The IRC's Manufacturing Works Career Course prepares refugees for high-paying careers in manufacturing.

In addition to health concerns during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families faced dual concerns about dwindling food supplies. For those who came to the Bay Area as refugees and asylees, it was an unwarranted second wave of crisis to handle after the saga of arriving in the U.S.

This September, the New Roots Community Farm’s (NRCF) community members came together to rebuild the farm. This project consisted of transplanting new plants, weeding, and installing sturdier plant beds. The New York Restoration Project also joined the NRCF in these efforts to execute the rebuild. The IRC in NY sat with Sheryll Durrant, the Food and Agriculture Coordinator at IRC in NY, to learn about the impact of this rebuild and the vision of the NRCF as a whole.

Volunteer, Keith Smith has worked tirelessly on behalf of IRC staff and clients and continues to go the extra mile on behalf of IRC clients.

Since we began serving clients remotely in mid-March, our Adult Education instructors have prioritized maintaining contact and communication with students. They are focused first on the well-being of their families and second, on supporting the continuation of education through distance learning platforms.

Through our partnership with FoodCorps—part of the AmeriCorps service network—the IRC in Atlanta has been able to expand our gardening and nutrition education programming into two DeKalb County elementary schools. Our incredible 2020-21 FoodCorps service member, Laura Diaz-Villaquiran, adapted quickly to virtual teaching and provides culturally appropriate, garden-based lessons to over 150 DeKalb County K-3 students.