Iskashitaa Refugee Network

HCET Harvest 2-3

2012-02-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

I’ll be honest; this week was a little stressful. There is always a struggle to contact and secure refugees and volunteers to come out and work with us, but this Friday I was looking for a driver up until an hour before the harvest. So far we’ve been lucky and always ended up with someone to help out, but not having a concrete plan always worries me. I am learning to be more flexible and adaptable but I’m also hoping that as I make more contacts within the community I will be able to work with a steady group every Friday. In good news I finally met Aloyis, a refugee who I’ve been talking on the phone with for the past three weeks. It was great to put a face to a name, and fun to work with someone close to my age. We harvested delicious tangelos, which I’ve been eating nonstop since the harvest. I was also able to attend Tapestry of Tucson this past Saturday and see some of the beautiful crafts our refugees make. Their skill with sewing and knitting amazes me; I definitely need to take some classes from them. I’m crossing my fingers for another tangelo harvest this Friday, come out and join us if you can!

-Sam

Tapestry of Tucson - February 4th

2012-02-02T14:53:00.003-07:00

Come join us at Tapestry of Tucson!

Description:
This vibrant and cultural event, will take place February 4th, 2012, at Dunbar Cultural Center, 325 W. 2nd Street, Tucson, Arizona, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Door $5 single, $10 family, children 12 and under FREE.

Entertainment will include:Strolling Mariachis, Dancers: Folkloricos, Modern Dancers, Zumba, West African Dance, Sunflower Bhutanese Dancers, Puppet show, Vignettes featuring: guitar players, singers and performers

Special Showcase: A panel discussion will take place with Tucson Historian, Dr. Lydia Otero and residents of Barrio Viejo, on the urban renewal in Downtown Tucson. Safos performance ensemble has choreographed a dance inspired by Dr. Otero’s book, “La Calle”. Other speakers include, Historian Dr. Michael Engs, Historian Gloria Smith and Storyteller Elva Smith-white.This exciting community event is being presented by a partnership comprised of:El Centro Cultural de Las Americas, Safos, a Performance Ensemble, Barbea Williams Performing Company and ISKASH*TAA, Refugee Harvesting Network.

Supported in part by Tucson Pima Arts Council and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona.

Swimming Program 2012

2012-02-02T13:13:00.010-07:00

Battle of the Ads

2012-01-30T13:36:00.001-07:00

Iskashitaa Refugee Network is grateful for the marketing support of American Advertising Federation of Tucson and Casino del Sol during Battle of the Ads IV! Look for the fruits of their labor in the near future, including bus shelters featuring the poster displayed here.

HCET Harvest 1-27

2012-01-29T19:34:00.001-07:00

This week was the first time I was able to harvest with refugees and I quickly learned that working with them makes harvesting much more fun. Pro volunteer Joanne brought three refugee women from Bhutan to harvest with us, and one refuge from the Congo came. These are countries I’ve only ever read about and they seem so mysterious to me. It was interesting to hear from the women what their native countries were like, especially when compared to Tucson. I can only imagine what a shock it must be to move from those tropical regions to the desert of the Southwest. Trying to communicate with the refugees made me realize what a difficult transition coming to the United States must be for them. They impressed me with how quickly they are learning and adapting to life here. It would be so difficult to try to learn a language, get a job, pay for housing and food, and take care of a family in a foreign country. I left the Friday harvest with increased respect and understanding for all refugees learning to live in the United States.

New WEBSITE!

