News from Turlock, CA

Health Outreach Interns support a grant-funded program to provide refugees and other survivors of conflict and persecution with COVID-19 safety information, testing, vaccine information and assistance with cultural sensitivity and in-language support.

As the IRC in Northern California observes World Refugee Day on June 20, we are inspired by the resilience and creativity of survivors of conflict and persecution who are making a new home in the U.S. It's a time to remember the 79.5 million people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes while also celebrating the accomplishments of those who are starting their lives anew.

Here are ways that you can get involved!

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.

Community support is key to helping newly arrived refugees thrive. Learn about ways you can support the IRC in Turlock/Modesto, through volunteering and providing donations support.

IRC offices across the nation have offered New Roots programs for many years, providing opportunities for refugees to participate in sustainable agricultural practices and receive nutrition education. Yet in the heart of California’s Central Valley—the agricultural hub of the state—no such program had existed.

That all changed May 8, as four Afghan families helped launch a new sustainable agriculture program for the IRC in Turlock/Modesto. Participants gathered at Turlock Community Gardens to plant crops typically grown in their home country such as okra, muskmelons and Persian cucumbers as well as fruits and vegetables more commonly grown such as tomatoes, strawberries and bell peppers.

While U.S. citizens have a right to a government-appointed attorney when they are accused of crimes, that’s not the case for immigrants at risk of deportation, even if they were charged with minor traffic offenses. IRC seeks to change the status quo in the Central Valley and Central Coast regions through the newly launched California Legal Fellowship program.

In honor of this past month being designated Social Work Month by the National Association of Social Workers, we are proud to feature Shakira Gibson, a Master of Social Work intern from California State University Stanislaus. Shakira has been assisting the IRC in Turlock/Modesto since September with its Afghan Path Towards Wellness program, which focuses on the mental and physical well-being of Afghan women who have come to the United States as refugees or other special immigrants. (Interview by Perry Fishel)

2021 VIRTUAL REFUGEE FILM FESTIVAL

When Vivien Jacob came to the United States as a refugee through the IRC in 1990, little did she know she would one day end up serving as the Director for the IRC's Turlock/Modesto office. The following interview by community engagement outreach intern Perry Fishel takes a look at Vivien's nearly 20-year legacy with the IRC.

Starting this month, the IRC offices in San Jose and Turlock/Modesto have teamed up with the federal government to provide virtual orientation services for asylees, replacing in-person orientation services formerly provided at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum office in San Francisco.