Generosity and opportunities to learn.

This past week, I got to help a woman give a beautiful gift to one of our families. I sat down with the first person to earn his drivers license, and a volunteer from his mentor team that has been instrumental in helping him to achieve this goal, and let them know that an incredibly kind and generous woman had called a few months ago wanting to gift a used car to one of Missoula’s new families. This gift will help this family tremendously, not only for appointments and fun activities around town, but also by increasing the types and quality of employment that will be accessible to them, providing a clearer path to self sufficiency. We would love to be able to continue to help folks extend the same hand to others earning their licenses, and we already have another graduate! Please let me know if donating a vehicle might be a possibility for you! 

One of the most amazing things about the work we do is how much we get to learn every moment of everyday. A few months ago, I was told that there was an arrival scheduled for a family from Eritrea. I immediately thought, “Er-i-what?  Er-i-where?”. I have heard this echoed by other folks quite a few times since then, and I am so excited to learn right along with you during our third lecture in the Soft Landing Missoula Presents! series:  “Eritrea: the Country, Culture, and Circumstance.” More details below. See you guys Wednesday night! 

– In love and gratitude, Mary Poole

P.S. If you like the photo below of us in our sweet new hoodies, shirts, and hats, we do have them for sale! Swing by the office (939 Stephens Avenue, Suite C), or let me know if you want to check them out by sending an email to info@softlandingmissoula.org.

Eritrea: the Country, Culture and Circumstance – This Week!

We are excited to bring you our third lecture in the Soft Landing Missoula Presents! series. Join us this Wednesday, March 8th, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the University Center Theater (located on the 3rd floor of the University Center on the University of Montana campus) as we explore Eritrea: the Country, Culture, and Circumstance! We recommend arriving to the University Center Theater early as we have filled the space to capacity in past lectures. More details and RSVP on Facebook!

TAKE ACTION NOW: Tell the Montana House to Stop Senate Bill 97

Right now, the Montana House is considering SB 97, which seeks to prohibit the application of any foreign law in the Montana Judicial system. This bill is a solution in search of a problem, failing to recognize that our Constitution is the highest law of the land and that the inclusion of any religious law in the court system is already strictly prohibited based on the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. Instead, it’s designed as an opportunity to scapegoat and fear-monger against Muslims, including Muslim refugees. Call the legislative switchboard at (406) 444-4800 and ask to leave a message for the House Judiciary Committee. Tell them to vote no on SB 97!

We need every voice possible to stand up against this bill. We may also be sending out a separate email later this week with more information on how to help, especially if you are in, or can get to Helena! More details.

Cars Needed!

Have you recently inherited a car that isn’t being used much? Upgraded to a new car and are too busy to sell your old one? Have a husband that likes to collect cars that end up sitting in YOUR spot in the driveway? We are looking for generous individuals that are willing to donate decent, functioning cars directly to refugees who have earned their drivers licenses. If you’re interested in donating a car, please email info@softlandingmissoula.org.

Follow us on Instagram – @softlandingmissoula

Soft Landing Missoula is now on Instagram: @softlandingmissoula. Follow us for photos from our events, campaigns, and stories! 

P.S. again! If you like these sweet new hoodies, shirts, and hats, we do have them for sale! Swing by the office (939 Stephens Avenue, Suite C), or let us know if you want to check them out by sending an email to info@softlandingmissoula.org.

 

 

As we go through this tumultuous time, it is essential to count our wins and take stock of why these wins are so important.

For nearly seven months, Missoula has given an incredible welcome to almost 20 new families from Congo, Iraq, Eritrea, Syria, and Ethiopia. These families have begun to weave themselves into the fabric of our city and the lives of hundreds of Missoulians. They have enriched many of our churches and faith communities, added a global perspective to our public schools, entered our work force, and a few brave souls have even braved our local ski hill!

