#welcome Corps

[reasonsforhope]

“America likes to tell a certain story about itself: It’s a safe haven, a place of refuge for the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. It’s a story that history shows hasn’t always been true. But thankfully, it just got easier for Americans to take matters into their own hands and turn that aspiration into a reality.

The Biden administration on January 19 launched the Welcome Corps, a new program that will allow groups of Americans to directly sponsor refugees to resettle in their communities.

Whereas recent programs have focused on bringing over people from specific places — Afghanistan, Ukraine, Venezuela — this program makes it possible for private citizens to resettle people from any place in the world, so long as they are refugees as defined by the US Refugee Act.

Under the Welcome Corps program, you and a few of your friends can pool together funds to provide an immigration pathway that allows vulnerable people who may not otherwise be able to immigrate the ability to rebuild their lives in the US. Forming a private sponsor group involves bringing together at least five adults in your area and collectively raising $2,275 for each person you want to resettle in your community. With that money, sponsors commit to helping them through the first three months there, which can include securing and furnishing housing, stocking the pantry with food, supporting job hunts, and registering kids for school.

It’s a powerful way to improve life for the newcomers, granting them protection from persecution or violence in their country of origin, plus the chance to access health care, education, and socioeconomic opportunities. It can also improve life for everyone who’ll be in the newcomers’ orbit, including you and your neighbors. Research suggests welcoming refugees will likely benefit your community as a whole, for example by opening new businesses that revitalize neighborhoods. In Canada, a similar private sponsorship program has proven immensely popular and successful over the past decade.

But you might be thinking: Why should it fall to private citizens to fork over the cash, time, and energy to resettle refugees? Shouldn’t that be the government’s job?

...It’s a fair point: This is the government’s job. That’s why the advocacy groups that pushed for the Welcome Corps program insisted that any refugees who come to the US via private sponsorship should be in addition to the number of traditional, government-assisted resettlement cases.

The State Department has signaled that it agrees. This means that by sponsoring a refugee, you can play a role in allowing the US to take in more refugees overall. It really is additive.

And unlike prior programs for Afghans or Ukrainians, which were temporary, ad hoc responses to crises, the Welcome Corps is intended to be a permanent fixture. The hope is that it’ll complement the traditional resettlement process, which has been struggling for years.”

-via Vox, 1/27/23

[robynochs]

A friend of mine from Iran who has been granted asylum in Europe is hoping there are folks or orgs out there willing to help other queer Iranian refugees to resettle from Turkey to the US. Your engagement can save lives.

[coochiequeens]

A nice story about women helping women

Inlate January of this year, the Biden Administration began "inviting ordinary Americans to help settle Afghan refugees in America." Dubbed the "Welcome Corps," the initiative asks citizens to support refugees financially and in all other ways e.g. providing food, clothing, secure housing, education, health care (including mental health care), transportation, employment, and hospitality. The new "private sponsorship initiative" experts suggest that at least five people are needed in order to "welcome" and successfully sponsor one Afghan refugee or an Afghan family in America.

I strongly disagree. In the case of my one, adopted Afghan granddaughter, Meena, at least twenty to twenty-five volunteers from around the world were essential in getting Meena and her family out of Kabul; and more volunteers joined our efforts along the way, including new and generous donors, and a new team of pro bono lawyers who are working on Meena's application for asylum in America.

Some of our initial team's volunteers, who worked for NGOs or for various European governments, were on salary but were not necessarily reimbursed for their time or efforts in this regard. Some had experience in anti-trafficking work and petitioned their governments to accept our women judges, doctors, lawyers, journalists, business owners, and artists—all of whom were women's rights activists. We gathered information from American ex-military service members, corporate honchos, and human rights activists. We had a narrow window of opportunity, about six months, until refugees from Ukraine began pouring into Europe.

"I had a group of feminist women who wanted to save me and my dreams, and they did."

