Stories Archive - IRIS-Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services

A Home Away from Home for Young Refugees

by IRIS

For more than a decade IRIS has provided a nurturing and welcoming after school program

By John Curtis

In 2016, eight-year-old Tasneem Musa arrived in New Haven with her parents and three younger brothers. She was just three when civil war drove her family out of Syria and into Jordan, where they spent five years waiting for a visa to come to the United States. Upon their arrival, no one in the family spoke English.

In school and at home, Musa felt pressured by her teachers and parents to learn English, but because she couldn’t speak English, she remained an outsider at school. That changed in 2018 when she became one of the first students to enter a new after-school program at IRIS.

“IRIS was a place where I could practice my English and where I could talk about things, because you can’t always talk to parents about certain things,” she said. Teachers tutored her, helped her practice English, guided her through her homework, and taught her how to play the piano. “It was a space for us to debrief, talk about our emotions, how school’s going, and then learn something that was amazing. I got my homework done during that program and I was a straight-A student.”

In late October Musa was at an after-school session of IRIS’s Youth Mentorship & Leadership Program, which helps newly arrived immigrants and refugees adapt to their new environment by addressing their academic, social, and emotional needs. It relies on a staff of volunteers and students from the Migrant Alliance @ Yale. Musa, however, was there not as a participant, but as a volunteer talking to a dozen high school girls about the importance of having a resume for job and college applications and walking them through the steps to craft one.

“We’ve been planning since last year to bring college readiness into the group, because from my experience with the girls, a lot of them were worried about college,” she said. She wanted to share what she’d learned at the New Haven Academy where she’s a senior. “When I was in their place, I felt isolated from my classmates. I felt like I didn’t have anyone to relate to.”

Musa has been volunteering with IRIS for about a year, mostly tutoring and helping with homework, “and just talking to the girls about where they’re from, connecting with them in some way.”

On that Monday in October in a space at the United Church on the Green, the session began with pizza, then a grammar lesson as Program Coordinator Jennifer Hartley asked the students to explain the difference between a noun and a verb. She then asked the girls to find on a list of adjectives one that began with the same letter as their first name. “I am Afsana, and I am artistic,” offered one girl.

The session moved on to a 10-minute video of a TED talk on mindfulness before Musa began her presentation on resume writing.

The youth leadership program for high schoolers began about eight years ago, and falls under the umbrella of youth education, which also includes a K-12 summer program and a third- to eighth-grade after-school program. The after-school program began in the fall of 2018 with musicians Jessy Griswold and Sammy Colon as the first teachers. At the Bethesda Lutheran Church on Whitney Avenue they provided a mix of playground time, snacks, tutoring, help with homework, and music lessons. Each year about 35 students participate in the program.

The high school program, which serves 75 to 100 students each year, was initially a mentorship program, with each student assigned a mentor. “They would get together and talk about what they want from the program,” said Omar Yacoub, associate director of youth education.

“The high school students are the most vulnerable because a lot of them either came from another country and went directly into high school, which is very overwhelming, and their language barrier is a serious problem,” Yacoub said. “I see this program as that space for them to ask for whatever support that they need, be able to build up a community that they feel that they can trust and, to help them with their skills, with their language and to have a better future after high school.”

Yacoub is planning to add a bridge program for students about to enter college. Many students, he said, find that once in college they lack the academic English they’ll need. “We’re thinking of how to have a bridge between high school and university to allow students to discover more options than a four-year degree and how to better prepare them, whether it’s language or skills, and build an individual kind of plan for them.”

Last year, Erin Kelly, then the education coordinator and now director of volunteer engagement and communications, along with her colleagues on the education team, made another change to the youth leadership program. Instead of having all students come to the program four days a week, they split it up into two weekly sessions by gender. “It’s a very different dynamic sometimes,” Kelly said. “The comfort level of girls being in an educational environment with boys – versus just girls – can be a little overwhelming. It ended up being the boys took over, and very few girls came.”

During the summer session genders were still combined until they planned two overnight trips to Boston. One was boys-only and the other girls-only. In advance of the trips the students were assigned to research a Boston historical figure. “And if there was a special location that was important for their person, they did a little oral presentation with some flash cards.”

When the 2024-2025 school year started last fall, the girls attended on Mondays and Wednesdays and boys on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The students hail from a variety of countries, regions, and continents. There are Spanish-speaking immigrants, Arabic, Dari, and Pashto speakers from the Middle East, and English speakers from African countries. Many have had little or no education and are not literate in their native tongues. Apart from didactic sessions, the goal is also to give the students a respite from school and home.

“Many young students don’t have a third space,” Kelly said. “So to give them a space that they can just come to that isn’t family, that isn’t the pressure of school, that it’s just a place to hang out, was really important. While we’re creating that space, we want to make it beneficial so they can work on their English skills. It’s a very different teaching environment, considering the cultural differences, language barriers, age differences. Throw everyone into a room together after school and see what happens. And there’s actually a lot of fun.”

