bria Morgan, Katie Klietz, Brian Fitzgerald, Clem Work, Rev. Daniel Disch, Kelsey Stamm Jimenez.
Hi guys!!! It’s been a while! We took a little break from our traditional sit down Supper Clubs this spring, but we are back and so excited to feature the the talents of chef Suhad Munshid, our newest neighbor from Iraq, for this month’s supper club! Join us at Masala on July 28th for a taste of traditional Iraqi cuisine.
The Soft Landing Missoula Supper Club aims to introduce the incredible culinary talent of Missoula’s newest neighbors and international residents, whose rich and flavorful cooking traditions provide a cultural bridge and enrich our shared community.
Suhad’s recipes are prepared with flavorful herbs and spices, and she is very excited to spread some joy with her delicious cooking!
Reserve your spot today! Find out how below… a heads-up: they go QUICKLY!
Where: Masala, 206 W Main St, Missoula, MT
When: Sunday, July 28th. Doors at 5:30 pm and dinner at 6:00pm
Cost: Eat: $40/person Give: $60/person Love: $80/person
How: To make a reservation call Masala at (406) 926- 6444
When you pay after your meal, you will have the option to:
Eat: $40 for a delicious family style dinner, where a portion of the cost covers ingredients and staff time, and the rest goes to the guest chef.
Give: $60 gets you the same delicious dinner, but with an additional $20 going directly to the guest chef.
Love: $80 gives an additional $40 directly to the guest chef to collectively make this an unforgettable evening!
All levels are welcome and appreciated!