Once I understood that Meena, a medical school graduate, had also worked in Afghanistan as a researcher and translator for an American-based professor, I haunted the poor man. Jean-Francois Trani came through brilliantly. Professor Trani obtained a student visa and a scholarship for Meena at Washington University in St. Louis—a very fine and a very expensive school. Her scholarship only covers tuition, nothing else, not rent, food, books, computer upgrades, school fees, an expensive mandatory health insurance policy ($2800.00 per year), toiletries, clothing—just on and on. What one needs in order to live and to devote oneself, full-time to study.

Meena writes: 

Mandy Sanghera, a London-based human rights activist and philanthropist, and myself literally worked around the clock for more than six months rescuing 400 other Afghan women. I had a paid assistant who created spreadsheets in order to keep track of the biographies and ID information for at least 100 women and who tried to keep our correspondence on Signal, WhatsApp, and email in order. In fact, Mandy and I are still inundated with pleas for help from Afghan women who are living in hiding and in terror.

One amazing woman (whom I cannot name) got Meena and many others out on planes. Three amazing men and one woman were in charge of food and medicine drops. They also delivered wood in winter and had a network of doctors who delivered babies and did surgical procedures when necessary. One woman served as Meena's mental health counselor. Another served as her English tutor. Those who read my articles up at 4W contributed money to a war chest which was used primarily by our former lawyer at a time when, unfortunately, the Biden Administration was granting only a handful of Humanitarian Parole applications.

More wonderful women joined us. One, Penny Wilson, donated her frequent flyer miles and her administrative expertise. Another long-time feminist colleague of mine, a retired professor of Literature, Lilia Milani, pledged to cover Meena's rent for the year. I named some more names in my previous piece here up at 4W.

Last month, I decided to bring as many members of this team together to finally meet Meena in person in my home. I thought they deserved to know her—and she them. The founder of 4W, MK Fain came—and indeed, 4W is where I posted almost all my articles and a good number of 4W readers sent funds. We zoomed in Meena's mental health counselor and the woman who got her on the plane, who was in Africa at the time.

The women who gathered were so excited to meet Meena—and she them. They took her sightseeing in Manhattan: On a walking tour of Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, Times Square—Macy's! I introduced her to my son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters and they took her to the Metropolitan Museum. I think a good time was had by all.

"We need to have an honest conversation about refugee education."

Penny suggested that we all go around the table, from oldest to youngest, and give Meena one piece of advice. And so we did. Penny brought a multitude of beautiful silk scarves, and we each got to pick one for ourselves. Meena got all the rest.

Mandy writes:

Meena has gotten all "A"s in her classes. She is now working for ten hours a week for a professor and may be allowed to work for a maximum of twenty hours but no more. This may— or may not—cover her food and toiletries.

Attached is a GoFundMe campaign for Meena. Please consider making a donation to support her ongoing expenses. It will help all of us to carry on. Meena will go the distance and make us all proud, but she needs financial assistance for legal filing fees, and for much else. These funds will go directly into her bank account. 

Oh—and what advice did I give Meena? I told her that she can thank me by freeing and supporting another woman.

[maryturck]

Immigration News: April 30, 2024

After a week of medical time off from the keyboard, immigration news piled up! Today’s five stories are all about Minnesota immigration news. The Biden administration established a new program that allows private sponsorship of refugees—the Welcome Corps. That sounded great to some refugees already living in Minnesota, who decided to give back by sponsoring someone else.  Continue reading…

[talentconnectworldwide]

7 Mistakes to Avoid Before Immigrating to Canada

This blog will tell you about 7 mistakes that you should absolutely avoid AT ALL COSTS before immigrating to Canada. Go on, read it!

Leaving All Your Imp Documents Scattered Everywhere

2. Forgot to Open Bank Account

3. Didn’t Research Living Expenses

4. Unaware of the Local Culture 

5. Forgot to Research About Healthcare Options

6. Where Will You be Living?

7. Didn’t Pack Right for the Weather

[adeptune01]

Tma and Wtnv would be 200 episodes shorter than they are if Arthur from malevolent was the main character cause he’d just beat the shit out of anything weird that looked at him funny then skip town before anyone thought to stop him and that’d be that

[apolloschild666]

My impression of tumblr podcast fandom right now

[alaskashigh]

do you ever just think of the military branches having their own “statehouse” but for the military branches and them having old videos from when they were wayyy younger of them just being total idiots? like a younger Navy acting like he’s a fish in the pool while Army is laughing at him and telling him to quit, Marine doing funny faces in the background, and Coast Guard recording, all on an old shitty video camera? No? Just me? Okay.

