Welcome to Giving Tuesday!
This year we seem to be doing everything differently: working remotely, wearing face coverings, and limiting our holiday gatherings to those in our immediate households.
So this #Giving Tuesday, we wanted to try something new…
You’ve heard how ReWA is impacting immigrant and refugee families over the past year:
- back in March, we put out an emergency call to help ReWA clients stay connected to vital services and learning as classes went online.
- You also helped seed an emergency fund for families who lost their income and were waiting on unemployment to cover necessities.
- And at our Annual Gala you met an ESL student making the most of quarantine by improving her English up to Level 2, enabling her to start a job training program and support her family.
But this Giving Tuesday, instead of sharing client stories, we want to introduce you to a few ReWA staff and Board members—the ones who hustle behind the scenes—recruiting volunteers and forging community partnerships with individual donors, private foundations and corporate supporters. All of these efforts help ReWA’s programs reach thousands of immigrants and refugees across the Puget Sound.
Everyone has their part to play, and today you’ll meet a couple of the ReWA team.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Mahnaz Eshetu
Executive Director
Emma Thordsen: ReWA’s Volunteer Coordinator
Meet Emma Thordsen. She is ReWA’s Volunteer Coordinator, connecting individuals and groups to volunteer opportunities as ESL teacher aides, citizenship classroom assistants, voter education outreach volunteers, and other long- and short-term opportunities. Thank you to all our volunteers who have stepped up to help immigrants and refugees stay connected to learning during the past year. We look forward to offering more in-person volunteer opportunities in 2021.
Yeri Yun: ReWA Board member and former Early Learning Center parent.
“I first heard about ReWA through its Early Learning Center, where both my daughters attended. ReWA’s mission resonated with me, having been raised in a low-income, immigrant family. Your support on Giving Tuesday, helps our newest neighbors connect to jobs and put food on the table. Thank you for your generosity and continued support.”