FIRM is celebrating 30 years of welcoming refugees in Fresno and the Central Valley with a fundraiser on October 4th at the San Joaquin River Center.
Individual Ticket Sales available on Eventbrite.
Here is our program for tonight’s (1/28/25) screening of All We Carry at the Big Red Church
Thank you to the Planning Committee, Supporters and Panelists for making tonight happen!
To donate to support FIRM, please click here.
FIRM celebrated Thanksgiving with 423 of our closest friends this year!
FIRMUnity Thanksgiving 2023
Our Thanksgiving committee hosted a beautiful community meal last Tuesday, thanks to generous donations from Anthem Blue Cross, Sun Fat, Pitman Farms, Sasiprapa Muay Thai Gym, AC Deli, Ramen Ichiban, Ho Ho Kitchen, LA Kitchen, Events by Daniel & Claudia, Maykou’s Decoration and Party Rentals, Choummaly Keodara, Jake, Phayvanh, Phon Southisombath, Vee Rose, Siriporn Bouasy, Noi’s Desserts, Olam & Mally, and Lucky Siphogsay.
We had many delightful performances to accompany the meal and 40 families won their own turkeys to take home and cook for their families. Additional thanks to the dozens of volunteers who helped set up, decorate, serve and clean up!
Looking for a meaningful community-based volunteer opportunity? Join us at FIRM! We are a non-profit organization in Fresno dedicated to assisting refugees who have recently arrived in the area. As a resettlement agency, we are committed to providing support and a warm welcome to our new neighbors.
If you are interested in volunteering or partnering with us to provide support to new families, we invite you to attend one of our upcoming fall Community Involvement Info-Sessions. During these sessions, you’ll gain valuable insights into our organization’s mission and the vital work we do for the refugee community. Join us on the following dates for our upcoming sessions:
Thursday, October 12th, 2023 6PM-7PM
Thursday, November 9th, 2023 5PM-6PM
Thursday, December 8th, 2023 5:30PM-6:30PM
Location: Stanley-Rea Center, FIRM Campus, 2630 E Weldon Ave, Fresno, CA 93703.
Not only will you learn more about FIRM and our initiatives, but you’ll also discover the various ways in which you can make a difference and get involved in extending a warm welcome to our new neighbors. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Come be a part of something truly impactful and join us in supporting our refugee community!
We are excited to share that we have officially celebrated 90 days since our Reception and Placement program began on April 18th, 2023 when our first family arrived! Since then, FIRM has welcomed additional refugee families from Afghanistan, Syria, Venezuela, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burma to help rebuild their lives in Fresno. Services during the first 90 days include obtaining access to safe and affordable housing, providing food and groceries, cultural orientation services, and enrollment into benefits, adult English education and public school. During this time, our families have displayed bravery and resiliency against incredible odds, while embracing their new country with love and in earnest. As we close our first cases, we look forward to welcoming more new neighbors to Fresno and the United States.
Here are ways you can support refugees in Fresno:
- Donate a tax-deductible financial contribution on our website or at our office.
- Volunteer for Donation Days, as a Refugee Youth Mentor, or join a Co-Sponsorship Team.
- Purchase household and kitchen items, hygiene items, and cleaning supplies on our new Amazon Wish List! Purchased items will be delivered directly from Amazon to the FIRM campus office and then distributed to newly arrived refugee families in Fresno. Because our resettlement services are ongoing, we are continually in need of new mattresses and other gently used household and kitchen supplies. You may also donate new or used* items and supplies to the FIRM office Monday-Friday, 8:30AM to 5:00PM.
- Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
*We cannot accept used/opened mattresses and personal hygiene products.
It’s that time of year again! FIRM and the Thao family have opened up the Neng Thao Scholarship Application for first time college students starting this fall! This is a great opportunity for all students who are committed to serving the Southeast Asian community.
Any incoming college freshman who graduated from high school in the Central Valley who is committed to serving Southeast Asian Communities is eligible to apply. Please send an unofficial copy of your high school transcript to [email protected] before you submit your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered for the scholarship.
The deadline for the 2023 Neng Thao Memorial Scholarship will be Friday May 12, 2023 at 11:59 PM.
Please submit your transcript to the email and answer a few questions on our online application in order to be considered.