We have begun to hear the edges of some of their stories: talk of beautiful homes, serene countryside, University endeavors, family and neighbors, and shared food; stories that at times can sound a lot like the life we enjoy here in this cold, sleepy town. These wonderful memories are also colored by other, harder realities that include loss, injury, fear, persecution, and oppression; stories of long journeys on foot at night carrying children and the elderly, and the agony of who and what was left behind. Despite the struggle and suffering, there exists a common thread of perseverance, hope, determination, strength and beauty. 

For these new Missoula families, this is not where their stories stop, but where new ones begin. This is where their stories will add to the stories of all of our lives, and those of our children. 

With the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, Missoula will continue to participate in an American history that has already welcomed hundreds of newcomers to our town: a strong Hmong community as well as wonderful neighbors and co-workers form Belarus and the Ukraine. We will continue to be part of an America rooted in our ability to come together and offer hope and refuge to the vulnerable and persecuted; an America that believes we are at our best when we come from a place of compassion, generosity and opportunity for all; an America that invites diverse new neighbors to join us in building strong communities.  

This is no small thing. This privilege has been hard-won. So today, even with the uncertainties of tomorrow, we need to count our blessings and most certainly, count our wins.

– In love and gratitude, Mary Poole

Donations Needed Now

Our homepage features an ever-changing list of needed donations. Here’s the current list:
Pots and pans, especially larger sizes; Tea Kettles and Tea Pots; Baking sheets and other baking items; Bath mats; Floor rugs; Diapers and wipes (all sizes except infant); Quality Men’s and Women’s Shoes Computers, Phones, TVs and other technology (more on tech donations); CARS! We have a few written driver’s test graduates! Donations can be dropped off Monday – Thursday between 10 a.m. and Noon. If you need to arrange another time, please email donations@softlandingmissoula.org.

Volunteer Spotlight

We have three amazing interns from the University of Montana joining the ranks of Soft Landing Missoula this spring and winter. Read more!

Join Soft Landing at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

The 14th Annual Big Sky Documentary Film Festival kicks off today, Friday, February 17, and Soft Landing Missoula is proud to be sponsoring a block of short films about political refugees. This block of five films touches on the subjects of global immigration, refugees, and asylum seekers, and screens twice during the festival: Monday, February 20 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, February 25, at 12:30 p.m. Screenings are at The Elks Lodge. Admission is $9 ($7 for students and seniors).

Refugee Crisis: A Discussion of Global Importance – February 23rd

Next week, the Montana World Affairs Council will host a community discussion featuring Hayley Smith, founder of Lifting Hands International. She will discuss the causes of the refugee crisis, the distinctions between refugees and immigrants, and share an intimate look at life inside of a refugee camp. Thursday, February 23, at 7:00 pm at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel. Register now.

Pint Night on March 1st

Wednesdays are Community UNite at the Northside Kettlehouse taproom, and March 1st is dedicated to Soft Landing Missoula. Enjoy a fresh beer on tap while supporting our organization! Kettlehouse Brewing Company will donate $.50 from every pint sold between 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. to Soft Landing Missoula, and we will have a table set up to answer questions. Mark your calendar and RSVP on the Facebook event page!

Eritrea: the Country, Culture, and Circumstance – March 8th

We are excited to bring you our third lecture in the Soft Landing Missoula Presents series. Join us on March 8th from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the UC Theater as we explore Eritrea: the Country, Culture, and Circumstance. Thanks so much to our wonderful sponsors: the African American Studies Program at the University of Montana, the UM Political Science Department, and Montana Model UN! Please RSVP on our Facebook event page! 

Summer Camps: Can you help?

Summer vacation is a wonderful and fun time of year, but as working parents know, finding safe and affordable activities for your school-aged children is no easy task. Soft Landing and the IRC will be working with each of our families to piece together free or reduced cost care for their kids. Do you have a connection to a summer camp or summer activity in Missoula? Can you help us negotiate a scholarship spot at this camp or activity? If you can help, please send an email to volunteer@softlandingmissoula.org.