[fandomnerd9602]

Claire Redfield x Reader?

A heartbroken Claire believes the Reader to have died at the hands of the infected, but Reader finds her later on, alive and well

Claire cries as Y/N hobbles towards her...

Y/N: baby what's wrong?

Claire: Y/N?!

Claire tackles Y/N to the ground, kissing them repeatedly...

Claire: you jerk! I thought you were dead.

Y/N: not yet.

Claire goes back to kissing them, Y/N rubs her back reassuringly...

[darksilvershadows36]

So, I've been listening to Welcome to Night Vale recently, and can I just say, screw Streck's Corp. They hurt Koshech >:(

They also seem to have it out for Carlos and his perfect hair and we cannot have that.

Only up to episode 44 rn btw.

[sunbloomdew]

i miss sigcorp crew, i miss eva and her garden, i miss neil, i miss roxy and rob, i miss faye, i miss river and johnny and lily and tommy and sarah, i miss the platypus plushie and the multicolored paper rabbit, i miss anya, i miss the moon, i miss the sigcorp headquarters, i miss their offices, i miss the sound recorder, i miss the ████████████ i miss the paper airplane and the bird, i miss rudog, i miss the balcony, i miss the plane, i miss the hibiscus flowers and the green book, i miss colin and sofia and asher, i miss lynri, i miss quincy, i miss ricebot and long cat, i miss the mansion, i miss the room without an end, i miss the lavender and the stars, i miss the realities elsewhere, i miss the memory machine, i miss the confusion, the heartbreak the hope I MISS THEM SO MUCHHHHHH

[binah-beloved]

Tea anon here again asking if Binah learned how to brew tea only because she wanted to spend more time with you

Binah has always known how to make tea. it's one of the few things that brought her happiness apart from slaughtering the weak, and she still knew how to specifically brew various different types of teas, although her favorite is and still was black tea

but when she was alone, she only made black tea. it's her favorite, there's no point in making any other types- but when you come into the picture she finds herself brewing different types, branching out and trying new flavors, because she knows one method to get you to stay in the room is to offer you a new type of tea to try

and she's not doing this solely for you to be near her- it's because she values your opinion. when she pushes a cup of tea that you've never tried and asks you to describe the taste, she's hearing your thoughts and your demeanor and your voice all in one. she wants to know what you think, what you like, why you like it- everything, because your point of view hold so much weight to her. anything you tell her is carefully tucked away, so she can make your favorite blend of tea whenever you're having a bad day and set the cup by your side, getting to see a smile grace your lips as you whisper, "You remembered."

of course she remembered- it's you, after all, and everything about you is worth remembering

[chekkyoo]

”I'm older than you all right, but do I have to remind you who of us is already retired?”, Mike chuckled. “So, can I interest you in a few drinks? Say, maybe even shots?” He wiggled his eyebrows in the most funny manner, causing Kleio to snicker.

”My good man, how can a lady ever decline such an persuasive offer?”

”Ma'am, I am shaken by your generosity for you are known to be prone to say No yesterday all day”, he replied, taking her hand in his and blowing a kiss onto it. “I am charmed beyond imagination.”

--- I can only say it again, I love my man Mike and I'm 100% positive he's such a fun guy to have around once work is over and he deserves all good things

[snackugaki-jestsjapesjokes]

In commemoration of this

Let us remember what Frida can do canonically

gave her the ol' Shikamaru's Kagemane no Jutsu treatment for ninpo which is fitting really since

And what's more ninja than shadow manipulation?

Just y'know, from a 90s weeb standpoint who saw how fucking obsessed U.S media was with ninja in the 80s and 90s, the earlier TMNT could have stood to be MORE ninja. The newer iterations kinda sorta have gotten "more ninja" instead of generic milk chocolate martial arts with a shiny ninja candy coating