RefugeeOne

Our Spring Picnic served up everything we hoped for: fun games, delicious food, and frequent laughter. 🏐🥙😄

Refugee families, volunteers, and RefugeeOne staff enjoying a beautiful day together is the perfect way to celebrate all that connects us. 🫶

Your advocacy on SNAP cuts made a difference!

The FY27 state budget passed by the Illinois General Assembly appropriates $70 million to create the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger (FRESH) program.

FRESH will provide $400 in one-time emergency assistance to up to 175,000 Illinoisans losing SNAP over the next year because of expanded federal work requirements.

The General Assembly unfortunately did NOT expand eligibility for a program to ensure that refugees can still access state food support if they lose SNAP.

Our work isn’t over. Thanks for being with us in this ongoing fight to protect families from SNAP cuts.

RefugeeOne is a proud member of the Save Our SNAP Coalition that makes this advocacy possible.

What career do you want? And how do you achieve it?

Those are the big questions young adult refugees are tackling with the help of a volunteer mentor in a vocational exploration space at RefugeeOne.

At monthly meetings, they break it down into manageable bites:
👩‍🏫 What jobs are intriguing?
🎓 What education or training is needed?
💵 How much does that cost?
📍 Where do you even start?

We can’t wait to see what path they take to reach their goals!

🚨 URGENT ACTION: Speak up now to protect refugee families suffering from SNAP cuts!

⌛ Our window is closing fast—the IL General Assembly is drafting its FY27 priorities RIGHT NOW. We have to turn up the heat to ensure two programs that protect families cut off from SNAP make it into the final budget:

Food for Lawfully Present Immigrants (HB4831 / SB3167), which ensures lawfully present immigrants can still access state food support if they lose SNAP.

Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger or FRESH (SB3277 / HB4730), which would provide one‑time emergency assistance of $600 to help families stay afloat if they lose SNAP.

🔗 Use the link from the Greater Chicago Food Depository to quickly contact your State Senator and State Rep to urge them to support both bills:

Families are hurting. Your voice can help. 🫶

Act now to protect families cut off from SNAP! Tell Illinois lawmakers to include funding for programs that protect families cut off from SNAP in the final state budget

Exciting developments are sprouting for our Ukrainian program! 🫛

Several of our program participants now have their own gardening space, thanks to a growing partnership with Life On The Vine Christian Community in Long Grove.

Our satellite Ukrainian office shares space at the church. When church members learned that Ukrainian community missed growing their own food, they built five raised beds for RefugeeOne!

You can see the first veggies shooting up—and can sense roots strengthening as Ukrainians transplant this meaningful tradition to their new community. 🌱🌻

Kids get homework help in our After School Program—but you’ll also witness big smiles, lots of giggles, and caring for one another.

We’ve increased social emotional learning activities to equip refugee youth for the many challenges that can arise as their families adjust to living in a new place.

Through engaging activities (like riding an imaginary rollercoaster, pictured here) we’re working on:

🕵️‍♀️ Identifying and managing emotions
👂 Listening to friends and showing empathy
🤝 Navigating conflict as community members
💪 Empowering ourselves to keep trying, even when we stumble

For children whose lives have had many twists and turns, each day we work to create a safe, steady place for them to learn and grow. 🌱

Help get refugee youth ready for Chicago summer! 😎☀️

We need to outfit 125+ kids with NEW swimsuits, towels, and sandals for the hugely popular beach outings during RefugeeOne Summer Camp.

Order items direct to our office using our Amazon wish list:
https://bit.ly/4uNPihU

**Please note: we can only accept mailed items from our online wish list—there are no in-person drop-off days for this collection! Thanks for your understanding.

SNAP cuts have gone into effect, with damaging results. RefugeeOne joined In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons to share how some families are struggling.

But there are ways you can help! 👉 Advocate for new laws in Illinois to protect families from hunger. 👉 Collect donations with your community to help those in need makes ends meet.

Listen to the entire segment from WBEZ to find out more.

SNAP changes leave Chicago families and grocery stores reeling Policy advocates at the Greater Chicago Food Depository say the changes are causing the biggest loss of SNAP benefits the state of Illinois has ever seen.

Several refugee families have a fresh way to cruise around Chicago this spring! 🚴‍♀️☀️

Bikes & Music donated around 30 bikes plus helmets and locks, providing two-wheeled freedom to adults and kids.

We’re grateful for this lasting partnership that helps newcomers navigate their new city with confidence and joy.

Bikes & Music - Bringing Music and Motion to Chicagoland Youth