Highlights from our February 2, 2017, newsletter

Anyone else reeling after this week?  It has been a crazy one, full of challenges and unknowns, but also so so full of hope and perseverance. At the end of last week, we saw a historic Executive Order bring the hammer down on immigrants and refugees, followed by an even more historic response across the nation and worldwide (including hundreds of people who showed up last minute for a march through the streets of Missoula on Sunday) to the injustices this order imposes. For more of our thoughts on the order, please read our board’s statement. To take action now, read our post on 4 ways you can support refugees in Montana.

Even with all of the unknowns that this order brings (including, amazingly, getting two new families from Eritrea just last night!), we do know that our work continues: that Soft Landing Missoula is needed now more than ever, that you and all you do to support our work of making Missoula a welcoming and informed community where refugees can thrive is more important than ever. Thank you. 

As a way of continuing to understand our work on a longer time frame (which may be easy for those of you that have had the privilege of working with the previous groups of refugees that have graced our city), I want to share with you an email that I received last week. This email continues to bring me back, not only to Missoula’s amazing efforts, but also to what interacting with refugees and people of different cultures, religions and colors can mean to a person and the wealth it provides a community. This came to me from a Lutheran Pastor in East Boston and here is the heart of it: 

I just read the article about “Soft Landing Missoula”  in Christian Century. We have a shared experience so many miles and many years apart. Our church and a tiny community organization, the East Boston Ecumenical Community, started sponsoring Cambodian refugees in 1982. We started with four families finally totaling 125 Cambodian and Vietnamese. The tiny organization, East Boston Ecumenical Community Council (ebecc.org), grew rapidly until we were serving 1,500 immigrant and refugee families per year out of our 2,000-square-foot basement hall of our church. East Boston was one of Boston’s white ethnic enclaves and racism was pretty intense. It was less than a decade after the end of the wars in SE Asia. We had to learn social service, mental health, civil rights advocacy, family support, youth work, how to teach ESL and more on the job! It was a wild, wonderful adventurous time!

The first family consisted of a 42-year-old Cambodian woman, her 16-year-old daughter, and her mother. Meing Lon lost her husband and five of her six children to the Khmer Rouge violence. One year after their arrival, the families made a Cambodian language banner for the church. It said “Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth.” It hangs in the highest place and has been there since 1983. Meing Lon and I grew close. She was willing to share some of the stories. She was and is a wise and strong person. I swear that in my dying moments I will think of her as the most important person I met in nearly 40 years of ministry. “

So through this tough time I raise my glass to you, to those who have pioneered this work before us, and to the families that will undeniably be some of the most important people we meet in our years on this planet.

– In love and gratitude, Mary Poole

P.S. Check out our new frequently updated Donations Needed Now list on the homepage of our website and let us know if you can fill these needs!

P.S. If you read the Missoulian op/ed comments: No, I am not leaving, it’s a rumor!  You are stuck with me. 😉

What the Executive Order Means for Refugees

Learn what’s in the Executive Order and what you can do now to support refugees. Read more.

Act Now: SB 97

Currently SB 97 is being considered by the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee. This bill is aimed at banning “Foreign Law” and is widely known to be specifically referring to “Shariah Law”. We already have this protection in the Constitution of the United States. Please write to members of the committee, even if they aren’t your representative, to urge them to vote NO on this bill. Act now.

Equip Refugee Families with Your Old Technology

Have you upgraded to a better Wi-Fi router, smartphone, computer, TV, DVD player, or micro-SD card? If your old technology still works, these families could make good use of it to be connected, or to make use of English-learning resources. Make a difference by donating it today! Details on what we need and how to donate.

As we ring in the New Year, it gives me great joy to reflect on the past year and imagine how we will make 2017 even better for our community and the new families that have found a home here. (Scroll down to find out how you get can involved!)

Who would have thought how quickly this all would happen? In one year we have helped nearly 50 people fleeing violence and persecution relocate in Missoula, witnessing a new world of opportunity flourish for them and their families.
 
