Great Expectations-

125,000.

While we work constantly to remind people that refugees are human beings- mothers, fathers, friends, children, uncles, families, new neighbors- not numbers, we are never the less quite focused on a number this week. 125,000. Each year, the president sets what is called the refugee admissions ceiling, or Presidential Determination. This number isn’t always reached, but it is aspired to, planned for, and actualized as best as possible. This number is usually set for the federal fiscal year starting every October, and for the last four fiscal years, we have seen this number shrink, then shrink more, then even more- with no effort to then actually even get close to these dismally and historically low admission ceilings that were set.

This simple act of setting such low ceilings has essentially dismantled a once robust and strong resettlement system that led the world in this specific humanitarian effort. To put more numbers to words, the admissions ceiling went from 110,000 individuals in 2016 (with a historic average of 95,000 and years in which it maxed out above 200,000), to 15,000 individuals this last October. For many parts of the resettlement system, it meant disaster. Overseas processing was gutted, many of the 9 resettlement agencies that resettle refugees in hundreds of locations across the US had to close local offices and lay off highly skilled staff. On a smaller scale, we also saw effects of this right here in Missoula. Although we are so grateful that Missoula’s resettlement agency- the International Rescue Committee- was able to hang on to this new resettlement site, we certainly saw reduced numbers of families arriving in the last couple years.

And it goes without saying, that those affected most by the dismantling of the refugee resettlement system are the very individuals and families seeking safety and a life of opportunity for themselves and their children. Those who lives, once again, got put on hold, or even lost in the process. Those families already here in the US awaiting the arrival of parents, adult children, and loved ones.

But here we are. President Biden has announced that in Fiscal Year 2022 (which starts October 2021), the new ceiling with be set at 125,000. 125,000- have I said that enough times yet? It is a joyful thing to say, but also incredibly daunting after the havoc that was just wreaked. President Biden himself said “It’s going to take time to rebuild what has been so badly damaged”. But we are watching with a feeling of hope in our hearts as the increase in the refugee admissions ceiling, along with a whole host of other reversals of inhumane and destructive policies from the previous administration and aspirational goals for more comprehensive immigration reform, start to be rolled out. In little Missoula, Montana- we will be here, with all of you, with open arms.

In love and gratitude,

Mary Poole
ED Soft Landing Missoula

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February Cooking Class

Back by popular demand, we’re offering a weekend brunch cooking class! Cozy up with your favorite kitchen helper and learn how to make savory spinach-cheese pastries, perfect for brunch, lunch, or happy hour treats. This virtual class on Sunday Feb 21st at 11am will be led by Chef Alex Papadopulos, who is Serbian-Greek. Purchase tickets now for yourself or as a Valentine’s Day gift for the chefs in your life.

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Legislative Update

As you know, we have been working to oppose HB200 and HB223- companion bills that place federal responsibility on local police officers and perpetuate an environment of racial profiling and suspicion of immigrants. HB200 has passed through the House and will probably be on the Senate floor sometime next week, with HB 223 not far behind. The hearings have been contentious and there is still time and urgency to contact your representatives and senators– especially if you live outside Missoula. If you are interested in signing a letter as a faith leader, or a business owner, please email mary@softlandingmissoula.org.

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SLM Sponsors BSFDD

For the fifth year in a row, Soft Landing is proud to sponsor films for the incredible Big Sky Documentary Film Fest (BSDFF).

BSDFF puts together a wonderful production of diverse films that bring light to issues that matter. We are always so excited to participate in this marvelous community event that showcases diversity and the arts!
Find out more information about SLM’s selections and all of the films here.

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Cultures Coming Together

We are excited to announce that the Virtual World View Film Series, offered by Global and Cultural Affairs in Arts Missoula (sponsored by SLM), will continue in 2021 with the spring theme “Cultures Coming Together.” February’s film, In Jackson Heights (Directed by Frederick Wiseman), is available to view now and shines a light on one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse communities in the world, Jackson Heights, NY. 
For more information on accessing this FREE series and how to join our virtual discussion on Thursday Feb. 18th at 7p, click here.

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We are so excited to welcome six new members to our board in 2021! We are looking forward to the year ahead with their skills and experiences to guide us! Thank you new AND returning members!

