We continue with sharing the journey of the people in our Myanmar (Burma) community. Today we highlight one of our community members, Pray Reh.
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Continuing with acknowledging and highlighting refugees in our communities, we wanted to start with one of our staff members, Grace.
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Today, June 20, 2023, is World Refugee Day. A day of acknowledgment where we highlight the current refugee crisis and express the importance of advocating for them and honoring the sacrifices they have made.
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We’ve got some big news to share with Iowans today.
After a decade of hard work and determination, EMBARC is opening a new chapter in service.
In the fall of 2021, the EMBARC Burma Community Advisory Board approved a motion to become an independent stand-alone organization. Founding staff member, and long-time lead, Abigail Sui, was voted unanimously to be the new executive director of EMBARC. Under her leadership, EMBARC will continue its existing Early Childhood Parent Navigator, Crisis & Advocacy and Education programs.
Henny Ohr and the Board of Directors are proud to announce the launch of Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA), a new statewide immigrant and refugee organization designed to grow leaders, build community and promote solidarity.
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Last spring, two pregnant women who had recently arrived from Myanmar showed up at Abigail Sui’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. They needed help finding prenatal care.
Sui, a program director for EMBARC, an Iowa-based nonprofit that supports immigrants, figured she could help these women navigate the health care system.
Even though the women are in the U.S. on visas, they couldn’t get Medicaid due to a federal law that bars many immigrants on visas and green cards from receiving public assistance, including Medicaid, for their first five years in the country. States can choose to opt people out of this waiting period when they’re pregnant. But many states — including the Midwest states of Missouri, Indiana and Iowa — haven’t done this.
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A new focus group led by EMBARC Crisis and Advocacy is exploring how community-led discussions can open access to mental healthcare information among refugees and immigrants in central Iowa.
For immigrants unfamiliar with the many intricacies of healthcare in the U.S., trying to access care can feel like being stuck in a maze with no clear path forward.
To get a better idea about what it’s like to be an immigrant trying to navigate the American healthcare system, meet U Sak.
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Finding employment can be a hurdle to success for many immigrants and refugees. Transportation barriers, language barriers, and physical limitations can make getting a job feel like a daunting task.
In April and June of 2022, EMBARC teamed up with Latinx Immigrants of Iowa and Project Iowa to host two job fairs in hopes of providing employment opportunities catered to the needs of the community.
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Many expectant parents-to-be eagerly await the day they feel their little one moving around. Keeping track of every twist and turn can help parents identify changes in their baby’s movements, potentially preventing stillbirth.
Today, a partnership between EMBARC and Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is expanding access to the nonprofit organzation’s Count the Kicks campaign in the Burma refugee and immigrant community, through Burmese language app translations and a new billboard campaign.
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The voices of refugees and immigrants in Iowa are key in creating community-first solutions to difficult challenges. Now at EMBARC, you can hear their stories first hand - wherever you may be.
With help from Beganović and seven other technology professionals at the 2022 Des Moines Charity Hack, EMBARC is proud to debut Community Storytellers, a new mobile-friendly audio map of Iowa.
Click the banner above our blog and explore Community Storytellers!
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This spring, EMBARC and Woodlawn Early Childhood Center welcomed refugee and immigrant families, as well as Des Moines Public School (DMPS) staff members to ensure that every child in Des Moines has a chance to receive a quality preschool education.
EMBARC and DMPS registered 48 children for preschool throughout Des Moines, Johnston, and Urbandale through the two registration events as well as through EMBARC’s Access Center, Parent Navigators, and case management services.
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World Refugee Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of the refugee community. Their courage and contributions are a reminder of their resilience, and helps the world to build empathy towards their experiences. Through EMBARC’s refugee staff and volunteers, the organization strives to make every refugee and immigrant feel safe in their new homes.
“A safe home to me is somewhere that you can be yourself without violence or discrimination,” said Lal Muani, Lead Parent Navigator at EMBARC.
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Thank you to BrownWinick Law for supporting EMBARC!
BrownWinick’s Community Engagement Committee recently hosted a cornhole tournament and reception, raising $615 among staff members to donate towards EMBARC. More than 15 teams participated in the bags tournament.
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Come visit EMBARC and our partners on Friday, June 24 for our next job fair! The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Franklin Cafeteria at 4801 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, IA.
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Our Parent Navigators and families joined EMBARC on a field trip to Get Air Trampoline Park.
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Look who we found at Northgate Café! Livvy Su, RISE AmeriCorps Program Coordinator, spoke with CEO David Tracy at Northgate Marketing about our mission to expand worlds of possibilities for RISE AmeriCorps members and their communities.
Read MoreDes Moines Register Watchdog columnist Lee Rood highlighted EMBARC Crisis & Advocacy Navigator Mu Paw's work with our Burma communities in today's feature (subscribers-only). Rood explores whether Iowa agencies can provide enough support for the current needs of Afghan refugees, and expected Ukrainian refugee arrivals.
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The Refugee and Immigrant Vaccine Alliance (RIVA) launches this week as the first statewide alliance of refugee and immigrant leaders dedicated to public health. Located at www.rivaiowa.org and on Facebook at @rivaiowa, RIVA is inviting other immigrant and refugee organizations to become a member of the alliance, and advocate for health equity among the state’s growing refugee and immigrant communities.
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Every Wednesday, you can find Deborah Timmons at EMBARC’s Access Center at 4801 Franklin Avenue in Des Moines. Since October 2021, Deb has volunteered at the Access Center to support the refugee and immigrant community.
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Since January, two RISE AmeriCorps Members have been essential in helping a group of refugees from Burma on their way to U.S. citizenship. Thu Meh and Pray Meh, who serve with EMBARC, host a weekly class to help fellow members of the Karenni community excel on their interviews and tests.
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