As for Musa, she credits the after school and leadership programs with helping her advance in her studies. She spent last summer interning in a lab at the Yale School of Medicine and is applying to Yale College as a biology major.

“I am in love with biology,” she said. “I love DNA. I love genetics. I love cells. And I’m a TA for our bio class at our school. I want them to like the subject and also fall in love with it, because absolutely, it’s like a love language for me.”

IRIS Craft Fair Coming Soon!

On December 6th, IRIS will host its annual Craft Fair, a celebration of creativity and community featuring handmade jewelry crafted by the girls of the Youth Leadership Program. These unique pieces reflect the students’ cultures, stories, and artistic growth nurtured through the program. The event offers a chance to support young refugee and immigrant artists while finding meaningful gifts for the holiday season. All proceeds go directly to supporting youth programming at IRIS

Honoring Johanna, Welcoming Christion

by IRIS

This fall, we bid a heartfelt farewell to Johanna Snyder, who has stepped into an exciting new role at United Way. Johanna’s leadership and dedication helped shape our Food Pantry into the strong community resource it is today, and we are deeply grateful for her service.

At the same time, we are excited to welcome Christion Gilbert as our new Food Pantry Coordinator. Christion will continue building on Johanna’s legacy, ensuring that families in need have consistent, dignified access to food.

Our Food Pantry remains a proud partnership with Community Soup Kitchen (CSK), rooted in a shared commitment to fight hunger in New Haven. With Christion’s leadership, we look forward to strengthening this collaboration and expanding the impact of our work together.

We also take this opportunity to honor the volunteers who make our pantry possible. Many have served alongside our team for many years. We could not serve as many people as seamlessly as we do without them.

From Refugee to Resettlement Leader

by IRIS

Paiman’s Journey of Service and Resilience

Paiman passes me in the office and says, grinning, “Hey Kevin, when are you helping with my mortgage?”. It’s a running joke we have because Paiman was technically my client when I was a case manager from 2021-2023, but really he is a savvy, home-owning colleague, helping others tirelessly rather than requesting any help himself. While in case management in the throes of the Afghan evacuation, as we were fighting to keep our heads above water, he calmly asserted that he returned all calls the same day, as his personal policy. He had just joined IRIS when Kabul fell, was hired part-time but stayed late to ensure he learned the systems needed to serve an unprecedented influx of refugees.

He arrived in the United States in 2019, fortunate that during Trump 1.0 Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders were still permitted to trickle in. So, by the time Afghan evacuees began arriving in August 2021, he had the local knowledge – cultural and logistical – needed to be an effective guide for newly arriving compatriots. Whereas interpreting is an entry point for many immigrants entering work in the resettlement field, Paiman says that he always shied away from interpreting. Even in Kabul, where he grew up, that would have been an obvious foot in the door with the US military, yet Paiman found a different way in while studying English Literature at Kabul University. Studying with textbooks published by Yale and Washington State University, in a special program, he became curious about American life; so, when the US military and NATO came to his campus he seized the opportunity to volunteer.

Upon graduating, he successfully applied for a subcontract position, when the US military was pivoting to hiring Afghan personnel at bases to stave off a high rate of casualty among US servicemen. In this way, he began a career connected to the US military, where he quickly acquired management skills and then mastering database management, the latter paying off perfectly down the road when IRIS needed a new Training and Compliance Officer. A large part of his role as Training and Compliance Officer was to guide staff through the implementation of a new database for all client information – a massive shift in staff procedures that has improved the organization’s ability to track information, run reports, and analyze data. He’s since moved on to be the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager in IRIS’s new MEAL department. Back in Afghanistan, his career led to an array of experiences, such as being deployed to the Taliban-controlled West to assisting internally displaced people (IDP’s) and deportees arriving from Pakistan to blogging to, and uncovering instances of fraud, as an auditor. At one point, he even designed a book that was printed in both Dari and English. He only ever took off work for his engagement and wedding, and for a stretch worked two jobs so he could help a former employer resolve an outstanding problem related to an attempted staff crime that he blocked.

Being in a problem solver role in the workplace probably comes naturally to Paiman because, atypically for a middle child, he is the problem solver among his siblings (3 brothers, 2 sisters). He often gets advice-seeking calls from family, friends, and he’s the one to identify even small conflicts and find a solution. “I don’t trust myself, but they trust me,” he jokes. He becomes animated when talking about family, including when reminiscing about his courtship with his wife, Farah. In 2011, she was studying Psychology at Kabul University while he was pursuing English Literature, and they met in the neutral territory of an IT class. They bonded while studying for the TOEFL exam together. He made an attempt at a marriage proposal, and it succeeded; and they had their first son, Iman, together before leaving the country. They now have a newborn son, Asher.