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A few more Photos!
These are from our January United We Eat Virtual Cooking Class with Zohair Bajwa. Zohair walked us through an incredible Shrimp and Veggie Curry from Pakistan- complete with secrets for cooking the best rice and an amazing fresh and tangy salad to pair with this delicious meal! Join us for our February class to cook some delicious Serbian-Greek food with Alex Papadopulos. More info above and here.

For the fifth year in a row, Soft Landing is proud to sponsor films for the incredible Big Sky Documentary Film Fest (BSDFF).

BSDFF put together a wonderful production of diverse films that bring light to issues that matter. We are always so excited to participate in this marvelous community event that showcases diversity and the arts!

This year, the BSDFF will take place in the comfort of your own home, which means you can stream the films in your PJ’s on your own time! Join us in enjoying a jam packed week of non-fiction films that provide us a deeper understanding on the world.

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Our four sponsored films are:

Seahorse

Director: Nele Dehnenkamp
Producer: Christine Duttlinger, Nele Dehnenkamp
2020, Germany — 16 minutes

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

Against the prosaic backdrop of a community pool, a young Yezidi girl wrestles quietly with her traumatic memories of the Mediterranean Sea.

Available to stream on demand February 20-28

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Yulisa

Director: Jonathan Schienberg, Joshua Echevarria
Producer: Joshua Echevarria, Jonathan Schienberg
2020, United States, Mexico — 14 minutes

WORLD PREMIERE

A young pregnant woman, fleeing for safety, finds herself trapped in dire conditions in a dangerous Mexico-US border town, just weeks before she will give birth.

Available to stream on demand February 20-28

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Ale Libre

Director: Maya Cueva
Producer: Mayra Amaya, Melissa Bueno-Woerner, Daniel Tantalean
2020, USA — 17 minutes

WORLD PREMIERE

Alejandra is a criminalized organizer and unapologetic immigrant. While she prepares for one of the biggest events of her life — her deportation case — Alejandra is forced to reckon with a past mistake and a system that could tear her apart from her family and the only home she has ever known.

Available to stream on demand February 20-28

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Aguilas (Eagles)

Director: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Maite Zubiaurre
Producer: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Maite Zubiaurre
2021, Canada, USA — 14 minutes

WORLD PREMIERE

Along the scorching southern border in Arizona, only an estimated one out of every five missing migrants is ever found. ÁGUILAS is the story of one group of searchers, the Águilas del Desierto. Comprised largely of immigrant Latinos, once a month these volunteers — construction workers, gardeners and domestic laborers by day — set out to recover the missing, reported to them by loved ones often thousands of miles away.

Available to stream on demand February 20-28

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For more information on BSDFF, a full schedule of events, and to purchase tickets and passes, please visit their website here.

Heartbreakingly, there are many conflicts, wars, and horrific human rights violations taking place all over the world at any moment. So many, that it becomes easy to not only tune them out, but become overwhelmed to the point of numbness. At Soft Landing Missoula, our work does not focus globally, on these large and complicated issues, but right here at home- in Missoula, Montana and how we can best help new Missoulians who have fled these situations and landed here thrive in their new home. While challenging in its own right, it is also a more tangible place to put our efforts- sometimes to a fault.

The fact that we too are the beneficiaries of the skills, talents, and diverse experiences that refugees bring to our community cannot be stated enough. One of the ways in which we benefit is increased awareness to what is going on in the world and the inspiration to continue to be a part of the healing of this often broken world. We benefit by having friends that put a face to the numbers, that continue to push us back to the global view and challenge us to think bigger.

This is the case right now as it pertains to the conflict happening in the Tigray region of Ethiopia- a place where some families here in Missoula have spent time in camps as refugees, and a place where friends and family that are still there are once again fleeing for their lives, many into neighboring Sudan. As most are, this conflict is extremely complicated and we are not writing this to take a side, but to take a stance that the loss of human life and the displacement of individuals and families is ALWAYS a tragedy. At the request of some of the Eritrean families here in Missoula, who asked that we help bring to the attention and educate Missoulains on the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, we would like to present a few resources for further reading (below). We have also reached out to try and understand the best way to help people affected, and as there is enough chaos on the ground to not have an avenue to assist local organizations at this moment, we are advised in supporting and trust in the great work that the UNHCR is doing in the region.