2012-01-25T12:25:00.002-07:00

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE!

www.iskashitaa.org

Counting Money $$$ ESL lesson

2012-01-25T11:26:00.001-07:00

It’s a new year and ESL classes have resumed at Las Casitas apartments. For me, as the new HCET ESL intern, it’s been an exciting time to become familiar with the work Iskashitaa does through teaching English in the refugee community. In our first weeks of classes we have begun a unit on finances that will cover everything from counting money to paying bills and using credit. Our first lesson involved learning to distinguish between coins and counting change. This might seem like a simple task, but it’s easy to forget that, unlike many other currencies, US coins don’t include a numeral indicating their value anywhere on the coin. Through games and role-playing activities, our students have learned to identify coins quickly and use coins and small bills to pay in store setting. In the next few weeks we hope to being teaching about credit cards and good ways to manage finances.
However, while teaching has been fulfilling, some of our most rewarding experiences have not been in the classroom at all. While in the process of recruiting students, we had the opportunity to visit some of the refugees in their homes. I greatly enjoyed getting to meet the families of some of our students, including drinking juice with them and watching a Nepali film, as well as hearing a little bit about their lives here. I hope that as this semester continues I will have more opportunities to build relationships with out students outside the classroom and be able to learn more about their culture and lives from them.

-Kara Haberstock

Upcoming Events

2012-01-23T09:46:00.002-07:00

Save the Date! Come enjoy the events or come and voluunteer!

Refugee 101 Information Night: Thursday, February 9th (6:00pm - 8:00pm)
Come learn more about refugee life, communicating in different languages, and refugee work. Anyone who wants information can attend and attendance does not commit you to serve. The training is at St. Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E. River Rd. Please RSVP with the lizbethg@email.arizona.edu.

Winter Harvests: Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Interested in harvesting oranges, tangerines, tangelos, grapefruit and other citrus? Contact lizbethg@email.arizona.edu to harvest all the best produce of this winter. We always need drivers and helpers!

Food Preservation Workshops: 2nd and 4th Fridays (January 27, February 10 and 24)
Do you like local foods? Love cooking? Like to snack, talk, and meet new people? Then our harvesting and food preservation is the perfect volunteer position for you! Food Preservation workshops with refugees and Iskashitaa include: pumpkin chutney, citrus juices and zests, marmalades every 2nd and 4th Fridays at St Francis in the Foothills. Learn about new foods, techniques, and cross cultural traditions. Come for an hour come for half the day! If you are interested in volunteering please email mikeparelskin@gmail.com.

Sewing Redistribution day: Friday, February 3rd (11:00am - 2:00pm)
THIS EVENT MOVED PERMANENTLY TO THE OASIS APARTMENTS AT 306 E. Navajo #1106
The generous donations of volunteers and friends of Iskashitaa have led to a VERY full storage shed and we want to get those donations back out to our refugee friends! As usual, we cannot do this without your help! Interested in helping give rides to refugees, organize materials the day of and hand out materials? Please contact lizbethg@email.arizona.edu if you would like to help out!
St. Francis in the Foothills Crafts' Market: 2nd and 4th Sundays (8:30am - 11:30am)
Every second and fourth Sunday, our products are for sale at St. Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E. River Road. Come and browse our handmade crafts!

Tapestry of Tucson: Saturday February 4th (10:00am - 4:00pm)
This vibrant and cultural event, will take place February 4th, 2012, at Dunbar Cultural Center, 325 W. 2nd Street, Tucson, Arizona, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Door $5 single, $10 family, children 12 and under FREE. Interested in being part of the event as an Iskashitaa volunteer? Contact Lizbeth at lizbethg@email.arizona.eduEntertainment will include:Strolling Mariachis, Dancers: Folkloricos, Modern Dancers, Zumba, West African Dance, Sunflower Bhutanese Dancers, Puppet show, Vignettes featuring: guitar players, singers and performers

Swimming Program: Saturdays (11:00am - 1:00pm)
Iskashitaa is offering free lessons for refugees who are in 3rd grade or older! The classes begin on January 7th and run through March 17th. They are every Saturday morning. If you are interested in learning to swim or volunteering with the program please contact Elizabeth McMahon at eam4586@gmail.com for information.

Peace Fair: February 25 (9:00am - 2:00pm)
This event will take place at Reid Park. If you would like to join us contact lizbethg@email.arizona.edu. Stay tuned for more information!