When Paiman thinks of Kabul, he thinks fondly of his college years when he would bike around the city and hike in the surrounding mountains with friends, safely walking around the city at 2 or 3am. He remembers the vivid, distinct seasons of Kabul. Mostly he thinks of friends lost. He left behind his tight knit group of childhood friends and started over socially. His description of youthful halcyon days in the capital are useful to hear because when we hear about Afghanistan stateside it’s almost entirely Taliban this and military operation that. To counterbalance the danger that Paiman experienced, for example when he was stationed in Taliban-controlled territory, there are plenty of fond memories of a cosmopolitan and welcoming city.

Paiman’s welcome to the US was a little bumpy, only because he wasn’t keen on the ceaseless rain of Tacoma, Washington, where the family first landed. Within two days, he declared they would pack up and head East; he had an uncle in Waterbury, Connecticut they could stay with for a short while until they found a place. As Paiman tells it, once he decides on something, he has no patience for waiting; he takes immediate action. And that’s how they came to be walk-in clients at IRIS. One experience that is common among refugees, SIV holders, and other displaced people is that of having to work difficult, low-paying jobs not related to their expertise when they first arrive. Paiman also worked as a carpet installer and remover for a while. Later, when COVID concerns set in, he began driving for Amazon Flex delivery. The disrupting force of the pandemic meant that it was some time before Paiman found his way to a job that matched his professional background, but in the meantime he was able to do some regional travel, naming Lake George in New York, as a favorite spot.

Paiman has a history of putting in overtime during hard times – from his troubleshooting for the US military to his helping hundreds of compatriots with bus orientations, getting benefits and getting hired at Amazon Flex – and now that the organization is navigating a new, in many ways mortifying, political environment, his work ethic is proving a boon to his workplace yet again.

Elm City Girls Choir - sing for immigrants and IRIS

Elm City Girls’ Choir Concert Lifts IRIS and Local Refugee Voices

by IRIS

Singing songs that ranged from a barbershop quartet-influenced version of the Beatles’ “Yesterday” to sacred hymns to songs from around the world, the Elm City Girls’ Choir offered a 90-minute concert on Sunday, Jan. 26, to benefit Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS).

The concert at Bethesda Lutheran Church in New Haven came at the end of the first week of the new administration of President Donald J. Trump, marked by the beginning of mass deportations and a freezing of refugee resettlement programs that has left IRIS with a $4 million shortfall in funds to resettle newly arrived immigrants and refugees.

Chris Lee, speaking on behalf of the church’s Bethesda Music Series, noted the program’s two missions: “As a ministry we have two simple objectives. One, to benefit local service agencies, two, to celebrate the gift of music. And boy, do we have a musical gift with us today.”

“We’re so grateful for your support,” Maggie Mitchell Salem, executive director of IRIS, told the audience before introducing Tetyana Pavelo, a community outreach specialist at IRIS. “Tetyana, who’s from Ukraine, understands what all of this means in very real terms, and I want you to hear from her. I will just say that last year we resettled over 800 refugees, and we supported over 1000 humanitarian parolees, and we helped dozens of people seeking asylum and trying to avoid being removed from the country because they had a credible claim to asylum.”

Pavelo then told her own story of immigrating from Ukraine, where she worked as a journalist. She started at IRIS in July 2023, after gaining a fine arts degree from the University of Bridgeport and working as a graphic designer.

“There were safety concerns due to political events,” said Pavelo, a single mom, speaking of her decision to leave Ukraine. “My choice was to pick safety for my future, for my family, and I voluntarily became an immigrant. I saw this difficult and lengthy vetting process where they check you and interview you, and I know that for people that are in refugee camps, the story is much more difficult.”

As Pavelo works to help families resettle in New Haven, she can relate to their experiences because of her own journey. “I was lucky to have support from the Ukrainian community, from local organizations, and I try to give this back to people that are in need right now.” At IRIS, Tetyana helps her clients enroll their children in school, find housing, and find English language classes, among other tasks. “I help them improve their skills to prepare them for interviews and give them resources where they can find legal support. What is the best option so they can be self-sufficient to contribute to our community and financially help people open businesses and create jobs for all of us here? I want everyone to understand that a refugee is not someone over there, it’s all of us. We live here, we pay taxes, and our children go to school.” Tetyana reflected on our uncertain times and welcomed the audience’s support of IRIS.

Tetyana went on to highlight the difficulties for Ukrainian refugees stating, “What will happen if you have to go back home? How about you don’t have a home anymore? How about that city [that] doesn’t exist because it was leveled by bombs, and children could be with PTSD and in a bomb shelter? It’s a very traumatic experience, and it’s a very difficult time, and our team tries to provide as much support as we can, with as little resources as we have. It’s a time to say thank you, to all of you, to just be part of it.”