Below you will also find a link to join Soft Landing Missoula in making a donation toward the UNHCR’s relief effort specific to this crisis.

Thank you for standing with us in solidarity with our Eritrean community. As one young Eritrean we spoke to stated- “I want everyone to know what is happening in Tigray. Bombing is happening in Tigray and there are four refugee camps in this region. The camps have been left to fend for themselves, there is no food, no water, no hospitals and no security, my people are desperate and they have nowhere to go. We are very worried about them and we are asking for the bombing to stop now!”

 

Background from NPR:

What to Know About Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict

Ethiopia, UN Reach a Deal to Allow Aid

Refugees in Ethiopia

Other Resources:

BBC Current Situation Tracker

Short Video released Dec 30th 2020

One Way to Help:

GIVE to the UNHCR to support refugees fleeing this crisis into Sudan

 

Grab your coffee (or beer!)- it’s a long one folks, but the last newsletter of the year….

For a couple years now, Soft Landing Missoula has had a guiding document for our staff and board based on 6 values we have identified as central to our work – Diversity, Community, Dialogue, Responsiveness, Partnership, and Leadership (I will put them all in a little box below with the full “definitions” for those interested.) These values are how we introduce SLM to new board members, what we think of as we are working through new programming, a part of how we evaluate our ED (yikes! That’s me!) and programatic impact, and a light that we return to in times that are hard. They themselves are put under review each year to make sure that they are consistent with the way we strive to interact with our world, especially as our own awareness of the complexities refugees and immigrants face continues grow.

The last 6 months, I have had the fortune of having to look over these values many times and it has been interesting to look at something created outside of a year of crisis, and see how we were still able to not only stick by these values, but to realize how much these values carried us through this time and truly helped us to adapt and thrive. While it might have been a tie between Partnership and Responsiveness as “Value of the Year”, we recently had a little conversation about Responsiveness that I wanted to share some thoughts with you about (wow, longest lead-up EVER)…

Responsiveness has been our great equalizer, and our Community Resource Center has been this value’s home. As a small, community based nonprofit, we have the freedom to be Responsive to individual needs in a way that is unique and essential.

We don’t have a form or a “checklist” clients have to fill out to access our services. We don’t have a time limit of services, or what you can or can’t walk into our office with a question about (although, this is also where awesome Partnerships come in because we don’t and can’t do it all, but work with other amazing folks to refer when appropriate). We don’t hold grants that restrict our services. While we are gaining more structure each year as we learn more, evaluate impact, and create long-term client-driven programming, such as our Youth Programming and United We Eat, we still hold a lot of space for the nebulous beast that is our Community Resource Center 😉

At times, Responsiveness is overwhelming and a constant source of learning and change. But what we have come to see, and what was laid bare by COVID, is that our freedom to respond to individual needs, challenges, and triumphs- with all of our heart and all of our grit- is many times what begins to level the playing field for access to services, opportunities, social and cultural needs, food security, technology … the list goes on… This freedom helps the refugee and immigrant families we have the honor to work with on their way from survive to THRIVE.

Truthfully, you are the ones who gift us with this freedom. The majority of our funding comes from your individual donations, and so so many hours of our services come from your time with us as volunteers. You allow our work to be flexible, to be creative, to be relevant, to be joyful, and to move toward equity for the families we work with. THANK YOU!

A few weeks ago we shared a story with you about our friend, Esther, and how she has been coming to our Community Resource Center for support in reaching her goals. We also invited you to support Soft Landing’s work. This year has been crazy and challenging for all of us in so many ways. If you aren’t in a position to give, that is okay. Perhaps you already donated or maybe you are equally generous with your time as one of our rockstar volunteers.

If you are in a position to do so, now is the time to contribute what you can to help us start strong in 2021. End of Year giving is one of our largest single sources of income for the whole year, and one of the only times we make a general ask to you. These last few weeks of the year are vital in helping us sustain the level of services and Responsiveness we can provide for refugee and immigrant families that have found a home in Missoula. Our Community Resource Center continues to safely remain open at this time- one of the very few places refugee families can access during COVID that is not fully remote.