First week at Iskashitaa

2012-01-22T16:57:00.001-07:00

What a great first week with Iskashitaa! As the new intern for Iskashitaa harvesting, I’ve spent the past 5 days learning all about coordinating a harvest. There are so many small details to remember but thankfully I have Mike and my fellow intern Annie to show me the ropes. Much of my time was spent contacting refugees to volunteer in our Friday afternoon harvest. The language barrier is difficult, but I’ve learned that a few key words, like “Iskashitaa”, “fruit”, and “harvest”, are well understood. I’m hoping that as I continue calling refugees searching for volunteers, my cross-cultural communication will improve and I will start to develop personal relationships with them. Unfortunately, no refugees were able to join us for the harvest Friday, but we had a great team of volunteers harvesting grapefruits, oranges, and kumquats. Picking citrus on a beautiful afternoon was a great way to get out of the classroom and get my hands dirty and I can’t wait for next week. Annie and I will be harvesting every Friday from 2-4 so come out and join us, we’d love to work with you!

-Sam Stanley

Volunteer of the Year 2010: William Aymard!

2012-01-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Many of you know him as the silent (although sometimes not so silent) supporter. Philanthropist, information technology expert, grounds person, mechanic, part of a larger constant cleanup crew, and all around great guy. Since 2003, William Aymard, a good-hearted person, has been dedicated to Iskashitaa, relentlessly working hard to help the organization grow and showing his kindness in unexpected ways to help refugees. He upgrades and backs up computers, maintains printers, the network and the Xerox machine. Mr. Aymard has greatly assisted in the payment of the utilities, the space, internet connection, and the cleaning crew for many years. In between working on his multitude of cars, he STILL manages to repair Iskashitaa vehicles (official and non-official), test drives recent arrivals' first cars before purchase, fixes volunteers', staff, and refugee friends' cars when needed. He welcomes global friends, donations, and endless fruit to our/his parking lot. William is sometimes our captain schlepper, helping transport large donations. In addition to all of this, he finds time advocate on our behalf (especially when no one is earshot). Without his help we could not have reached hundreds of families. Thanks to his assistance and support, over 400,000 pounds of fresh local fruits, vegetables and nuts have been harvested, donated, distributed, juiced, zested, canned, marmaladed, pickled, and preserved since our inception. Thank you William!

HCET Intern Speaks about Harvest

2012-01-19T16:46:00.002-07:00

Despite the rain and cold, our valiant team brought in another prosperous harvest of calamondin limes. Thanks to Sue, we were able to get three Bhutanese friends out to harvest with us. These guys were some of the most hardworking harvesters we have had, not looking away from the branches until all of our bags were bulging. Not even the challenging weather put a damper on our Friday morning. I am super glad to have met these guys, and am grateful to Sue and Kellan for volunteering with Annie and me this week. See you next week, and stay warm!

by Tucker Wiedenkeller, HCET Intern

Its GRAPEFRUIT season!

2012-01-18T12:17:00.010-07:00

As you drive through the Tucson Area, you may have seen bright yellow and brilliant orange on the trees! It is officially citrus season! Iskashitaa is ready to harvest these natural treats from our neighboorhoods.

We need crates and boxes now! Call our Harvest Coordinator, Mike 925-330-8775 if you have crates or if you would like to help in harvesting tangelos and grapefruits.

Let us all enjoy local grapefruits with "no fruit left behind" in the style of Barbara Eiswerth!

Four ladies in a grapefruit tree by Joanne Finch

2012-01-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

Big yellow in bunches
Challenge the reaching
Socks hold to limbs better
Shoes left in the soil.

Thickness of branches
Unwind the neat hair
Thorns grab at the saris
Then wadded and downed.

Giggles the language
Of both spry and less
Sweetness of action
The harvesting prize.

