Community
A 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!
Read MoreThe PLACE Hours and Services
Have you been by The PLACE yet? If you haven’t brought your refugee friends to check it out, make a point to stop in some day and explore the resources and opportunities that exist in our new community center. Along with free Wi-Fi and plenty of hot tea, there are materials for helping people learn English,…
Read MoreKindness is the Cause
Have you tried the cause latte of the month over at Palace Coffee? A dollar from every cause latte purchased goes to Refugee Language Project during the first quarter of 2022. January’s latte was the Midnight Kiss and February left us drooling over the delicious Cherry Cordial. March is bringing back a local favorite – the Matador! (picture courtesy of…
Read MoreOpen House Recap
Thanks to everyone who came out for our Open House at the PLACE! We were so encouraged by the level of community support we received that night and in the many days since. We hope you enjoyed seeing a space that was brought to life by the dreams, plans and wallets of this community! As we…
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