Our goal is to raise $50,000 in “Responsive” general operating funds and you have already brought us more than half way. Thank you! We have $20,000 to go by December 31st and I know you can get us the rest of the way there. If you have been waiting to donate, or just haven’t gotten around to it yet, here is a direct link to our online platform, or you are welcome to send or drop by a check!

While it is so easy to want a year like this to fade away as quickly as possible, we can’t deny that we have learned so much and have grown in ways we just wouldn’t have if not challenged by the uniqueness (thankfully) of a pandemic. With your love and support, we are excited to take these new skills and tried and true values into an incredibly hopeful 2021.

In love and gratitude,

Mary Poole
ED Soft landing Missoula

PS: Haven’t heard enough from us yet (geez, I’m wordy!)? Please join us on December 16th for our 2020 Community Zoom to review 2020, look toward 2021, and celebrate a bit too. There will even be prizes!!!! Find out more and get the Zoom link HERE.

 

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We are excited to offer a little something new to stuff your stockings with —our Soft Landing 7 Spice Blend! Hand blended 7 Spice mix to adds a middle eastern flair to any dish and is hands-down the most widely use spice in our United We Eat kitchen. While we take a small break for the holidays and the month of January, you can use 7 spice in your own kitchen to season meats, sauces and stews- or give it as a gift to the “chefs” in your life!

Also, to save costs and reduce our impact on the planet, UWE is looking for donations of clean, lightly used paper bags- preferably with handles. You are welcome to drop bags off at the Soft Landing office M-F,10-2. Thank you!

PURCHASE NOW

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Zoom “party” anyone? OK, there is really no substitute for our annual End of Year and Volunteer Appreciation party, but we hope this can be a close second. It has been such an unusual year, and your support has meant more than ever. Join us to reflect on 2020 and get excited about 2021! We will introduce staff (there are a few new folks!), share some stories of our 2020 work, honor outgoing board members and celebrate incoming board members (5 new! Whew!), thank and recognize volunteers, and provide a look into 2021.

Along the way, there will be some fun and prizes! Join for all or part and feel free to “bring” a friend or two!

ZOOM LINK

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Soft Landing staff, volunteers, and United We Eat chefs got into the holiday spirit last week while volunteering to help prepare a hot meal with Hope Rescue Mission for those experiencing homelessness this holiday season. We are so grateful for their work and we were honored to play our small part in giving back to those in need.

As promised, a more complete version of SLM’s Values Statement:

Diversity
We believe that a more diverse Missoula is a richer Missoula and that everyone can benefit from an environment where varying ideas, cultures, and experiences are shared and celebrated.

Community
We believe that interpersonal connections are critical to creating a home. Therefore, we aim to provide a welcoming atmosphere and facilitate meaningful relationships to foster a healthy community.

Dialogue
We believe that open communication and mutual understanding create a safe and welcoming home. We are dedicated to building bridges and welcoming dialogue as a way to create an inclusive experience for all.

Responsiveness
We believe in thoughtfully responding to needs as they arise.

Partnership
We believe in collaboratively supporting our community. We work with partners to create thoughtful and creative solutions that contribute to a greater good for all.

Leadership
We believe that the lessons we are learning in Missoula can inspire positive action and guide similar conversations and practices across America. Working to address needs facing refugees, we can be a part of larger state, national, and global solutions.

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Dear friend, 

When we first opened our Community Resource Center, we had a vision for this place.
 
We wanted it to be a gathering space for recently resettled refugees and immigrants. We wanted it to provide a warm,  welcoming “soft landing” for all who would come inside. We knew that despite Missoula working towards being a welcoming city, it could still feel foreign, strange, and possibly even scary to arrive in a place so different and unfamiliar.
 
We hoped the Center would be where refugees and immigrants would come to share their successes and their challenges. That it would be a place they’d feel comfortable coming for support in any of their endeavors. 

This vision still holds true. The Community Resource Center has become our inviting living room that brings us together as extended family.