This Being Human is a Guest House

by IRIS

Mohammadi Family Reunion 2024

By Rachel Peet

Arriving in the U.S. three years ago without his immediate family, Mohammad Mohammadi starts each day with an open perspective. Rising before dawn, he finds inspiration in the poetry of Mewlana Jalaluddin Rumi, which fuels his drive to embrace growth and face challenges.

One such challenge was reuniting with his family in Afghanistan. With support from New Milford Refugee Resettlement and the Welcome Corps program, a national initiative helping Americans sponsor newcomers, Mo navigated the nearly year-long application process. Through it all, he drew strength from Rumi’s words, most specifically these: “This being human is a guest house.”

August 25, 2021, six days before his solitary arrival, is a day Mo will never forget. Overwhelmed by separation, loneliness, and uncertainty, he braced himself for an uncharted chapter far from his family.

Boarding an overcrowded Air Force C-17 with over 700 others fleeing the Taliban’s resurgence in Kabul was never in Mo’s plans. He had been studying Chinese at a private university, his eldest sister was in dental school, and his siblings were thriving in education—two at their uncle’s “Rumi High School.” Their father, Mokhtar, had successfully established two educational institutions in Kabul, including “Jawana-Haye Farda” (“Youth of Tomorrow”).

This vibrant life centered on education ended abruptly on August 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan. Within days, their rights to education vanished, and their world was upended by a suicide bombing at the airport, derailing Mo’s family’s flight to the U.S. In just two weeks, the unknown became Mo’s new reality, and his sense of home transformed into an unfamiliar “guest house.”

Six days after his final moments with his family on August 31, Mo began adjusting to life at Fort Pickett, Virginia, where he spent nearly five months navigating patience and uncertainty. As one of the first 100 Afghans to arrive, he watched 15,000 others process through before him. Brief connections—with fellow newcomers, marines, a kind bus driver, and distant family via WhatsApp—offered solace and helped him adapt to the unknown.

After months of waiting, Mo’s life took a hopeful turn. On January 28, 2022, his new sponsors, Eileen and Gerard Monaghan of New Milford, greeted him at Bradley International Airport, ready to welcome him into their community. Soon, isolation and uncertainty gave way to new experiences: his first McDonald’s meal, exploring local schools, and connecting with a supportive community.

The warmth and care he received turned his “guest house” into a place of belonging and security.

With the Monaghans’ support, Mo built a strong foundation for his achievements here in the States. Since settling in New Milford in January 2022, he has worked multiple jobs (currently as a Relationship Banker at Ives Bank), earned his driver’s license, purchased a car, started undergraduate studies at WCSU, and provided translation services for organizations like NMRR and WRRP. In April 2023, he was granted asylum.

The launch of the Welcome Corps program’s “Naming Phase” in December 2023 marked a pivotal moment for Mo. This phase of the initiative allows U.S. citizens to nominate specific displaced individuals or families for resettlement, enabling long-awaited reunions. Mo collaborated with NMRR and Welcome Corps to apply for the reunion with his loved ones, bringing him closer to reuniting with his family than ever before.

From December 2023 to October 21, 2024, Mo and NMRR worked tirelessly to gather documentation, fundraise, and prepare a welcoming “guest home” for his family’s arrival.

For Mo, there was immense relief in no longer needing to embrace “uncertainty”as he finally embraced the presence of his very own family members that evening. “It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders after carrying it for so long.” Infinite smiles, both visible and heartfelt, were shared amongst all six siblings, their parents, grandmother, uncle, and the few friends who could join the reunion.

As Mo’s siblings and father reflected on that unforgettable evening at the airport during a recent English lesson, each of them expressed the same sentiment: “I felt happy.” This newly learned phrase will forever evoke the irreplaceable memories of that extraordinary day.

In just a few months, Mo and his family have settled comfortably into their New Milford apartment. They’ve embraced new routines: Mo’s parents and sister Hasina (20) attend English classes with Literacy Volunteers on the Green, while Ahmad (17), Hadisa (14), Bahar (12), and Mustafa (8) have started public school. With support from NMRR, the family has attended medical appointments, accessed food banks, and secured essential documents, including social security cards and driving permits for Mokhtar and Hasina.

Though the rhythms of life here are vastly different from their days in Kabul, the family remains hopeful and determined to pursue their dreams in this new chapter.

As Mo emphasized in a recent conversation, “The meaning of life is to be hopeful… I want everyone to have their life resemble how it was in the past as much as possible. I hope my dad can start a business, and I want the rest of my siblings to focus on their schooling.”

Mokhtar, the family’s father –also known as “Baba” –is an entrepreneurial spirit eager to start a local business and guide others in the workplace. Roqia, their mother, enjoys cooking and dreams of improving her swimming skills, inspired by the nearby lakes and ocean.