All of our successes have been possible because of your support: the overwhelming support of the Missoula community, the hundred-plus volunteers that are working with us and the IRC everyday, the amazing organizations and facilities in Missoula that have stepped up to the plate and are hitting home runs (go MCPS!) and finally, your financial contributions to support opening our community center and increasing our programing capacity. This is all you. Thank you!
 
Thanks to you our year-end campaign raised over $13,000! These contributions will help us increase education and outreach opportunities across the state, sponsor our next lecture (slated for February), provide resources for our growing English language and driver’s education classes (so lovingly run by volunteers!), and help us have a voice in this year’s Montana state legislative session. We cannot thank you enough for your help in this important work.

We will face additional challenges this year. We will have to adapt and maybe even roll with some punches. With a new year will come new adventures, and I have complete confidence that the incredible volunteers, our outstanding board, our city and county elected officials, and the other organizations and facilities supporting our mission, will continue to build a city that is welcoming and vibrant—a place where refugee families can find respite and opportunity. I am so proud of you all. 

This year my family’s New Year’s celebration looked pretty different than years past. We had the honor of assisting some of our families with their tradition of providing a feast for their community—complete with a goat that broke loose and almost made a harrowing escape! As a lifelong Montana hunter, my husband was mesmerized by the difference in process, but every single one of us felt at home around that fire pit, sharing tradition, meat, laughter, and song. It was a beautiful moment that I hope to continue to make a tradition for my own family for years to come.

In love and gratitude, 

Mary

Winter Clothes Still Needed

We are really in need of the following: Coats, boots, mittens, gloves, hats, scarves, thick socks, long underwear and snow pants/suits. All sizes are welcome, but sizes for school-aged children are the most needed. More details.

Women’s March on Montana

SLM will be participating in The Women’s March on Montana on Saturday, January 21.Read more and consider joining us!

MAC Day: Show your support in Helena

There are multiple anti-refugee/anti-immigrant bills in play for the 2017 Montana State Legislature. We must have a presence at the Capitol to have our voices heard. We will be participating in MAC Day at the Legislature on Monday, January 23, in Helena. More details.

Volunteer Spotlight

This month we’d like to spotlight Hayley Wright and Grant Parker, who have taken the lead on our English tutoring program that is offered in our Community Center. We are so happy that they are giving their time and energy to this important endeavor and we want to say thank you! Read more!

Hello!

I am dropping a quick note out in the last couple days of this year just to say hi and acknowledge that I haven’t been able to get a newsletter out for a while!!!  We have had a ton going on and of course there were the holidays!  We are in the process of updating our website to reflect all of our new adventures but here is a mini- update.  12 families are now living in Missoula- Congolese, Iraqi, Eritrean and Ethiopian families- with a busy January in the works!  Classes are in full swing here at SLM headquarters and as I write this, I am listening to Greta teach 9 eager and engaged students about the different types of lines on the road as they prepare to take their written driving tests!  This might be my favorite class 😉

We are also working hard to engage with legislators as we roll into the legislative session of 2017.  We are making a lot of phone calls and trying to get some basic info out to folks as they start to move to the Capitol.  It is a bust time of year fro all.  We are so thankful for our partners and those also working hard to support refugees this session, including the ACLU, MHRN and MAC.  We are so so excited about MAC Day and again, want to extend the invite for people to join us on the bus!  There will be busses traveling from Missoula, Kalispell, Great Falls, Bozeman, and Billings if all goes well.  I know this email goes out to people across the state and I am inviting you all to participate! This will be a faith based day but the invitation is open to anyone with the shared values of Justice for the poor and venerable.  Information for all locations will be available soon on the MAC website.  If you are in Missoula and want to go, please check out the attached flier and to sign up, send your name, email, a phone number and affiliation to First United Methodist, FUMCMissoula@gmail.com by Jan. 15.  $15/person, $20/couple.  You can always email me for more info or with any questions.  