Thanks to your partnership, we’re able to be dynamic and responsive in the ways we support refugees and immigrants who come through our doors. How we create a “soft landing” for families is in direct response to needs brought to us in this space.

DONATE TODAY

Soft Landing’s long-term assistance for refugees and immigrants, and our work in helping Missoula be informed and supportive, is as important as ever. 

The reality is that our country — and even our town — have a long way to go in becoming welcoming to all. There is still so much more good we can do together, so we can’t stop trying.
  
Will you help sustain the client-driven support that Soft Landing provides for refugees and immigrants in Missoula?

Let me tell you about Esther, one of the many friends whose presence at the Center embodies the vision we have for it.

Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Esther comes from a family of seven. They were forced to flee their home when she was five. Most of her memories are of Burundi, where her family sought refuge for 15 years until they were resettled in Missoula two years ago.
 
Through huge sacrifice, her family lives in safety now. Yet, Esther misses the sights, smells, noise, and loved ones back home. At first she worried about making friends or that Missoula would be too different, but she is working hard to make her future what she wants it to be. “ Right now… I can say that my life is different than when I came here. Because I have a job, I go to the Missoula College, I have new friends…”

Wonderfully, she has been visiting us almost daily to share exciting milestones and find support in her endeavors.
 
From earning her driver’s license to navigating college enrollment, finding her very own first apartment, and booking modeling gigs – all of the things she has accomplished have been born of her own heart and grit, but also nurtured and lifted up by her visits to the Center.

“I need to go to school because I have my future in my two hands. I always think about my future. What I want to do after school,” Esther told me recently. Her resilience and determination are strengths we see in many of the refugees and immigrants who walk through our doors.

This has been a challenging year. We know that challenges can also bring about creativity and opportunity- we get to see this first-hand in our interactions with families that visit our Center. 

We can see that in a world of uncertainty, the path forward is the important and powerful work we can do together with the communities we serve.

Will you continue your support of this critical work with a year-end gift that provides refugees and immigrants in Missoula with a welcoming, supportive “soft landing”? Any amount you can give is appreciated. We can’t do this without you.

In love and gratitude,

Mary Poole
Executive Director, Soft Landing Missoula

DONATE TODAY

P.S. —  Give today so that Missoula’s newest neighbors have access to a community of support and the opportunities that Soft Landing Missoula offers.

Election 2020- Our Thoughts…

Whew..here we are. The election is (hopefully? mostly?) over. We will have a new President of the United States AND the FIRST WOMAN VICE PRESIDENT- who also happens to be a multi-racial person of color and daughter of immigrants! Awesome. I have all the feels going on right now. Of course, I feel joy. I feel relief. I feel a lightness replacing the exhaustion of the last four years of struggle against leadership that didn’t seem to value the lives of families- both American and those born outside of our borders. That didn’t hold our beliefs that families should be able to seek out a safe place to live when their lives have crumbled around them. And, that as a community and as a country, we have the ability and therefore the responsibility to be a part of this solution. I want to shout joyfully to the rooftops that we are going into the next four years with an administration who has a plan that prioritizes starting to rebuild a robust refugee resettlement program and return to providing a safe home to asylees within the first 100 days in office! (I say “starting” because there was SUBSTANTIAL damage done to these systems and it is going to take long, thoughtful, and creative solutions to rebuild.)

But… however you cut it, the election was tough. It was tough to watch months (more?) of partisan conflict. It was tough to wait a few extra days to know the outcome- especially in a year where we feel like we have been waiting for life to get back to “normal” almost since the year started. It’s tough not to know what the next couple months will be like as challenges to the outcome play their way out in the courts. It is tough to know that our nation is so divided. And most of all, it is tough to know how to come out of this election and the past administration knowing what exactly the path forward TOGETHER will look like.