Hasina, the eldest sibling and, in many ways, a second mother to the family, plans to return to school to study business, improve her English, and pursue entrepreneurship. Ahmad, the second eldest brother, is passionate about math, hopes to study cybersecurity and enjoys soccer, cricket, and chess.

Hadisa, the second eldest sister, is a budding artist who aims to deepen her artistic skills and improve her English during high school. Bahar, the youngest sister, is a soccer enthusiast and dog-lover, dreaming of adopting a pet dog once the family has settled permanently.

Mustafa, the youngest, is a chess prodigy often outmatching his father and brothers. He thrives on outdoor activities, including riding his bike, playing soccer, and simply being outside in the sunshine.

Mo’s “guest house” has grown in every sense. Physically, his home has become a source of comfort, strengthened by his connections within the New Milford community and the joyful reunion with his family under one roof. Figuratively, his perspective has broadened, embracing life’s challenges with greater resilience and a mindset focused on growth.

With this expanded outlook, Mo, his family, and the refugee resettlement community are ready to welcome faith and hope as they look to the future. As Rumi wisely said, “Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.” Inspired by the Mohammadi family’s example, we remain grateful for the lessons challenges bring and the continuous opportunities to warmly welcome others into our shared “guest house”, here in the United States.

IRIS Empowers Students Through School Partnerships

by IRIS

By Tatum Courtmanche

IRIS has an ongoing initiative to expand its outreach to involve the community in its underlying mission. Schools are an important part of our outreach efforts and, since 2022, IRIS has offered an organized, student-led approach that directly prioritizes youth involvement. There are currently 60 schools involved in the School Outreach Initiative in some capacity. They range from Nursery School to University level, include public, private and magnet schools, and are located throughout the state.

Since the start, IRIS has participated in approximately 50 individual school events per year, consisting of a mix of class presentations, donation drives, and various activities with student-led clubs and organizations. There are several important long-term, student-led relationships with local universities such as Yale, Quinnipiac, and UCONN, as well as many collaborations with high school students across Connecticut.

This past year’s high school collaborations have included donation drives organized by the Hopkins High School IRIS Club, led by students Saidan Thapa and Evan Yan, as well as card-making activities with Avon High School, spearheaded by student leader Saanika Tipnis. Our youngest collaborators included students from Westville Community Nursery School, who hosted IRIS speakers for a multicultural tea party. Other schools that continue to participate include East Haven High School, Choate Rosemary Hall, as well as a few newer ones, such as Pierrepont School in Westport, CT.

Marya Fisher, the Head of High School at the Pierrepont School, was initially introduced to IRIS through the Run for Refugees, having participated herself with a group of students in the past. This past school year, the student leadership group at her school decided they wanted to engage with IRIS on a larger scale as a community service project. Soon after, the School made arrangements for Hossna Samadi, IRIS’ Outreach Coordinator, and Tabitha Sookdeo, the previous Director of Community Engagement, to speak at an assembly program in January.

The presentation was attended by about 100 students from grades 6-12 and was a powerful experience for both students and adults. Hossna and Tabitha shared their personal stories, explained the work of IRIS, and fielded questions from the audience. Marya later noted that “the younger students were especially engaged, asking most of the questions and finding the session particularly productive.” For many young students, this was their first time learning about others who have been forced to flee their homes and hearing people speak about their personal experiences.

Marya stated, “This initial speaking engagement was incredibly positive and eye-opening, offering clear ways for students to help and raising awareness about the refugee crisis close to their community.” The head of the school also attended, immediately wanted to find ways to get engaged and a student-led IRIS club was started. Aman, one of the students who had participated in the Run for Refugees, led the school in organizing a school supply drive in the spring.. As Marya pointed out, this partnership was driven by genuine interest and engagement from the students, with no service hours required.

One of IRIS’ other long-standing relationships is with Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. Over the years, IRIS has had interns from Quinnipiac along and has participated in a few different community collaborations. This past year, political science student Jannat Butt took the partnership to another level, by interning as a liaison between Quinnipiac University and IRIS. Jannat is currently in her second year in this role.

During the initial ten month period, Jannat coordinated seven different events throughout the school year, including: an immigration panel featuring Hossna Samadi, two attorneys from IRIS, and a Quinnipiac professor of international business; an IRIS Kahoot night; a tabling event on the Quinnipiac quad during the Students for Environmental Action Fair; as well as a school-wide drive for kitchenware and personal care products. She also raised several hundred dollars by creating a Quinnipiac University team for the 20234 Run for Refugees.

Jannat has noted that “by engaging with IRIS, students not only become educated on important issues but also take concrete steps to support and uplift both the local community and those who are giving back to it.” This involvement fosters a sense of responsibility and empowerment among students, ensuring the continuity of community service and support for IRIS. Jannat believes “it is crucial to establish and maintain a strong relationship with IRIS within the university setting to ensure that the connection does not fade over time.” This sustainable continuity is central to the School Outreach strategy.