I want you to know there is going to be a lot of fun things coming up in the new year!  We are in the process of planing our next lecture in out Soft Landing Missoula Presents series.  This lecture will look at the conflict and culture of East Africa- specifically Eritrea and Ethiopia.  This will hopefully be sometime in February. We also have a workshop being planned for the early spring as an extension of our previous “Ally Training” that we offered last year to learn about and practice engaging in conversation with our friends, family and neighbors about refugees and resettlement.  We believe fully that conversation- and A LOT of listening- is so important to creating a welcoming environment for refugees in our community- even more so now!  Look for these engaging events to help us all broaden our ability to participate.

Lastly, I want to put a plug in for the amazing job Missoula County Public Schools has been doing! We have been able to send volunteers their way that have been working one on one with all of the English Language Learners (refugees and other immigrant students) and they train and organize this group of folks in the classroom.  I have heard back from so so many volunteers how wonderful this program is.  MCPS is in need of more tutors and will be running another training session soon.  Check out this post on our website to get more information on how to sign up!  Also consider contacting them if you have interest in volunteering to help manage the volunteers as they would like a little help with scheduling etc…

OK- I love you all!  We will have a new (and improved!) newsletter format in the new year so this will probably be my last really rambly, long word dump on you guys 😉  Don’t worry, I will still be corresponding with you regularly, it will hopefully just be a little more organized and easy to read thanks to a wonderful team of volunteer communications folks who are getting me all in line! Thank you so much for all of your support- especially through our End of the Year giving mailing and emails (don’t worry! You will get one more tomorrow to remind you that it is the last day of the year to make a tax deductible donation!).  We have been just overwhelmed with support and I will leave you with this last lovely story about Jane Moses and her winter journey from Billings! Glad she made it yesterday 😉 We are so thankful!

Hello!

The last couple weeks have been filled with love.  That’s right, love, and a little uncertainty at times, but a whole lot of love.  This election has created a path that has made the pitch of the hill we are climbing a little steeper, but there you are, continuing to carry us up. The day after the election, 25 more of you signed up to volunteer with Soft Landing Missoula.  In the week that has followed, that number rose over 100 new volunteers.  We know there are challenges ahead for our work, but we are also confident in the heart of Missoula to continue it’s overwhelming support of our efforts, the strength of our Nation to endure and challenge what lies ahead, and the dedication of the International Rescue Committee to continue to serve refugees as they have for the last 85 years since their inception.  Thank you for stopping by our office and sending love letters and phone calls our way.  This has been a welcome bright spot this last couple weeks and we must use this support not to get complacent in what we are doing, but to let it reinvigorate us to our purpose and vision. 

You can help with this!  What ever national challenges for us that lie ahead, we must also face the Montana State Legislature. Over the next few days, we will be working with some AMAZING organizations that we are blessed to call partners to strategize and set a plan in action to show strong support for refugees and immigrants in Montana.  There have been multiple anti-refugee/anti-immigrant bills already drafted and we must have a presence at the Capitol come January to have our voices heard.  One thing we will be doing is participating in MAC Day at the Legislature on Monday, January 23rd – All day. MAC – Montana Association of Christians, is a well respected organization who participates in the legislature and believes in educating and advocating for Justice and Compassion for all. Every session, they choose a few key issues to focus their energy on, and this year, one of those issues is to champion the cause of Refugees and Immigrants in Montana.  We are so grateful for the amazingly insightful and kind guidance they have given your rookie leader (that’s me!) and their willingness to stand up for refugees in this tricky political climate. We will board the MAC bus in the morning (a bus with coffee and donuts and training!) and spend the day visiting our representatives in the Capitol.  We want to help them fill the bus!  There will only be about 50 seats (the cost comes out to about $20 each) so let me know soon if you want to ride with us, as I am sure it will fill up quick! Additional car pooling is also encouraged.  This will be my first time participating in the legislature, and I am pretty excited 😉 There will be other opportunities to join in our efforts this session and as we strategize and plan, I will be sure to let you know how you can help too!