Friday January 13th Food Preservation Class Recipe

2012-01-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin (& fruit) Chutney
By Joanna Farrow
Modified by Iskashitaa’s AZ Refugee Project VISTA team from Phx and Tucson- “Fun with Fruit for VISTAs”

Ingredients
Ø 2 lbs. uncooked pumpkin, deseeded
Ø 4 local torpedo onions or the equivalent of one large yellow onion, chopped
Ø ¼ cup chopped dried apples after rehydration
Ø 1¼ cup mixture (if possible) of raisins, halved dried cherries & chopped dried figs
Ø 1 ¾ cups local cactus, citrus or pomegranate vinegar
Ø 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
Ø 1 ½ oz fresh ginger, grated using micro planes
Ø 2 teaspoons salt
Ø 1 tsp ground coriander
Ø 1 cinnamon stick, and or cinnamon powder
Ø Zest of one medium orange directly into pot
Ø 4 loquat halves without seed or sepals

Pumpkin station: bowl for pumpkin meat, bucket or large container with garbage bag for compost, tablecloth, cutting boards
1. Take ½ blue Cinderella pumpkin (precooked). Cut into chunks or scoop out half of a pumpkin meat without skin or seeds, or stringy fibers into pot or bowl. Set aside or bring to kitchen for chutney cooking.

Chopping station knives, bowl for compost, bowl for loquats, tablecloth, cutting board
Ø 4 torpedo onions or the equivalent of one large yellow onion, chopped
Ø Defuzz washed loquats and deseed loquats and halve –only small amounts needed for each batch

Cooking instructions:
1. In bottom of large, heavy-based saucepan put 1 tbsp of oil and lightly saute onions and add all the remaining ingredients and precooked pumpkin. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and cook gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until the chutney is thick and pulpy. To check whether the chutney is cooked, draw a wooden spoon through the mixture, it should leave a clean trail on the base of the pan that slowly disappears.
2. Spoon the chutney into sterilized jars and lids. Store in a cool place for a month before using.
Makes 2 ½ lbs- 5 ½ pint jars

Creating Relationships

2012-01-16T13:03:00.003-07:00

Iskashitaa's Swimming Program on Jan 14th was a great success! Despite Arizona's winter overcast, volunteers and participants enjoyed their Saturday morning classes. YMCA lifeguards taught how to kick, float and blow bubbles. The swim lesson was followed by free time to play pool volleyball and practice new swimming skills. As people slashed in the water, they created trust and relationships with one another.

In this picture a young girl from Bhutan learns how to float in the water with the help of a dedicated volunteer.

Iskashitaa's Swim Program has begun!

2012-01-11T22:53:00.004-07:00

Many refugees have spent their lives in rural areas or refugee camps where there was not an opportunity to learn to swim. When they arrived in the United States, their apartments had pools that they were excited to try. In the past few years, there have been many near drownings and one fatal incident. As Iskashitaa staff mourned with the family of the recent drowning, we vowed to help prevent future drownings. The program also helps refugees interact with the Tucson community, practice their English and have fun in a safe and therapeutic environment.

January 7th marked the date of the begining of the Iskashitaa Swim Program! There were a total of 18 refugees and 13 local volunteers joined us last Saturday for a day of fun and learning in the NW YMCA pool! We had a wonderful time in the sunny 80 degree weather and can't wait to get back next week! If you have a refugee friend who would like to learn to swim, don't worry! Sign ups are due by February 4th for the next 5 week period. For more information, please contact Beth at eam4586@gmail.com! Want to volunteer? Contact Lizbeth at lizbethg@email.arizona.edu

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-03T12:47:00.003-07:00

Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network would like to wish you a Happy New Year 2012! In the spirit of new year's resolutions, we ask you to do something that matters. Come and volunteer your time and experiences with Iskashitaa!

We are always looking for volunteers for our various projects, which include harvesting, sewing/crafts circle, ESL/tutoring, family mentoring and food preservation workshops.