Providing a different perspective, Amy Christman, the Assistant Principal of ACES Educational Center for Arts in New Haven, also cultivated a relationship with IRIS this past year. Amy had known about IRIS for a long time through events such as the “Run for Refugees” and she was always looking for meaningful ways for her students to get involved in the community. Amy emphasized “because ECA is a magnet school representing 27 school districts, this was especially exciting because it immersed students from outside New Haven into the community.”

Last summer, Amy met with the IRIS Community Engagement team and put together a plan. The initiative kicked off with a presentation by Hossna which was designed to raise general awareness. This presentation was followed by a coffee house fundraiser to collect backpacks and school supplies and was soon followed by the launch of ACES’ involvement in the IRIS after-school program, where groups of ACES students visited the IRIS Education Center once a month to share their skills and have fun with IRIS youth through the arts. Amy explained that, “Over five months, these workshops built strong relationships between a core group of students and faculty from each department”, noting that not only was this a great opportunity for IRIS, but also an opportunity for her students to gain the privilege of service and giving back.

Amy emphasized that she believes in the power of connecting through the arts to overcome language barriers and using dance, movement, and visual arts to foster deeper communication without words. She stated, “The power of allowing students to take initiative and create these relationships and bonds with IRIS gives them a sense of empowerment as well and fosters such a positive partnership between students and IRIS as an organization.”. This collaboration with ACES is also in its second year.

As IRIS continues to deepen and expand its reach in Connecticut communities, the organization’s commitment to involving educational institutions remains a cornerstone of its strategy. The strategic emphasis on youth involvement and community engagement has allowed IRIS to not only raise awareness about refugee resettlement but also to inspire tangible actions and support from students and educators alike.The positive experiences and strong relationships built through these initiatives ensure that IRIS’s mission will continue to thrive, supported by a new generation of engaged and informed advocates.

Community sponsorship event celebrates JCARR

by IRIS

On September 28th, IRIS held a workshop event at Southern Connecticut State University that convened community sponsorship group leaders from across the country who share in IRIS’s mission to assist refugees and other displaced people as they reestablish their lives in our communities.

In attendance were sponsor group leaders from WelcomeCorps, a new national resettlement program that launched in 2023. These leaders came from Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Nevada. They were joined by community co-sponsor group leaders located in Connecticut who helped inspire the national program..

“These are Americans who do what our team does: secure housing, help register kids in school, connect adults to employment and to English classes – they sometimes even teach English themselves! Even more important, they welcome newcomers into their communities,” said IRIS’ Executive Director Maggie Mitchell Salem.

During the workshop, community group leaders shared their experiences on how to best support refugees and other displaced people. Contributing to the conversation were our keynote speakers Anna Greene,Resettlement Officer at UNHCR, and Basma Alawee,Deputy Executive Director of the Community Sponsorship Hub, who were able to share their experiences in the refugee community and the resettlement process as a whole. Community Sponsorship Hub’s master storyteller Sarah Hunaidi led a session on how expanding outreach and awareness through communications connects audiences to the importance and impact of refugee resettlement.

During the workshop, IRIS also highlighted and celebrated the work and dedication of the CT Co-sponsor group, Jewish Community Alliance for Refugee Resettlement (JCARR), a partnership of six New Haven-area synagogues, as well as the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. As an IRIS co-sponsor, JCARR has helped nine families – comprising over 40 individuals – resettle in our local communities. Over the past 9 years, JCARR has supported families from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Angola, Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

IRIS awarded leader, Jean Silk, and JCARR with the inaugural Golden Door Leadership award. This year’s award consisted of a hand-painted calligraphy of Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus” by a local community artist Alibaba Awrang. Alibaba is a former refugee from Afghanistan who was resettled by a local community sponsor group in Washington, Connecticut. The selection of Emma Lazarus’ poem is a depiction of the poem written on the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of the American heritage and tradition of welcoming refugees, displaced people, and those fleeing persecution from around the world.

Jean Silk, in response to receiving the award stated that “I am pleased to accept this award on behalf of JCARR. This award truly goes to all the volunteers who do the work for JCARR.”

In presenting the first Golden Door Leadership Award to JCARR, IRIS (Integrated Refugee and Immigration Services), told JCARR that they were the first group to form a coalition (in response to the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015), they were the first group to receive a family as a co-sponsor of IRIS, JCARR has strong leadership, and has worked hard in full partnership with IRIS, through many crises over the last 9 years. JCARR has always taken the approach of asking, “How can we help?”

Jean concluded her remarks with, “JCARR leaders are looking forward to welcoming our TENTH family in our TENTH Year – 2025!”

