News from Tallahassee, FL

Una Bilic has been at the helm of the IRC in Tallahassee since it first started to welcome families across Big Bend communities in 2016. We now thank Una for her many years of service and dedication as she takes on an exciting new role within IRC’s headquarters team, and we look forward with excitement as a new era begins for the IRC in Tallahassee and its clients.

On Saturday, June 19 the IRC in Tallahassee celebrated World Refugee Day. The IRC hosted a live virtual panel discussion with community partners, refugee families and the Tallahassee community at-large. In addition, the IRC hosted a family day at Tom Brown Park. The events highlighted the contributions of the refugee community across Big Bend communities.

High rates of unemployment and Covid-19 infection among New American community members has contributed heavily to lack of stable access to adequate amounts of nutritious food . Refugees and immigrants have been some of the hardest hit populations in the country, disproportionately experiencing food and nutritional insecurity due to their high rates of employment in “gig economy” and other job sectors like food, hotel, and health which have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. Help new American communities combat hunger with a gift to IRC's food security programs in the U.S.

Join the IRC on June 22 for a virtual World Refugee Day Legislative Summit hosted by the International Rescue Committee in partnership with the Refugee Advocacy Lab.

On Saturday, June 19 the IRC in Tallahassee will celebrate World Refugee Day. The IRC will host a live virtual panel discussion with community partners, refugee families and the Tallahassee community at-large. In addition, the IRC will host an in-person event tentatively planned at Tom Brown Park. The events will highlight the contributions of the refugee community in Tallahassee, and elevated the voices of refugee families, community leaders and volunteers who ensure Big Bend communities continue to be welcoming places for all.

Miami, FL, Apr. 29, — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Florida is thrilled to announce Justin Howell as our new Executive Director for the IRC’s offices in Atlanta, Miami and Tallahassee. Justin is a professional educator with over a decade of teaching experience working with international populations—originating in the DeKalb International Student Center (Georgia) where he worked with newly arrived refugee students with less than five years of education in their home countries—and has established public charter schools and developed community-based ESOL programs. 

We are thrilled to share with you the stories of refugee community members who have been welcomed to a new home in Tallahassee—in their own words, as shared with our elected leaders.

In March of 2021, approximately 19,000 unaccompanied children attempted to enter the United States through the border with Mexico. For a small percentage of these children, Florida communities are their new home, where they still face challenges. Many of these children have endured traumatic experiences, and many of them find themselves in a state of limbo as cases clog up a fragile and unprepared immigration system, exacerbating their isolation. 

Join the IRC and our partners as we host the 3rd annual Refugee Advocacy Week at the Florida State Capitol. Directly impacted communities, refugee service providers, faith leaders, advocates and supporters will mobilize virtually across the state to educate legislators, elevate the voices of the refugee community, and celebrate the contributions of new Americans in Florida.

Throughout 2020, communities across Florida came together to ensure they remained welcoming to refugees, survivors of human trafficking and immigrant youth. Last year tested our communities in unprecedented ways. Despite these challenges, together we walked alongside our clients, learned from and supported one another as we navigated these times with resilience and grace. We now look forward with a renewed sense of hope and an understanding of the obstacles ahead.