We are in the process of sending out our End of Year appeal. You will hear more about this in the near future, but I only mention it now because as I was signing some letters, I was also simmering on so many of these election related thoughts while I refreshed the map on my computer every 15 minutes (or was it 15 seconds?!?). I was also taking care to write personal notes to the human being on the other side of that letter and what I recognized was that quite a few times, I was writing a note to someone who has spent much, if not all, of their life voting quite differently than I do. That there are people that may politically align differently than many Soft Landing supporters, but that stood up and stood with us to welcome families seeking refuge into our community. And not just stood by, but actively contributed to our work. It was an incredible reminder for me, and I guess, I wanted all of us to know that. To remember that for so long, refugee resettlement and asylum were supported across aisles and that we still have a chance for this to be the reality again. Along with this, there will be new relationships to form at the state level and it will be important to show the strength and humanity of taking politics out of our country’s commitment to those seeking safety. I am not saying it is easy, or that it will happen quickly. Or that this election doesn’t come with baggage even more complicated than refugee resettlement. I recognize that it comes from a place of privilege in the fact that I have only been at this for 5 years, not a lifetime of a fight trying to prove the worth of my and my loved one’s lives. I’m just saying that I believe we CAN get to a place with less divisive partisanship, and we are going to have to be the ones to reach out our hands, to approach the challenge with kindness and love (always love). That someone you might see as on the opposite side from you, may have common ground. Humans are complicated and so are politics.

I’m so honored to be on this journey with ALL of you and excited for many years of Welcoming in our future.

In love and gratitude,

Mary Poole
ED Soft Landing Missoula

It’s been a minute,

A month actually, since our last newsletter.  Admittedly, it has been really hard for me to sit down and write this one. It’s not for lack of things to say (Ha!) but it’s for a lot of reasons that we are all feeling right now. I feel scattered. It is hard to focus. There is so much coming at us each moment, that it is hard to get simple tasks done while we fumble through much bigger tasks that seem to be swirling around in this pool of uncertainty. We are navigating so much right now- Kiddos in a school environment that still seems to be shifting weekly if not daily, jobs that are dynamic at best and non-existent at worst, rising COVID numbers and concerns for our families and loved ones, policies that continue to threaten our work and the people and planet we love (another decrease in the already DISMAL annual refugee admissions ceiling- are you kidding me?!?!?), AND, did you notice that there is a super important ELECTION going on?!? VOTE!!!

I keep telling myself- Fight the distraction!  You should be able to focus.  It is so important to be more focused than ever right now. Find your dang focus!  It doesn’t help… But then I give in and offer myself space instead. Another week’s breath on getting out the newsletter. An early night to bed when my 3 inboxes are still stuffed full. Another night of Bridge Pizza delivered. Turning off social media- completely. An impromptu soccer match with my (mostly feral by now) son in the rain before dinner. Singing Frozen for the 80th time that day with my (mostly feral by now) daughter while gesturing passionately around the living room. And I look around me at the last month, and I think holy cow, we may be a bit distracted, but so so much great life and so so much important work has gotten done despite it all. 

I smile as I realize that some of this lack of focus has just been that we are busy. Busy helping folks navigate the same uncertainty that I am struggling with. Busy working with refugee kiddos to make sure they are getting as much access to education and technology as any other kiddo in Missoula. Busy writing grants for this work, and bringing on new staff for this work. Busy offering delicious food and connection to all of you, while offering much needed income for refugee families. Busy looking at our equity policies and bringing on new board members. Busy with partners and National networks. Busy welcoming new families from Congo, Ethiopia, and Syria (Yes! this is still happening!!! Missoula has had 6 new families arrive in the last couple months). Busy being one of the only organizations/facilities with an actual open door (along with a COVID policy) for refugees right now. And while the uncertainty contributing to my difficulty in feeling focused feels uncomfortable, the great work that comes along with the business actually feels pretty good. I’m in awe every day of our little office and our amazing (growing!) team of staff and volunteers, and I feel so grateful to be here in this moment, with you people, focused or unfocused, doing the work we do.

In love and gratitude (and health!),

Mary

P.S.-  If you need a stronger message about how incredibly important it is to VOTE- hear this: Votes cast now through November, including National, State, and local, will determine the safety, education, dignity, and resources for our communities in addition to the future of the refugee resettlement program, immigration policy, and rights for immigrants and refugees. Check your registration, make your plan to vote, research what will be on your ballot, and make sure your friends and family to do the same. Be obnoxious about this last part. Volunteer if you can. Luckily, the gals scooping the ice cream for my husband and my first date night in what seems like 100 months were really excited when I asked if they had a plan to vote and they told me that their ballots were already turned in! We may not be seeing too many folks right now, but ask EVERYONE you do see or talk to!