I Had Mastered the Art of Being Invisible

by IRIS

“While it’s hard to stay in place, change is even harder,” Remar states matter-of-factly when asked about his journey to the U.S.

It’s a relatable sentiment; and while the global number of refugees and other immigrants is staggering, it represents a small percentage of people who are still internally displaced or confronting persecution. Leaving and starting over in a new country are their own tumultuous events.

For Remar, a young gay man from Jamaica, life had been trying for some time; yet he knew the lay of the (homophobic) land. “I had mastered the art of being invisible because that’s what you need to survive. In Jamaica, what we see is sexuality: are you gay or straight? Everything is tied to your sexuality. If someone hits your car, and in the confrontation you come across as being too effeminate or gay, then you’re automatically wrong,” he explains.

Even at university, where one might expect more accepting attitudes, Remar experienced a specific sort of repudiation. Many closeted gay students and faculty who could pass as straight, were actively cruel towards men who were visibly gay on campus. They thought this would be a distraction from their own sexual differences, but it was moreover destructive for gay men like Remar.

In Jamaica, since it is not culturally acceptable to befriend individuals within the LGBTQ community, Remar struggled finding allies. He longed for support to help him through difficult times, including threats to his safety and attempts to flee the country to build a new life.

Fortunately, Remar had a gay friend from Jamaica in New York who could help. Remar had been to New York several times and maintained a U.S. visa. He had a clear exit strategy when matters in Jamaica reached a tipping point. This happened when his apartment in the capital, Kingston, was ransacked. The police had the culprit in custody soon after, but he was quickly set free without accountability. Once the officers clocked Remar as gay, they removed themselves from the case after having expressed doubt about his testimony. He began receiving threats. The thief knew then that he could return with impunity and could also trace where Remar worked if he really wanted to wreck his life.

“I’ve lived in ten different apartments over the course of ten years. People sometimes just say something and a rumor stays and that causes an uproar,” Remar says, also mentioning that he feels lucky to have made it out alive. He had friends who inquired with the police about his case and ended up paying with their lives.

Remar made it through the catastrophic weeks following the robbery, holding it together at his management job and convincing his university to allow him to finish his degree online.

Having a friend in New Haven led him to Connecticut. He began his asylum claim and sought out the help of IRIS. He expresses gratitude and talks about his experience with Brooke C., the supportive therapist on staff at IRIS, as the most meaningful way that the organization has helped him. “She talked me through it, and I was able to relax a bit, understand who I was and how to move forward,” Remar reflected about their sessions.

Even after fleeing, Remar’s social life here in the States can be rough. There is the internalized homophobia that rears its head at odd moments. Remar kept returning to how ingrained disdain for gays is in his home culture.

In spite of struggles, Remar has a stable job working the night shift at Wal-mart, where he says again he has learned the lay of the land – who to trust and who not to trust in regards to his sexual identity. He has experience in project management and has the long term goal of being a consultant. Remar exudes a strength, as if he has gotten through the worst part of a storm, and gives himself grace, acknowledging that it takes time to establish oneself in a new home.

Reviving Ancient Ukrainian Dolls in CT

by IRIS

My name is Zhanna. I’m from the Volyn region of Ukraine.

I came to the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine program and I have been living in Hartford, Connecticut for a year. Even though I’m far from home, I like my life here.

On Facebook, I came across Svetlana, IRIS’ Ukrainian Program Outreach Specialist. She helped me move and settle into an apartment, complete paperwork, and search for a job.

It’s hard to be new in this country, especially when you don’t know the language. Fortunately, I found sympathetic people at IRIS.

I’m creative and I’ve always liked doing something with my hands. This is how the idea of making Ukrainian dolls, called Motankas, was born.

Ukrainian towels and embroidered shirts are known everywhere in Ukraine and beyond its borders, but Motanka dolls are less known.

Motanka is a symbol of well-being, hope for the best, and is a sacred object. They’ve been around for 5,000 years.

You can’t make a Motanka doll when your heart is hard or you’re angry. It should only be done with good in the soul. After all, each doll was and remains a unique creation of the master. In ancient times, the motanka doll performed an important function of amulet and talisman for the whole family.

There are many variations of Motankas, because each craftswoman puts a piece of her soul into it. This is how my motanka doll was born. Here, in the United States, I want to work and do something useful for people. All this was possible thanks to the help of IRIS.

*Zhanna (pictured left with Svetlana), originally shared her story with IRIS in Ukrainian. It has been translated to English.

As She Feels Her Hijab in the Breeze

by IRIS

For 18-year-old Reem, a recent high school graduate, the daily ritual of pinning up her hijab, clasping her Iraq-shaped necklace, and draping her black and white keffiyeh over her shoulders has brought her closer to a sense of freedom than ever before.

