August is here!

Greetings to our amazing Canopy supporters and families! It has been a busy few weeks with lots of amazing opportunities for us to spread our Canopy mission with government leaders and the community at large.

I serve on the board of the Inland Valley Interfaith Working Group for Middle East Peace. Last week we were able to meet with our representative, Congresswoman Judy Chu! It was a great meeting discussing ways the United States can support peace efforts in the Middle East. I was able to also spend some time with Congresswoman Chu telling her all about Canopy, our mission and our amazing families. She was thrilled to know about our efforts and will stay in touch and be of help if needed! We are lucky to have such an amazing woman representing our district.

I also work with the Muslim Public Affairs Council here in Southern California, a national public affairs non-profit organization working to promote and strengthen understanding and polices that impact American Muslims. It is a wonderful interfaith collaboration of coming together to promote peace. Yesterday they held a forum with Congressman Adam Schiff, Salam Al-Marayati from MPAC, and representatives from All Saints Church in Pasadena as well as folks from IKAR. It was a fantastic coming together of leaders that use their voices to promote peace and stand up to hate crimes in the United States. I was inspired by their efforts and the discussions on embracing diversity and welcoming your neighbors. Which is exactly what we are all about here at Canopy. I value these opportunities to meet with local leaders and government officials to let them know about Canopy, but to also give gratitude using their voices to promote peace and togetherness.

Lastly and exciting opportunity came about with one of the Miry’s List partners in Los Angeles. Soul Pancake, a production company that produces short films with the purpose of educating and uplifting their viewers by providing human content that is meant to inspire and empower its audience. They are in the midst of producing a film called Truth and Myth. They are specifically interviewing immigrants and letting them in their own words say what myths and truths are being portrayed about them in the media. Two of our amazing young women, sisters, Nabila and Marwa from Afghanistan were casted to be in the film. So last Thursday I drove them into LA and they very eloquently were able to speak their truth. Educate the thousands that will watch this film on their truths, their story. It was as very moving afternoon and we couldn’t be more proud of them!

As always, I thank you for your support! Together we are amazing. During these uncertain times in our country I urge you now more than ever to welcome your neighbor, embrace diversity and stand with your fellow brothers and sisters. Lets throw away labels, we are all one, we are all human.

Yalla!
Christy

Summer Update!

As summer begins to wrap up and the kids are getting ready to get back to school this August, I wanted to check in and let you know what Canopy has been up to! Summer gets a little hot here in SoCal so we’ve all been busy trying to beat the heat!

Our Canopy kids are busy with summer school and local camps! We would like to send our sincere thank you to the fabulous people at the Claremont Education Foundation for making it possible for some of our kiddos to participate in the SLICE summer enrichment classes. We would also like to thank the amazing humans at the Inland Valley Repertory Theatere program in Claremont, they sponsored two of our young kiddos to attend their two week long theater camp. It warms my heart to see the community rallying around our new arrival children and making sure they have the opportunity to participate in local summer programs. We would not be here, and we would not be making this impact, without you!

Our canopy continues to have a broader reach, we are adding one to two families every few weeks! We recently met with a family from Kuwait and were taken by adorable Faisal. He is an 8 year old cutie who loves America and loves dominating the soccer field. Mom is attending college here and they are both looking forward to the day when Dad and Faisal’s two little sisters can join them here in Southern California.

I serve on the board of a local interfaith group in Claremont, the Inland Valley Interfaith Working Group for Peace in the Middle East. We had our monthly meeting this week at the local Mosque to discuss our upcoming meeting with Representative Judy Chu! (We also are busy planning our annual interfaith walk for the fall. Stay tuned!) I leave these meetings filled with hope for our world. This group consists of local faith leaders from ALL faiths. We stand united in our efforts to find ways to promote peace both locally and abroad. We represent a diverse group of people and beliefs, but are dedicated to be an example of unity and peace, as we work together to make the world a better place.

In today’s world it is more important than ever to welcome your neighbor, embrace our differences and empower individuals to help. We at Canopy are working to counteract the effects of dehumanizing the migration experience. We will continue to use our voices to increase awareness of the resettlement experience and with your help, we can work together to make America a safe and welcoming place for all.

Together, we got this!

YALLA!

Christy
Director and Founder, Claremont Canopy

A look back at World Refugee Day 2019

On June 19, in honor of World Refugee Day, Canopy dedicated our Instagram story to our amazing families. We spent all day sharing photos and memories of our Canopy Moms, Dads and kiddos.

