Dear Friend of RT,
Today is World Refugee Day, a day to acknowledge the strength and courage of the millions of uprooted people around the world. We know that you, as RT supporters, share the immense respect that we have for our refugee clients, all of whom have been forced to leave their homes and native lands due to horrible circumstances beyond their control.
We thank you all for playing a part in helping local refugees in their journey towards reclaiming control of their lives. Though it is important to honor refugees on this special day, it is of equal or greater importance to honor them throughout the year, as you do as supporters of RT.
For more information on World Refugee Day, please visit www.unhcr.org |
| Stay Connected with RT!
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Please click on the link Update Profile/E-mail Address found on the bottom of the page to confirm your contact information with RT. This helps us immensely so please do follow the link!
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Meet Richard, an RT Youth from Sudan
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We'd like to introduce you all to Richard, a young man from Sudan who is one of our star students. He will be a senior next year at Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco, and has worked with two amazing and dedicated RT tutors, Matthew Hinde and Dominique Walterspiel. We asked Richard to share his story with us, and to offer advice to his refugee youth peers on succeeding in the US.
"My name is Richard Bakhei and I am from Sudan. I settled in Uganda as a refugee for eight years. It was here that my family began to be disturbed by the rebels, the resistance army in Sudan that is fighting against the government. My two sisters and two brothers were taken away by the rebels. One of them was killed and we do not know what happened to the others. My family came to the US for a better life."
Please click here for the rest of Richard's story.
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RT Welcomes New Employee
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RT would like to welcome Lisa Tse, our new bilingual Family Advocate.
Lisa will be focusing on RT's partnership with the Chinatown Economic
Self-Sufficiency Coalition, helping Chinese adults in the community get
matched with volunteer tutors, navigate resource agencies, advance
their job skills, and progress towards citizenship. The program was
recently funded by the SF Mayor's Office of Community Development. Lisa
will be working part-time. Lisa is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and has
worked as a teacher in Guyana through WorldTeach, Inc. and as a legal
assistant. A former RT tutor, she is very familiar with the
organization and with the needs of both clients and volunteers, and is
excited to begin a new professional chapter here at RT. Welcome, Lisa!
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| Volunteer Corner: Resources for Youth |
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Summer Camp: RT will host two camp weekends this summer for all youth ages 15+: for the girls July 12-13 and for the boys july 19-20. Youth will spend the weekend up on the beautiful Sonoma Coast relaxing and enjoying the fresh air, so please help your student attend by talking to them about it and filling out the application that will be coming in the mail.
Free Soccer Camp (through Soccer without Borders):
This year's soccer camp will be
held at Oakland International High School (Webster & 46th near
MacArthur Bart) from August 4 to 8.
Students in K-12 are welcome to come. Please contact laura@reftrans.org or Ben@soccerwithoutborders.org to sign up any refugee or immigrant youth.
Free Summer Lunches: Low-income youth in the East Bay can get free lunches all summer:
http://www.kcbs.com/Free-Summer-Lunches-for-Low-Income-East-Bay-Kids/2379688
http://www.summerlunch.org/
http://www.accfb.org/
SummerSearch: We would love to nominate some of our youth for this excellent program, which
"helps low-income young people graduate high school, go to college, gain
successful careers, and give back to society." In summary, the organization selects youth in their sophomore years, sending them on an outdoor adventure (ie Outward Bound) their first summer and overseas their second summer, while providing mentoring throughout the school years. They also assist with college applications and professional networking. For more information, check out www.summersearch.org and contact Laura at the RT office if you think your youth would be a good candidate.
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Save the Date - June 27 World Refugee Day Picnic
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In celebration of World Refugee Day (officially June 20th), Refugee Transitions and the East Bay Refugee and Immigrant Forum are holding their annual picnic. The picnic will be held at San Antonio Park (15th & Foothill in Oakland) on Friday, June 27th from 11:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m. All are welcome, so if your work schedule allows, we'd love to see you there!
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Oakland Tribune Spotlights Local Burmese Refugees
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RT
was featured recently in an April 6 article in the Oakland Tribune. It
related the struggles that recent Burmese refugees have here in the Bay
Area learning English and adjusting to their new lives. "Nearly 300
Karen, Chin and Kachin refugees have arrived in the Bay Area since
summer 2007, many resettling in Oakland's Eastlake district, according
to resettlement agencies. Another 200 are expected to arrive by the end
of the year. Many of the refugees, displaced by a decades-long, violent
conflict in their home country of Burma (now known as Myanmar), lived
in camps in Thailand for years - some more than 20 years - and some
were born and raised there. Many arrive in this country with limited
English skills." RT Executive Director and volunteer Debbie Brown are
both featured.
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Get Involved
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Become involved with Refugee Transitions and help support the refugee and immigrant communities in the Bay Area! Please come to a one-hour session and learn more about the agency's history, programs, and clients. We are holding these monthly sessions to introduce people to the work our organization is doing, whether they are interested in volunteering, helping with financial support, or just finding out more about our mission and programming.
RT has long waitlists for refugees and immigrants who need our services. If you'd like to volunteer, please contact Muhamed 415-989-2151 or go to our website at www.reftrans.org and submit an application. |
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