Having been a refugee from Iraq and Syria, Reem understands that freedom can feel very distant for the “caged birds” in our migrant community. Her familiarity with the apprehensive voices experienced by many refugees and people of color has inspired her to study Human Rights at the University of Connecticut this fall.

Reem’s journey of advocating for human rights began with her connection to IRIS. She was only four years old when she, her younger sister, and her mother arrived in the States in 2009 to seek a safer and more hopeful life. Initially, IRIS provided financial aid and resettlement support for her family and extended relatives. By 2015, when her aunts, uncles, and grandmother arrived to reunite with them through IRIS —a vivid and unforgettable memory for Reem—she was well on her way to resisting the systemic barriers around her. The reconnection with her youngest aunt was especially inspiring.

In the following years, the bond between Reem and her aunt strengthened through their involvement with the Youth Leadership group as IRIS. This group of immigrant and refugee women met once a week to explore leadership activities as they navigated their first years in the States. Some of Reem’s cherished memories from the group include local field trips to nearby museums, the New Haven Public Library, and Hammonasset Beach, during which they learned about the local history and impact on immigrant populations over time, especially migrants of color in New Haven.

One of the most memorable workshops from Reem’s time with the Youth Leadership group was an introduction to the history of the Black Panther Party (BPP). As they carried old photographs around and from downtown New Haven, Reem and her friends were transported back to the 1960s and 70s, when the Black Panthers sought to protect and liberate long-discriminated Black neighborhoods. As an aspiring photographer, Reem was struck by the lack of change between these historical images and the present view, which fueled her passion for advocating for human rights. Inspired by Malcolm X and the BPP’s slogan, she felt a strong need to create “Freedom by any means necessary” for the greater good of the global migrant community.

Throughout her sophomore and junior years of high school, Reem emerged as a pioneer for the Youth Leadership group. She planned numerous lessons on social justice, racism, and other contemporary issues, opening up her perspective and those of her peers. One of her favorite lesson plans highlighted the evolution of women’s suffrage and its correlation to present day women’s rights. Reem’s exposure to IRIS were seeds that would eventually flourish her enthusiasm for social justice, particularly at her school, Wilbur Cross High School.

In her final years of high school, Reem participated in multiple protests for oppressed populations and even organized a student-led walk-out within the New Haven Public School system. The walk-out in May of 2022 involved more than 600 students protesting against School Resource Officers (SRO’s) and their discriminatory actions towards students of color and their rights to freedom of speech.

“It was really cool marching in the streets alongside people who have similar perspectives and drive. It’s an indescribable feeling. You’re so present with all the passionate emotions of all those who are involved,” Reem said.

Even within the walls at Wilbur Cross High School, Reem grew impassioned as a social justice advocate. Her favorite course studied African American and Latinx cultures and history in the United States. The passion of her teacher motivated her to delve deeper into human rights and social justice through her involvement in school clubs such as Student Council, The Proclamation (the student newspaper), and the National Honors Society.

As Reem recognizes the cyclical and stark connections between past and present injustices, she has started to reconnect with her Middle Eastern culture, family, and beliefs. Just last summer in 2023, Reem decided to start wearing her hijab. With her aunt being a source of support in her life, Reem looked to her for guidance in making such a big decision.

“When I was deciding my hijab journey, she was a huge help in really emphasizing that it was my personal decision and no one else’s. She reminded me that if I choose to wear my hijab, it was a decision only between myself and Allah, just like any other decision. There’s no need to listen to others and do what they say or want. She’s one of my greatest inspirations in life,” Reem shared.

As an Iraqi-American who often feels like she’s living two lives in the States, the ability to make such choices for herself has brought Reem greater freedom. It’s the choice to wear her hijab, to speak more Arabic with her loved ones, to carry her keffiyeh across her shoulders every day, to celebrate Islamic holidays like Ramadan, and to embrace her Middle Eastern roots. This is what sets Reem free, allowing her to share her voice with the ever-evolving melting pot of cultures in America. The blend of experiences with IRIS, her aunt, her high school education, and the influence of social justice poets like Maya Angelou and Refaat Alareer have all contributed to the amplification of her own words. In a recent senior speech reflecting on Alareer’s “If I Must Die” poem, Reem shared the following:

“He teaches me to never be silenced by anyone and to speak my truth even if no one in the room agrees with me or has the confidence to speak up. He teaches me to wear my keffiyeh, hijab, and Iraqi necklace with pride in every space I step foot in. I am proud of my brown skin that gleams in the sun. I am proud to be born in Iraq. I am proud to be a refugee. Generations behind me in my footsteps to future endeavors. I shine everywhere I go. I am a woman who is not afraid of death. I want my life to be remembered – to be told at family gatherings, at a graduation speech. To never be erased.”

Reem is proud to toss her graduation cap as she embarks on yet another transformative chapter with her hijab freely flowing in the breeze.

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