Focus Development Organization

Ready to take your sewing skills to the next level—and learn how your creativity can become an opportunity?

Focus Development Organization, in partnership with USA for UNHCR and Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church, invites you to our Advanced Sewing & Entrepreneurial Workshop.

This workshop goes beyond sewing. Participants will strengthen their sewing and design skills while learning the basics of starting and growing a small business, building confidence, connecting with others, and turning creative skills into opportunities.

📅 Every Thursday | October–November 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
📍 Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
1300 Main St., Stevens Point, WI 54481
💰 FREE

Whether you want to improve your sewing, create your own designs, or explore the possibility of starting a small business, we would love to have you join us.

📩 Registration: [email protected]

Sew. Learn. Create. Grow.
Empower your creativity. Build your future. ❤️

Please share this post with someone who might benefit from this opportunity!

USA for UNHCR
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church

Mariia Yatsko
Vice Chair, Georgia Chapter American Russian-speaking Association for Civil & Human Rights (ARA)

I’m honored to invite you to an important upcoming roundtable discussion:
Ukrainians and Russians in the U.S. Displaced by War and Repression: The Role of Congress in Restoring Humanitarian Protection
Monday, September 14
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Hybrid event: Washington, DC & online
This conversation will bring together immigration attorneys, policy experts, advocates, and congressional staff to discuss humanitarian protection for people displaced by war and repression, as well as the role Congress can play in strengthening oversight and legislative solutions.
I’m especially honored to help moderate this discussion alongside Dr. Dmitrii Daniel Glinski, with an outstanding group of speakers, including representatives from Refugees International, Global Refuge, the Ukraine Immigration Task Force, We Are All America, and others.
To RSVP and receive the address and/or Zoom information, please email:
[email protected]
I would be deeply grateful if you could join us and help share this event with others who may be interested.

Please support her for Ukrainian refugee rights.

With USA for UNHCR – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

We are especially grateful for the trust you have placed in Focus Development Organization and for giving us opportunities to learn, grow, and strengthen our work.

Thank you, USA for UNHCR, for standing with refugee-led organizations and for helping us build stronger, more hopeful communities.

When women lift up other women, everyone moves forward.

Sarwat, a former refugee from Afghanistan, started a project that provides refugee women in Wisconsin with training in marketable skills such as sewing, garment production and embroidery.

Her goal is to provide women with pathways to economic independence and dignified income by building on skills many of them already have.

Through USA for UNHCR's Sparking Change program, Sarwat will be taking this project to the next level — from basic sewing instruction to a more fleshed-out entrepreneurship program, where participants will receive hands-on mentorship and training, along with classes on small business ownership.

Follow along each week to meet more refugee leaders creating lasting change across the United States.

Event Alert 🚨

It is time to share stories and connect! On Thurs, Sept 10th, the and partners are ringing in with a special Storytellers Showcase event.

During this virtual event, you’ll learn more about the Collective, hear original stories, poems, and reflections from members, and discover ways that you can foster the same connection with your own neighbors.

Share widely and register today: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bWTQtAx1QweqtS1ZRkVAPw #/registration

We Are All America Advocacy Days, August 17–21, bring together refugee and immigrant advocates, community leaders, and partners to engage with policymakers and strengthen support for welcoming communities. The advocacy efforts focus on sharing community perspectives, discussing policy priorities, and advancing a strong and effective U.S. refugee resettlement and immigration system.

Refugee Council USA
We Are All America

A Powerful Story of Resilience — Living In the Middle by Dr. Sam Dinga

Dr. Sam Dinga’s In the Middle is a meaningful and inspiring story of resilience, identity, perseverance, and finding one’s place within a new community. Through personal experiences, the book reminds us that behind every journey is a human story filled with challenges, courage, hope, and determination.

It is especially relevant to conversations about immigrants, refugees, belonging, and the important role welcoming communities can play in helping people rebuild their lives and contribute to their new home.

A thoughtful and inspiring read—and a powerful reminder of why our stories matter.

Sam Sam Dinga

Beautiful highlights from Focus Development Organization’s community event—filled with meaningful conversations, shared stories, new friendships, and moments of joy.

Strong communities are built when neighbors come together, learn from one another, celebrate their differences, and create a sense of belonging. A welcoming neighborhood can have a lasting impact: it helps newcomers feel at home, strengthens relationships, supports local families and businesses, and reminds us that community development begins with human connection.

We are grateful to the wonderful Wisconsin community that continues to show that kindness, inclusion, and collaboration can turn a neighborhood into a place where everyone has the opportunity to belong and thrive.

Together, we are not just building stronger neighborhoods—we are building a stronger Wisconsin.

State Representative Vincent Miresse
Mayor Mike Wiza
Sam Sam Dinga
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Women's Fund of Portage County
Retired Teachers association