The Local Home Base for Refugees: Canopy NWA
by Lainey Richardson
Photo courtesy of Canopy NWA
The word “canopy” means an overhead structure that is able to provide shelter from possibly harmful conditions.
Canopy Northwest Arkansas is the largest and first refugee resettlement agency in the region, and does exactly that.
Established in 2016, this company has helped hundreds of refugees make Arkansas their home. Families, couples and individuals from almost every continent on this planet.
Canopy specializes in a world that is scary: people uprooting their lives and relocating elsewhere after no longer being safe. They take care of the travel and citizenship experiences, as well as finding housing, careers, grocery stores, and schools for individuals and families. Luckily, Canopy’s staff knows over 11 languages: Arabic, Dari, English, Farsi, French, Hindi, Kinyarwanda, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Ukrainian.
Senior Director of Economic and Community Development Khalid Ahmadzai, said they have learned to branch out and help the community in small yet powerful ways.
The start of the business pitch competition on November 16th. More photos to come, within the videos linked as well. Photo courtesy of Canopy NWA
Dominique Sanders, an employment specialist at Canopy, said the socio-emotional aspects of refugee resettlement are vital. Additionally, she has asked that it is known that refugees are people who seek asylum away from the fear of discriminatory, life-threatening hatred that their home country hosted. Illegal immigration status is not the same as an asylee who ran for their lives. These terms cannot be used interchangeably.
Me, age 12. Those braces show how young I was! Loved hanging with the littles.
Age 15, a little older and wiser. This girl was starting to appreciate her parents’ move.
The opportunities Canopy provides for refugees are vast. They have teams that help with housing, careers, budgeting, grocery shopping, car buying, childcare and more. Volunteer opportunities where residents of Fayetteville and the surrounding areas can help include staging homes for refugees, co-sponsoring a family, donations of furniture, and welcome kits.
Awards were presented at the end of the evening to the winners at the pitch competition. Photo courtesy of Canopy NWA
If people are interested in volunteering or working with Canopy, they gladly extend a helping hand. Provided below is a link to their website (https://www.canopynwa.org/) in which you can find the “Get Involved” tab.