On a lighter note, we recently co-hosted a fabulous “First Thanksgiving” Celebration with the IRC to introduce this uniquely American holiday to our newest neighbors. It was a smashing success! Not only did we sell out of tickets in days and get to eat one of the best traditional Thanksgiving meals I have EVER had (sorry Mom, yours are great too!) thanks to the talent and generosity of Bravo Catering (Seriously guys- they are the BEST and so easy to work with which made the whole experience a breeze!), but our new families had a ton of fun.  I can’t even remember my favorite part! Maybe it was seeing all of your smiling faces, or having a conversation in English with a young man who only a few months ago would only smile at me, or instigating the first bites of a new food called Pumpkin Pie (folks loved it eventually!) or watching amazing Missoulians sit down on the floor to play with tops they had made for the kiddos- showing them how to make them spin and watching the kids faces LIGHT UP!  Like I said, it was a glorious evening.  But maybe the coolest thing about that night is that all of the love and support and kindness here in Missoula is not unique. We are seeing story after story of cities and towns living with, and loving, their immigrant and refugee communities come across our desks and newsfeeds every day.  Despite, and in many cases, due to the outcome of the election, more and more people across this Nation are standing up for refugees.  We will be that community, we will be those people.  We will stand tall, persevere, and push forward in our mission to help families fleeing war and terror-   and our path will be lit by your kindness.

As we enter this holiday of thanks, it feels amazing to have such a clear vision of all I am thankful for.  This is what I GET to live everyday.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family.

Hello!

I have an ask of you all today. This will take 5 minutes of your time, but if we can do this in large numbers, it will make a big impact.

In the wake of the results of the election, many people have asked how they can help Soft Landing Missoula. Right now, the most important thing you can do is make direct calls to our elected officials in support of refugee resettlement. They have to hear from us so they know how valuable we believe this program to be- not only for those fleeing war and terror that are given a second chance at a better life for their families, but also for the reasons we benefit as a nation; diversity, entrepreneurship, compassion, and yes- security, to name a few.

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

Help support refugee resettlement!

The incoming president can stop or slow the flow of refugees. Please call your elected representatives.

1-866-940-2439, www.usa.gov/elected-officials

In Montana:

Senator Jon Tester: (202) 224-2644

Senator Steve Daines: (202) 224-2651

Congressman Ryan Zinke: (202) 225-3211

Tell them how much this program means to you and to Missoula as a safe and welcoming place for families driven from their homes by war and violence. The more positive voices are heard, the better. Feel free to share this information far and wide.  The link above has information for all States.

Hello!

Happy Election Day!  I am sure all of you have already turned in your ballots 😉  If not, I join the voices of the millions who have been working hard to encourage everyone to vote and send a reminder that voting is not only important on a National level, but also on a State level. Take a breath, clear your mind, and remember to enjoy the beauty and honor of living in such an incredible country that gives us the opportunity to have our voices heard. Celebrate this day with food and friends and family – And especially by voting. 

I would also like to extend a very warm invite to join us for a celebration!  Missoula’s “First Thanksgiving” will be an annual event hosted by Soft Landing Missoula and the International Rescue Committee and will bring the community together with Missoula’s newest residents to share a meal and introduce one of America’s favorite holidays- our holiday of welcome and thanks.  Please join me on Thursday Nov. 17th from 5pm to 8pm (dinner served around 5:45pm) to give a warm Missoula welcome and share a delicious traditional turkey dinner.  This is a ticketed event and the price of your ticket goes to help cover the meals of the new families.  Admission is $20 for adults, kids 5-12 are $12 and kids under 5 are free. You can get more information and purchase tickets here.