For those of our supporters that do not have an Instagram account, we have compiled the story into video format for you! Enjoy.

We are so honored to stand with and support these amazing and wonderful new arrival families.

YALLA!

World Refugee Day!

Today is World Refugee Day, a day for the world to commemorate the strength, courage, and resilience of millions of refugees and show support for families forced to leave their homes due to persecution or conflict.

More than 68 million people around the world are refugees or internally displaced. According to the recent report published by the UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), in 2017 someone was displaced every two seconds. Today, the number of refugees worldwide has reached a record high.

On World Refugee Day, I present you with a call to action. We must all think about what more we can do to help. The answer begins with unity and solidarity. We stand together, or we fail. As long as there are wars and persecution, there will be refugees. On World Refugee Day, I ask you to remember them, stand with them and welcome them into our community.

Their story is one of resilience and courage. Ours must be one of compassion and action.

Help Canopy support our friends who have resettled in Southern California, as they wait for America to welcome more refugees so they can once again be reunited with friends and family. Stand with us as we continue to help them find their footing in this foreign country, whether it be by helping send their kids to college, finding employment opportunities, or simply providing the necessary items to care for their newborn babies.

Together we are stronger!

https://www.claremontcanopy.org/donate

YALLA!

Christy
Director and Founder, Claremont Canopy

Graduation!

The school year has ended here in Claremont, we are always beaming with pride at the end of the year with the accomplishments of our Canopy kiddos but this year was a special one. We had FOUR of our Canopy girls graduate from Claremont High School. These girls have all only been in the United States for a few years, they came to this country speaking no English and uncertain what their future in America would be. As we sat in the bleachers, we heard the names of these young women be called we watched them cross the stage and get their diploma as their proud parents and family members snapped photos and cheered. It was a very moving moment. When you ask each and every one of our families why they fled their country and came to America they all answer, “to give our children a chance at a better life.” That afternoon was a big step in this process and their journey of resettlement. Rama, Nermen, Dayla and Miriam, we are so very proud of you and can’t wait to see what amazing things you will accomplish as you head off to college next fall. The future is yours!

The story of these four girls is not a unique one, let alone a finished one. Visit our donations page to donate to these girls journeys toward a higher education; or make a general contribution to ensure we can continue to provide resources to all our Canopy kiddos!

We adore you and we are so happy you and your families are here!

Yalla!

Christy

Claremont Canopy Family Iftar!

We held our 2nd annual Claremont Canopy family Iftar. We all agree at Canopy this is our favorite event of the year. It is a time for us to come together and have a wonderful evening with our families. The Canopy team does all the cooking, it is a true labor of love! Thank you Anne, Brenda, Amy, Brian and Jennifer for all the work you did to make this a wonderful evening. And thank you to the Meat Cellar in Claremont who generously donated enough beef Kebabs for all our guests. They were delicious.

We usually have the Iftar at one of our homes but do to the extended “California Winter” the rain left us scrambling for a new venue! Thankfully the pastors of Claremont United Church of Christ, who are steadfast Canopy supporters, offered their banquet hall for us to use for the evening. It was a beautiful and very powerful moment when our Muslim brothers and sisters broke the fast in prayer, surrounded by those of us at Canopy that adore them and in a house of worship that welcomes all expressions of faith.

We made a ridiculous amount of food. I even attempted the Syrian salad Fattoush, I almost had it but had to call in Maysaa at the last minute to help me with the dressing! So close! We had halal lamb, chicken and beef, with beautiful salads and too many sides to count. We ended the evening with coffee, sweets and even a Yalla cake. It was wonderful to spend the evening together and show our Canopy families just how happy we are to have them in our community. We are already looking forward to next year’s Iftar!

Yalla!

Christy
Director and Founder, Claremont Canopy

2nd Annual Iftar in a Jar!

Claremont Canopy held our second Iftar in a Jar event on May 6! The community gathered and donated items to help us help our Muslim neighbors prepare for the holy month of Ramadan! The Yalla baskets included new scarves for the women, socks for the men, some new household items and gifts for the kiddos. Each family member also received an Iftar jar that is filled with dates, snacks and other goodies that can be eaten when they break the fast each day. Thank you to everyone who donated to make this event successful. We are so grateful for our supportive and welcoming community! YALLA!

Ramadan Mubarak!

Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim neighbors! Sunday was the start of the holy month of Ramadan for many of our Claremont Canopy families! If you are not familiar with Ramadan, the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Greater Los Angeles put together this visual guide on what our Muslim friends have to look forward to this month.

Worldwide, nearly 2 billion people celebrate Ramadan!

Ramadan Kareem everyone!

April update!

Hello from your friends at Claremont Canopy!
 
We have been growing at exponential speed! Our canopy now extends even further throughout Southern California. We now are helping over 30 new arrival families resettle in the Inland Empire! That is over 100 people!

BIG Canopy news, we heard back from the IRS (after some delay with the government shut down) and Claremont Canopy is officially a non-profit 501c3 corporation! We are thrilled to have this very big milestone checked off the list!

The support we continue to receive from our community is AMAZING! In March, the Claremont United Church of Christ dedicated a weekend of their March Mission Madness program to support Claremont Canopy. The congregation generously donated supplies for the Yalla Baskets that we will deliver to our families at the beginning of Ramadan! 

And just last week the Claremont Faculty Association awarded Canopy with the “EPIC Humanitarian Award” for our impact on the Canopy kiddos that attend our local schools.We are so lucky to live in a community that supports our mission.

We have had some tremendous family wins as of late! One of our families, after we helped them find steady employment, was able to save enough money to travel and be reunited with their adult daughter, who they had not seen in 7 years since they all fled Syria. On this trip, they were also able to meet the grandchildren they had never met in person. The pictures and video of the reunion had us all in tears. We are so happy to have played a part in this well-deserved reunion!
 
We also had our first Claremont Canopy wedding, the eldest daughter of one of our families got married last month. The reception was beautiful and the bride was absolutely stunning. It was a wonderful time and a real treat for us at Canopy to take part in traditional Syrian wedding festivities. 
 
A big part of our mission is to network on behalf of our families and in January we saw firsthand how using our network can have a profound impact. One our families has an adult son that needed some assistance finding the right resources, he wants to get into the work force and also wants to find an educational setting that will fit his needs. We were able to use our network to get him a meeting with the local Department of Rehabilitation office and he was accepted into their program! He will be well on his way to his dream, finding a job and giving back to his new country. His family was absolutely thrilled and we all feel grateful to have found each other.
 
Our Canopy kiddos continue to thrive, two of our little ones were just recognized at their elementary school. One was named student of the month for her class and her sister was named most improved student for the month. Another one of our middle schoolers, who has become very active in after school activities and successful in her studies, was just recognized as student of the month for her 7th grade class. We could not be more proud.
 
The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of growth and opportunity. We continue to solidify our mission and try to reach as many new arrival families as possible. We simply could not do this without your support. On behalf of everyone at Claremont Canopy, we extend our deepest gratitude for standing with us as we help our new arrival families thrive in the United States.
 
Yalla!
Christy
Director and Founder of Claremont Canopy

A New School Year!

We’re in back-to-school mode at Claremont Canopy. All six of us have kids in the local schools, as do most of our families. We’ve been making sure everyone is geared up and ready this Fall. We’re thrilled to be working with Claremont McKenna College’s Center for Writing and Public Discourse (CWPD) on an initiative to help Middle Eastern refugees with language skills and more. Student volunteers will assist families learning English. They will also tutor kids with school work and instruct adults on completing job applications and resumés. We are also partnering with a Claremont High School student who plans on developing a tutoring program for Canopy children as his Eagle Scout project. He is planning on collecting a group of volunteers who will visit our families homes and also help with homework and practicing English. We are so grateful for the Claremont community and their support of our mission.

We’re lucky to have two fantastic interns join the Canopy team.  Lea Kayali is a senior at Pomona College studying Public Policy Analysis and Anthropology. She’s interested in the intersection between American civil rights advocacy and Middle Eastern communities, an issue close to her heart as a Palestinian American. She interned with various community organizations and policy think tanks before landing at Canopy. She already has brought fantastic insights and organizational skills to all our projects.

Lea Kayali

Eli Tanenbaum studied Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at Pomona College before graduating this spring. He learned colloquial Arabic during a junior year abroad in Jordan, living with an older couple whose extended family lived nearby. He has been extremely generous helping Canopy and our families with language translation. Eli is currently enrolled in the Scripps Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program and plans to attend medical school.

Eli Tanenbaum

We’re looking forward to a school year filled with projects and events to help all of our families become better settled in their new communities!