The challenge of transportation
Public transportation in Indianapolis is sub-standard. There are too many places it doesn’t go — Plainfield, Fishers, Carmel, Whitestown, and more.
When an immigrant family gets its first car, it is often a game changer in terms of helping them gain economic self-sufficiency and stability. But it also poses risks and sometimes painful lessons.
From a neighbor to a stranger
A neighbor of mine agreed to help out to a stranger this week: a 6-year old little boy with a dental emergency. She and her team had the skills to take care of him and the kindness to agree to do so when the family had no means to pay them.
Love and kindness ARE around us; sometimes we simply need to invite our neighbors to extend it.
Preschool for Simon
Preschool offers a pathway for 5-year old Simon, who arrived here as a 3-year old with no English proficiency and no kindergarten-readiness skills.
The generosity of a donor means Simon gets to experience what millions of middle and upper-income American families take for granted: preschool access.
A series of stacked crises challenge family
A series of stacked crises leave a resettled Sudanese family living in Indianapolis with $16 and massive worries about their future. From Strangers to Neighbors steps in to help.
A resettled immigrant family navigates America
The Congelese family was exhausted but jubilant to finally have arrived in Indiana. From Strangers to Neighbors volunteers were on hand to welcome the refugees to their new home. The journey for this family began in 2010 when they fled the Democratic Republic of Congo. It took 14 years in refugee camps before the family was finally resettled in Indianapolis, beneficiaries of the United States Customs and Immigration System’s refugee resettlement program.
America slams its doors shut
Dear Fellow Americans,
America has shut and locked its doors after vetting and then inviting in thousands of the most vulnerable around the world. Refugees who have waited years to be resettled, most often in refugee camps with deplorable living conditions, were given the green light by one administration only to have the next one decide to go back on America’s word.
Successes and Lessons
2024 brought us from inception to fully functioning NFP. We accomplished a lot - and learned a lot over the past year.
The difference a year makes
In the span of 12 months, a refugee family shifts from desperate need to economic stability because a handful of strangers decided to act like neighbors.