This last Sunday, we had a fabulous open house and celebration of achieving our Crowdrise fundraising goal at our new office- 939 Stephens Ave.  Thanks to all that joined us- especially the Missoula Women’s Choir and the Quilters for Peace. We are really looking forward to all the things we will be able to do with the space- everything from English/Academic tutoring, a computer lab, sewing and art classes that we at SLM will host, while at the same time offering space for any of our new families to host their own event, conversation, or class. A few of us have been working on and working out of this space for a few weeks and it just feels really good to be here- stop by and say “Hi” sometime!  We will be looking to “staff” regular hours with volunteers so let us know if this is something that interests you.  Things are still a bit bare in here and for our open house, we had a few “wish lists” pinned up on the walls. Many of you asked for me to email that list so here is the short version….

Requested items for the Soft Landing Missoula office:

Kids Playroom:
Toy storage- bins and shelving
Bean bag chairs
Rocker/glider

Office:
Basic tool kit
Snow shovel
Power strips
Newer computers – desktop/s for office and computer lab

Classroom:
Dry erase markers
Notebooks, folders, binders
Digital camera

Living room:
Two couches
Two coffee tables
Shelving
Large rug
Picture frames
Winter doormat
Coat tree
Clocks
Music system

Kitchen:
Microwave
Two kitchen chairs

Thank you all so much for your continued support, time and money to make this happen.  We look forward in the new year to having a robust schedule of gatherings and classes here at the office that people can participate in and all of the other ways that this office will bring our community together.

So close your computer, enjoy this beautiful day, go vote and make sure you celebrate a little too!

Hello!

1) See you all tomorrow night- Tuesday, November 1st, from 6-8p at the Urey Underground Lecture hall as we present information on “Refugee Resettlement in Missoula”.  Come learn the basics and hear first hand from Wilmot Collins, a Helena resident and former Liberian refugee. Q&A to follow.

2)The IRC has posted 2 additional part time positions for their Missoula office! You can find out more about them by going to rescue.org- careers- search jobs and apply- and selecting from the drop down menu US-MISSOULA-MT. Any further questions can be directed at missoula@rescue.org

3)Your generosity has overwhelmed our capacity once again!  The storage containers at the Seventh Day Adventist Church are full and we will be suspending drop off hours for a little while. We will be moving some of the stuff out during the month of November so if you can hold on to larger donations for a little bit, that would be appreciated. We will be sure to let you know when things open back up. If you do have items to donate, please email donate@softlandingmissoula.org so that we can get a basic inventory of what is out there and we may be able to move items directly into a house.  We are continuing to accept winter clothing and you can arrange drop off with our amazing Heather and Irene with the above email.

4) Our crowdrise campaign ends on Friday and we are getting there!  This weekend was amazing for donations and we only $4,000 left to go!  Please help us make that last push!  If 200 more people can give just $20, we will be there! Share on FB with your friends and give if you can.  We are counting on you to get the word out!  Could you commit to directly emailing 5 close friends and asking them to give? Any amount counts!  If you have already given, would you consider giving a little more? We can do this!

5) We will be celebrating the opening of Soft Landing Missoula’s new office 939 Stephens, Suite C this coming Sunday the 6th from 1-4!  Come by and say hi!  It will be an informal gathering with a few snacks and beverages and a chance to check out the new digs!

Hello!

I always think that I can make these things short, and then the list of exciting things piles up and the list of “thank yous” is fabulously never ending!  I am so so grateful for the hundreds of people that came out two answer both of our calls last week- first to demonstrate and show that Missoula is a community of inclusion that believes in freedom, compassion and opportunity for others! Eamon Ormseth and all of SALAM, thank you for organizing this!  You are brave and incredible and we stand behind your efforts. And secondly to create a “cars down the street, can hardly get in the door, standing room only” situation at Imagine Nation Brewing last Saturday night for our mid-way Crowdrise fundraising party where we raised a little over $3,000 in one night! If you guys haven’t been to Imagine Nation Brewing yet or haven’t met the owners- Fernanda and Robert- you need to! This is so much more than a brewery with incredible beer- they have created a community space for open dialogue and transformation and have been very generous and encouraging supporters of SLM from the beginning. They DONATED a pint for every contributor to the campaign that came to the party and let me tell you this was A LOT.  Missoula – you are AWESOME!

