Syrian Community Network

Our updated mission statement will guide our care for immigrants and refugees for years to come. We envision an Illinois where refugees and immigrants feel safe, welcome, and supported in their communities. Join us in our mission! "Working alongside immigrants and refugees, with care, through needs-based Case Management, Education, and Immigration services."?

In light of the uncertainty about the future of the Welcome Corps private sponsorship program and Syrian refugee resettlement in the U.S. under the next administration, Welcome Corps officials are trying to get as many refugees as possible resettled by January. You can help! Join @WelcomeCorps at 6 PM ET or @syrianamericancouncil at 8 PM ET. These info sessions will help you complete and submit your application by December 3, in time to celebrate Giving Tuesday with a life-changing act of sponsorship. In addition to application support and expert guidance, Welcome Corps and its partners are unlocking additional financial assistance for: - Sponsor groups applying to be matched with a refugee already approved for resettlement and waiting for a sponsor like you - Veteran/active duty sponsor groups submitting an application to sponsor Afghan refugees they know

This #VeteransDay learn about the Special Immigrant Visa or SIV! This is a program available to persons who worked with the U.S. Armed Forces or under Chief of Mission authority as a translator or interpreter in Iraq or Afghanistan. We have worked with individuals from Operation Allies Welcome to both apply for SIV status and legal permanent residency.

It is not an understatement to say that the future for refugees and immigrants is scary. We have fought before for the rights of newcomers, for the right to safety, for the right to seek asylum, and for our country to be one that not only allows but embraces these families and individuals in our communities. Each one of you has been part of our community of support and care for over 1,500 refugees and immigrants since we first started nearly 10 years ago. We are leaning into this community and asking each of you to continue being bold and fighting for each other.

For many Syrian refugees who arrived in the United States before the Muslim travel ban, this is the first U.S. presidential election where they could vote as United States citizens. We are happy to celebrate this momentous occasion with some of our staff!

Welcome Corps is a new opportunity for private refugee resettlement in the United States. We've received questions about how that fits into our work, and we wanted to answer them here! For more information about Welcome Corps itself, please register for our info session happening this Friday. Link in comments!

One week away! Tickets are still available. We hope to see you there and join us in this important conversation. Thank you for helping us host, Malek Abdulsamad!

Curious about a DAF? See the top three reasons donors love using them! Which one makes the most sense for you? Join a growing number of donors who support Syrian Community Network through their DAF. Questions? DM us or comment below! If you already have a DAF, make a contribution today! #DAFDay, Chariot

Join us for an important conversation about home and displacement, as influenced by the stories of hundreds of Syrians across five continents. Author, Wendy Pearlman, will be in conversation with Malek Abdulsamad, Co-Founder of Chicago in Arabic. We hope to see you there! Tickets are available now. If you'd like to purchase a copy of the book for pickup at the event, you can buy the ticket+book through October 11th at noon. This price is 50% off other retailers. Link in the comments.

Join us for a conversation between the author of "The Home I Worked to Make: Voices from the New Syrian Diaspora," Wendy Pearlman, and Co-Founder of Chicago in Arabic, Malek Abdulsamad, about the displacement of millions of Syrians and their meaning of home. We will have a short reading from Wendy before the conversation as well as a chance for audience Q&A. Link in the comments!