P.P.S- This is an amazing, not to be missed article that brings incredible perspective to getting through this crisis with hope and resilience- just like so many refugees worldwide facing trauma and uncertainty. It helped me through a hard week last week and I hope it is an inspiration for you too.

Welcome (back!) Natalia!

Natalia Boise joined the Soft Landing crew in September as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps Leader. She is coordinating education outreach and development for refugee youth in Missoula. Natalia was one of Soft Landing’s very first interns years ago in our infancy 😉 We are so excited to welcome her back. Read more about the awesome things she will be doing with refugee youth in Missoula!

READ MORE

Welcome (back!) Heather!

At the beginning of October, with the help of the School-aged Child Care Grant for COVID relief through the State of Montana, we were able to bring on Heather Molloy to help further the impact and reach of our youth programming. For years, as both an SLM volunteer and staff with the IRC, she has helped Missoula create a “soft landing” and we are stoked to finally get to be able to get her on our team!

READ MORE

Events and Opportunities

>> Winter Clothing Drive! It is getting COLD folks!  Please consider donating gently used, clean, and weatherproof outerwear to keep refugee families warm this winter.  Full list of accepted items and how to get them to us HERE >>

>> On Tuesday, October 27th at 12pm MT, join the Hello Neighbor Network Roundtable with grassroots nonprofit leaders, including Mary Poole of Soft Landing Missoula, to learn more about the national climate and hear examples of some of the most innovative programs happening for refugees and immigrants in communities across the country.>>

>> One of the chefs with United We Eat, Zohair Bajwa, is working towards opening his own Pakistani food truck! We thought we would share this opportunity to help support the creation of this new small business because we greedily want to eat his incredible food ALL THE TIME. It’s sooooo good! >>
 

At the beginning of October, with the help of the School-aged Child Care Grant for COVID relief through the State of Montana, we were able to bring on Heather Molloy to help further the impact and reach of our youth programming. Heather started out as an incredibly dedicated volunteer for Soft Landing in 2016 and has spent the last 3 years working as the Housing Specialist for the International Rescue Committee in Missoula. While the funding for this specific position currently only goes through December, we know that Heather always has a home with Soft Landing Missoula and we hope to seek funding to keep up this position and the essential work she will start with us in that short time. She is working hard at connecting one-on-one tutors with students to alleviate the burden placed on working parents at this time while also improving educational outcomes for kiddos. The addition of Heather to our team has allowed us to expand services to elementary aged students, where before our focus had been only middle and high school students. Heather is a bright light for everyone she comes in contact with and has the biggest and most true heart of anyone we have ever known. For years she has helped us create a “soft landing” and we are stoked to finally get to be able to get her on our team!

Natalia Boise joined the Soft Landing crew in September as a Montana Campus Compact AmeriCorps Leader. She is coordinating education outreach and development for refugee youth in Missoula. Her focuses include an after-school academic mentorship program, creating pathways and resources for higher education, increasing digital literacy, helping students to develop goals by providing skills for academic success, and organizing social and team-building outings for our youth. Her aim is to facilitate access to higher education and to provide academic and emotional support for the students, and to empower the youth to build visions for their futures.

Natalia was one of Soft Landing’s very first interns years ago in our infancy 😉 We are so excited to welcome her back in this incredibly important year long position and are so grateful for the wonderful work already started in her short month back with us. What isn’t written in the statement above is the impromptu study sessions turned dance parties that make the kids connect with and love this amazing gal. We are so lucky to have her.

Join us in helping our new neighbors gear up for winter. Each Fall, Soft Landing makes winter essentials available for free to our newest resettling families and growing children in our older families. Bring in your own donations, or use your network to help collect even more items. Together we help make this a warm and cozy winter for our new neighbors.

We are collecting new and clean, gently used:

• Coats

• Hats

• Gloves

• Ski Pants

• Warm Socks

• Water Proof Boots

  Bring them by our office anytime Monday-Friday between 10am-2pm or email donate@softlandingmissoula.org if you can’t make those hours. Thank you!