We have some really great new events coming up!

On November 1st from 6-8p in the Urey Lecture hall on UM Campus, we are putting on our second lecture in our “Soft Landing Missoula Presents!” series. We will be taking a closer look at refugee resettlement in Missoula. You will learn basics about the global refugee crisis, the resettlement process and what this looks like for Missoula.  In order to have a conversation about refugees, we need to be aware of how the process works. We have found that this basic information can be hard to find and even trickier to understand. Molly Short Carr (IRC) and I will be presenting on this information, and Wilmot Collins will be sharing his story of fleeing from Liberia and finding a new home in the Big Sky. If you haven’t had a chance yet to meet Wilmot and hear his story, he is amazing and we are so honored he will be joining us for this event. Following our speakers a question and answer period will take place, moderated by School of Journalism dean Larry Abramson.  We hope to have a full hour for audience questions and want to create a safe and open forum these questions.  To do this, we will be asking for people to submit their questions in writing for the moderator to read outloud.  Last month, we PACKED a 300 seat theater and had to turn many people away.  We will be using the Urey Lecture hall on UM Campus for this event and will hopefully be able to accommodate everyone there.  Please join us and check out the poster below for more info!

We have also been invited to participate in Council on the Radio next Wednesday!  On September 26th from 8:30- 10a on News Talk Radio KVGO 1290 you can listen in via radio or on the live stream online.  This should be a good show- Molly Short Carr from the IRC and I will be the guests and there will be opportunity to call in with questions about the content or about how you can get involved in the various opportunities and events we have going on!

Let’s talk about our Crowdrise Campaign a little!  We will be going till November 4th, but don’t delay! Have you been meaning to make a donation to our inspiring crowdrise campaign, but haven’t gotten to it yet? Today is the day! We have an amazing donor who has offered to match all gifts given for the next four days up to $1000. Give by Sunday and your impact will be doubled! We are blown away everyday by our community’s incredible generosity and support. Help us keep the momentum going – we can do this people!  Donate here and help us get this match, and remember to SHARE our campaign to keep the love going. 
Also, watch our new short video here, featuring the amazing Nancy de Pastino!  We are so so so thankful for our new friends Ryan Seitz and Bryan Bello for editing this footage and making this awesome clip!  
This campaign will make sure that we not only have many more opportunities for educational events such as our lecture series, but will also add a new level of bringing people together in our new Community Resource Center. You are all invited to an “office warming” party on November 6th from 1-4p at our new location (to be announced in a later email) to check out the space and hear about upcoming opportunities!

Many many people have also been donating household and clothing items and we are so grateful.  We are especially thrilled that we found two amazing volunteers to take on the time-consuming process of inventorying and organizing all of these things!  Thank you Irene and Heather!!!  Here is a reminder about donation hours and location:

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday 5-7p – 800 South Ave.
– the graciously donated storage containers are located in the parking lot of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and are open and staffed during these times only.

Check out the end of this email for ideas on current needs or visit our website to read about “kits” that you can make with your family, friends, class or congregations! A note about clothing:  We don’t want to become a thrift store and are currently only accepting seasonally appropriate clothing such as coats, sweaters, boots, hats, gloves and long underwear. If you have any questions, you can email Heather here.

Whew!  You are all amazing and in the hard and sometimes heartbreaking work that Soft Landing Missoula is doing, we are continuously lifted up by this incredible community.  We are also inspired by our new residents, who continue to show us what it means to work hard to achieve a better life for your family and to open your arms to new people and new cultures.  As Robert put it at our party last Saturday- We aren’t here to “save” refugees, they are here to “save” us. They show us how to get past all of the divisive politics and misleading and scary rhetoric.  They show us humanity and love and community. Let’s continue to learn from each other, support each other and spread kindness and an excitement for what our lives can be together.