The US Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday March 13th that I-94 cards of Ukrainians paroled into the US before the launch of the U4U program (between 2/24/22-4/25/22) will be automatically considered for a one-year renewal. No action is required for this consideration, but they encourage individuals to check weekly for an updated digital I-94 card. This means continued eligibility for some government programs as well as work permits.
We encourage you to contact FIRM by the end of April for help if your parole has not been automatically extended or if you are having trouble finding the digital I-94 cards. We are here to help!
Since 1994, FIRM has operated as a faith-based non-profit providing wraparound services that include health navigation, community gardens, and community organizing to the more than 10,000 refugees in the Fresno area of the California San Joaquin Valley. As one of the country’s most unique interdenominational refugee agencies, we are now proud to call ourselves a local refugee resettlement agency! We are now a local affiliate of Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC). FIRM will welcome our new neighbors by picking them up from the airport and providing housing assistance, cultural orientation, and one-on-one case management to each family for the first 90 days.
ECDC has seven branch offices and 17 affiliates, which operate in 24 refugee resettlement sites across the U.S. “In its endeavor to expand its reach to be able to welcome our new neighbors in these parts of our country, ECDC is pleased to partner with FIRM and rely on its remarkable track record of building communities,” said Tsehaye Teferra, CEO and President of ECDC. ECDC has resettled over 66,000 refugees across the United States thus far.
FIRM is excited to further build “communities of hope with New Americans” with our new Reception and Placement program. Our first family under this program will arrive in March. We anticipate receiving between 20 and 30 families this year, mostly former US-allies from Afghanistan or Iraq and families from Ukraine and Syria with relatives waiting for them in Fresno.
You can help by:
- Donating to FIRM!
- Providing gift cards for food, household items, furniture, and other supplies
- Quality clothing donation
- Bicycles, bus tokens, and car seats
- Housing leads of managers who are willing to rent to newcomers
Please follow our Facebook and Instagram, and check back on our website for further updates.
On the anniversary of the Russian military’s full-scale illegal invasion of Ukraine, we remember the fear and heartbreak felt by Ukrainian citizens who are now faced with the devastation of their home country. Millions have since fled Ukraine to other countries around the world, their exodus marking the largest refugee crisis since World War II.
Although the Biden Administration declared its commitment to welcoming 100,000 Ukrainians into the United States following the invasion, the federal government offered no formal assistance. The Slavic community, churches, and FIRM staff offered aid and support to the thousands of Ukrainian refugees who flew to the U.S.-Mexico border in the hopes of being granted humanitarian parole.
Dozens of Ukrainian families, mostly grandparents, women, and children now reside in Fresno. FIRM staff have worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the new arrivals over the last year, providing transportation, housing assistance, translation services, and more. Still, the largest obstacles for Ukrainians in Fresno continue to be language barriers, obtaining stable housing, and reliable transportation.
However, many of those currently living in Fresno who arrived between April 11th and the launch of Uniting for Ukraine on April 24th are in jeopardy of losing their status. They were paroled into the country for only one year, while those who came to the U.S. after April 24th, 2022 under Uniting for Ukraine were granted a two-year humanitarian parole. This 12-day gap leaves those who entered during that time period with no legal pathway forward for continued legal residence in America. Those who arrived before April 19th are able to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) which would continue to allow them to work and would protect them from deportation for an additional year. There is no current pathway for permanent status once these protections ends.
While President Biden announced sanctions on Russia and additional military aid for Ukraine on the anniversary of the illegal invasion, there is still no word on what will happen to the refugees in the United States once their status expires.
The federal government must extend the parole status of the Ukrainian refugees that arrived one year ago, unilaterally, and provide a clear path forward for the refugees who wish to continue their lives in the United States.
You can help by:
- Providing Gift Cards and working bicycles to FIRM
- Prayers for Ukraine and Ukrainians displaced across the worl;d
- Please follow our Facebook and Instagram and check back on our website for further updates.
Are you passionate about welcoming refugees and inviting others to join in? Do you enjoy meeting new people, presenting information, and creatively creating new partnerships? We are hiring for a new position (Community Partnership Coordinator) to help us welcome Ukrainians, Afghans and refugees from all around the world to Fresno. If you’re interested, please send us your resume and a cover letter through the Indeed portal. Interviews are starting soon!
Update: We are currently setting up interviews for applicants for the Office Manager position previously posted on Indeed.
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