2023 Friendsgiving with Miry's List

It only takes a few seconds - glancing at a newspaper, watching a few minutes of the news, scrolling social media - to find a world that feels full of despair, disconnection and violence. Current events can leave us feeling alone - completely separate from our family, friends, and longtime and new arrival neighbors alike. 

But at Miry’s List - we see endless opportunities to get to know each other, to bridge the gap between new neighbors one shared meal at a time. One reading lamp at a time. One tutoring session at a time. One fluffy blanket at a time. One backpack at a time. 

Each one of us has the power to turn around and become a welcoming support for new arrival families. None of us are meant to be alone. And we would LOVE to have you join us!

Though the refugee crisis is happening on a global scale, the resettling of families in our communities is a local issue - one we all have the opportunity to participate in and positively impact.

We believe that intentional, individualized, ongoing support provided to resettling new arrival refugee families in those difficult first 12 months leads to better outcomes for the families AND their communities at large.

Through our SURVIVE, HIVE, THRIVE format, Miry's List provides new arrival families with 12-months of community-based support, including: 

• Essential household items to get their new home safe, functional and comfortable for the family.

• Conversational English classes, and social support

• Career development and tech access

• Mental health programming for resettling youth 15-25

Miry’s List programming is designed to alleviate the effects of a traumatic migration experience by offering friendship, meeting practical needs in setting up a new home, career support, and connection for families and individuals who left friends, family, and familiarity behind. As we look to the future, we envision a world where all resettling refugees have access to the resources and support needed to rebuild their lives and thrive in their new communities. 

Miry’s List started with a very simple ask: one Jumperoo bouncer chair for the baby of a newly arrived family from Syria. Over the past 7 years, we have grown to support 1,162 resettling families in 24 states across the U.S. More than half of our program recipients are babies and children. 

We are at a critical point for resettling refugee families in the United States and the demand for our programming is greater than ever before. On a national scale, refugee admissions to the United States are the highest they've been in recent history. In fact, in 2022, twenty times more resettling refugees were admitted to the U.S. than in the previous year. Through 2024, we're preparing for even more growth: The Federal government has committed to resettle up to 125,000 refugees per year, equaling over 10,000 people per month.

Last year, Friendsgiving with Miry's List funded 16% of our operating budget, and this year, we are hoping that Friendsgiving with Miry’s List will fund even more of our operating budget for 2024!  Our goal is to raise $200,000 to support 250 more resettling families - all as part of our larger goal of raising $1,000,000 to support 1,250 more resettling families by 2026. 

Help us accomplish this goal by taking action in one or all of these ways:

• Make a one-time donation 
• Create your own fundraiser by clicking “Join Campaign”
• Join our welcomer's circle and become a monthly sustaining donor at $25 per month 

Resettling families have faced incredible difficulty and unimaginable hardship on their journeys here. But in so much darkness, there is ALWAYS hope.  From that first simple ask for a Jumperoo to today's mission, we're still making simple requests: Can you be a friend to our newest neighbors?