Plus: Providing summer fun for refugee children, marking the anniversary of the
El Paso mass shooting, and more.
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August 2020
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Update: The Pandemic Continues, HIAS Staff Keeps Adapting]
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Update: The Pandemic Continues, HIAS Staff Keeps Adapting]
[[link removed]] Cell Phones a Lifeline for Refugees in Need of Support
[[link removed]] Cell phones, chat apps, and social media are the lifelines many HIAS clients
now count on to access the mental-health support they need — lifelines that are
even more important as the pandemic leaves many without steady jobs, money,
housing, or safety.
Learn how HIAS is getting them help.
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[[link removed]] Camp-in-a-Box Gives Fun Back to Kids During Pandemic
[[link removed]] This year, as camps closed down amid the pandemic, summer felt like it was
canceled. But HIAS and our local partner in western Massachusetts teamed up to
create and distribute boxes filled with activities and helped rescue summer
break for local refugee children.
Read more about the program.
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[[link removed]] Volunteers Help HIAS’ NY Clients Weather COVID-19
[[link removed]] Many HIAS clients come to us for legal assistance, but their needs go far
beyond what lawyers can provide. For everything from food aid to English
tutoring, HIAS relies on volunteers to help asylum seekers and refugees build
secure and stable lives — especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
See how volunteers are stepping up.
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[[link removed]] One Year Later, Assisting Survivors of El Paso Shooting
[[link removed]] One year after a mass shooting in El Paso targeted at Latinos, HIAS continues
to help more than 50 survivors and family members of victims apply for visas
allowing them to work, live, and eventually become permanent residents in the
United States.
Read more about our work.
[[link removed]]More news and stories on our blog.
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In case you missed it:
* From Refugee to Humanitarian
[[link removed]] – To mark World Humanitarian Day, which honors humanitarian workers around the
world, HIAS Europe Director Ilan Cohen wrote a column for the Times of Israel
about how HIAS staff members are often motivated by the humanitarian aid once
extended to their own families. “HIAS helped in the beginning because the
needy were Jewish,” one staff member and former refugee told him. “And now
HIAS continues to serve because that’s what Jewish people do — we help.”
* I Want Israel and Sudan to Make Peace. But Not Like This.
[[link removed]] – Mutasim Ali, a former HIAS legal fellow and Darfuri refugee in Israel,
wishes for peace between Israel and Sudan. But, as he explained in a column
for Ha’aretz, it cannot happen by brushing over the history of Sudan’s brutal
leaders. “Every country engaging with Sudan must first ask itself: Are we
empowering democracy and human rights? Or are we normalizing oppression and
death?” he wrote.
* HIAS Honored by Women of Reform Judaism
[[link removed]] – Women of Reform Judaism gave HIAS its most prestigious award in a virtual
ceremony on Aug. 25. It was the first time the Jane Evans Pursuit of Justice
Award has gone to an organization rather than an individual. HIAS President
and CEO Mark Hetfield said the award recognizes the groups' shared values and
noted that there is “no act more Jewish than welcoming the stranger or
protecting the refugee."
* Full Page New York Times Ad: “Unequivocally: Black Lives Matter.”
[[link removed]] – HIAS recently joined more than 600 Jewish organizations and congregations in
publicly affirming that Black lives matter. “The Black Lives Matter movement
is the current day Civil Rights movement in this country, and it is our best
chance at equity and justice,” read the statement issued by the groups. That
statement appeared in a full-page New York Times ad on Aug. 28, the
anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
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Stay Involved With HIAS@Home
[[link removed]] – Even with COVID-19 restrictions in place, there are still many ways to learn
about, advocate for, and help refugees and asylum seekers. We’ve launched a new
page, HIAS@Home, where we offer calls and webinars with our experts and
partners, refugee-related resources for book and film clubs, and other ways to
stay engaged on refugee issues during the pandemic.
Find a list of ways that you can help
[[link removed]] refugees and asylum seekers, even while social distancing.
Learn about our remote volunteer opportunities [[link removed]] .
Did you know that HIAS is on LinkedIn
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For up to the minute news and updates, follow HIAS on Facebook
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