Community
Ready to engage?
Are you ready to engage with refugees? Find out how!
Read MoreHow to spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S
A refugee’s child does well in the spelling bee – what do we learn from this?
Read MoreTable Talk is changing…
Perhaps the biggest development comes in the form of Table Talk changing names, format and management. Table Talk is now The Community Table and will be run by The PLACE. It will still be at The PLACE on Tuesday nights from 6-8 with a shared potluck meal. However, due to the growth of that program and the large numbers of…
Read MoreA Time to Celebrate
On Thursday, our ESL class celebrated the end of their semester with a party. Each student was presented with a certificate honoring the number of hours they had spent in class this Fall. The final certificate was presented to Lula (pictured above), who put in more hours than any other student. As Emily announced her…
Read MoreCaves and Cages: Memories of Myanmar
Follow the story of Naw Unity Ba as she retraces memories from her village in Myanmar to refugee camps in Thailand, and finally to Amarillo, where she and her family reside today. Your purchase of this book will help support the ongoing work of producing bilingual stories in minority languages across various refugee communities in Amarillo.
Read MoreWhat’s the Objective?
Do you remember last month when we wrote about Wide and Narrow Windows? If you missed that article, go take a quick read. In thinking about the unknown windows of time we have with refugees, our team has been reflecting on who is already in our sphere, and how can we be strategic in the…
Read MoreKaren Exhibit at DHDC
We are thrilled to announce that our local science museum – The Don Harrington Discovery Center – has just opened the first of what promises to be a series of exhibits highlighting different ethnic groups that call Amarillo home. Don’t miss your chance to experience an immersive exhibit highlighting the music, food, traditions, and agricultural contributions of the…
Read MorePlug and Play at The PLACE
How do you cultivate community? It’s a question we have been asking a lot over the past two years. It is a key part of our identity as an organization. We’ve tried (and failed at) many different approaches.
Read MoreYou too??
We would be lying if we we said we haven’t faced discouragement in looking at how much more disconnected we are with refugee communities than we were pre-pandemic. Those once-thriving relationships are in need of another round of hard work and time spent listening.
Read MoreWrestling with the Silence
Last month, we saw decreasing participation as Ramadan pulled our new Afghan friends away from the PLACE. The fasts and feasts of Ramadan made it a struggle for them to have the time and energy to attend classes and potluck dinners. However, the April silence has brought to light the reality that we have not yet successfully learned to draw in many other ethnic communities. As we’ve wrestled with and thought critically about the last year, we realize that we are still facing the consequences of the separation that COVID-19 brought into our lives. We have lost touch with so many of our friends!
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