Joining The Fray Volume 2. Episode 6

Small Steps, Real Impact: My Journey to the 2026 IRIS Refugee Run

-  "The more we can encourage participation, I think the better off we are." – Barack Obama

Supporting refugee resettlement is an opportunity to provide vulnerable people a chance to rebuild their lives while promoting global responsibility.  Host communities can also benefit economically through the labor, entrepreneurship, tax contributions of these refugees that also serve to strengthen societal diversity and international solidarity. 

The main goal of The Immigrant Experience is to support and empower immigrants.  In the current moment, we all need to take the opportunities that present themselves to provide support in whatever ways we can.  This February 8th I will be putting my body where my heart is, again!! 

For the 5th year in a row, I will be heading to New Haven, Connecticut to take part in the annual Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) organized 5K to support refugees.  This is the small PARTICIPACTION (the act of taking part, involvement, or sharing in an activity, event, or process) I can take to make a difference in the lives of people who are trying to resettle into their new lives in a foreign place.  

TRAINING CAN TAKE YOU TO SCENIC VIEWS

FOUR SPARROW MARSH, BROOKLYN, NY

The IRIS Refugee Run is an annual 5K run/walk in New Haven, CT, organized by Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS) to raise funds and awareness for refugees and immigrants rebuilding their lives in the U.S.  The run supports housing, jobs, education, and healthcare, with participants joining in-person or virtually to show solidarity for newcomers from around the world.

Refugee resettlement is a U.N.-recognized solution for the most vulnerable refugees, involving transfer to a third country for permanent settlement, with the U.S. program connecting vetted individuals with resettlement agencies for housing, services, and integration support like English classes, job training, and cultural orientation, aiming for economic self-sufficiency.

Training for and participating in the 5K Race (I won’t be racing but I will cross the finish line) is an opportunity for me to show up for something I believe with my whole self or as I love to describe it – A chance for me to “Put My Body Where My Heart Is!”  To train I just need to make sure that I am able to make the ~ 1 hour walk that it takes to cover the 5K distance.  To do this I have not only been walking a minimum of ½ hour daily for several months but as the walk day gets closer I moved that up to hour long walks a couple times a week – tracking my distance and tweaking things to put me closer to my target.  In these particularly troubling and confusing times, connecting to my physical movement has also been emotionally grounding.

THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE PATCH

50% of Patch Sales Donated to IRIS

COMMUNITY IMPACT:

This year with the help of supporters from The Immigrant Experience, we have already raised over $250 and counting.  The Immigrant Experience is committed to provide support through the sales of our custom products. Through our online shop, URBAN SAFARI we have already sold 3 Immigrant Experience Patches and we have pledged to donate 50% of patch proceeds to support the IRIS Refuge Run.  This donation is a collective effort and proof that small actions truly add up. 

This donation would not be possible without the support of this community and for this we are truly grateful.   This is what community support looks like.

In the current climate our company chooses hope and action not fear.  We choose to emphasize dignity, safety and belonging.  Supporting refugee resettlement is supporting stability.  It is one way to show up when systems feel overwhelming. 

Here are several ways that supporters can show up for community:

·         Donate to the IRIS Refugee Run

·         Purchase a patch from the URBAN SAFARI SHOP – 50% of proceeds from patch sales will be donated to IRIS to support refugee resettlement.

·         Share this post or talk about the Refugee Run

·         Show up for refugees in their own local communities

 

However you can show up - it counts!

I am incredibly proud to once again have the opportunity to support IRIS and the important work they are doing to resettle refugees with dignity and care.  I am also very grateful for the support of this community in all the ways you have been showing up; whether through donations, sharing info or through purchasing and wearing The Immigrant Experience patches, every action stacks a win. 

On February 8th when I get out to Wilbur Cross Field in New Haven, I will be carrying not only the mission of my company but also my hopes for immigrant communities to be met with love, safety and opportunity. 

This movement is about hope, inspiration and empowerment.  This is my chance to bring all of that - through my whole self – across the finish line.