Dear Neighbor,

As another year of pandemic living comes to a close, the team at International Neighbors reflects on the ways we are deeply invested….in US. Yes, our mission is to equip newcomers (refugees & SIVs) with the network and skills needed to thrive — not just to survive — as aspiring Americans.  This investment benefits not only those individuals, but our entire community. All of us.

Great Neighbor Guides — local volunteers matched with a newcomer — are the valued visitors who assist with English lessons, deciphering bills, and more. One of our 53 Guides reports that her weekly visits are a “highlight of each week. We share tea and conversation while practicing English and learning about each other’s lives. We have celebrated birthdays, done sewing projects, and cooked Afghan meals together.” When this young mother from Afghanistan tragically lost her baby at 8 months, IN’s Great Neighbor Guide was there to mourn with her as well. International Neighbors invested in a proper burial, which this hard working couple would not have been able to afford. The relationships forged through this program enhance the lives of all participants, as 99% of volunteers report a propitious experience that continues far beyond their commitment.