You can sign up directly on our website www.iskashitaa.org (under the events' page) for harvesting, food workshops and community events.

Want to put a smiles on the faces of a refugee family?

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Want to put a smiles on the faces of a refugee family?

We, Iskashitaa volunteers go to the dentist sometimes. Take your visit as an opportunity to request a tax deductible donation of toothpaste and/or toothbrushes. I have to go to the dentist often and on one occasion I mentioned sponsoring a family of refugees from Burundi. I asked him if he could find in his heart to, perhaps, donate some supplies to help this family of ten. He was more than happy to oblige and after mentioning that to a oral hygiene company they donated as well- 70 trial size toothpaste boxes and toothbrushes. The family has not had to buy toothpaste for over six months, and in a family of ten every penny saved counts. We invite you to contact your dentist today and Iskashitaa will redistribute the dental supplies. I was not expecting such bounties when I first asked, so this relationship has been unexpectedly rewarding.

Make your dentist into a philanthropist today and with permission we will thank them in our newsletters, on facebook, and perhaps even our new active blog which means free advertising for them! Contact Natalie.sue.brown@gmail.com if you have questions.

Thank you Fabienne Dupont for submitting this article.

Thanks!

2011-12-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you Church Women United!

Church Women United made a great effort to support us once again through an in-gathering of Iskashitaa refugee sewing and crafts supply donations Nov. 11 which filled the entire van from head to toe! Thank you Church Women United!

Iskashitaa and St. Francis Support Amani DayCare

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Iskashitaa and St. Francis Support Amani DayCare

by Barbara Eiswerth

It was a joy to connect St Francis in the Foothills Outreach team to Amani International Learning and Daycare Center and the diverse refugee families they serve. For over six years, Iskashitaa has been involved with and supported the UN refugees who own and operate Amani. We supply them with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as other sundry donations whenever possible. We help share resources and challenges with the many families in need. Now we have partnered with them to be the point of redistribution for Iskashitaa monthly diapers, thus introducing more refugees to Amani's multilingual services while continuing to support our global friends. Thank you St Francis in the Foothills UMC for the food and toys and especially for the sorely needed washer and dryer. Stay tuned for the continuing wish list from Amani to support once refugees and soon to be American leaders!

Iskashitaa Diaper Redistribution now at Amani

Refugees who have received diapers from Iskashitaa will now contact Amani after the 25th of each month to request diaper donations after filling out the required diaper form. Amani International Learning and Daycare Center is located at 2014 E Grant Road.

Volunteer of the Month!

2011-12-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Volunteer of the Month

Amanda Cox

ESL Volunteer

Amanda started volunteering with Iskashitaa's harvesting program in the summer 2010 and then began teaching ESL classes as an Honors College intern in the Fall 2010. Although her commitment with the Honors College ended in the Spring 2011, when she graduated with her degree in Anthropology, Amanda continued teaching classes through the summer and has helped Kelsey and Taylor this semester at Oasis Apartments. She has been a wonderful asset to our program, helping out with harvests, community events and also planning fun activities with the kids who live at Oasis Apartments. Iskashitaa staff would like to express their gratitude towards Amanda and thank her for all the wonderful work she has done with our program.

Refugee Voices

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

The ESL HCET Team's Fall Semester: Refugee Voices

The ESL HCET interns did a wonderful job this semester and showed a great commitment to their classes and especially to their students. The focus of this semester was finding ways to engage their students by using their backgrounds, experiences and culture. Many of interns found ways to incorporate their students' backgrounds in lessons, which encouraged much cultural exchange between the interns and their students. For example, a lesson Kelsey and Taylor held at Oasis Apartments discussed safety in Tucson, focusing on the need to lock doors, using crosswalks and child safety. This lesson turned into a conversation about the culture of safety in Bhutan and Nepal and how there was such a strong sense of community and everyone knew each other, and they did not have these issues like we often have in the United States.

The winter class schedule will be posted on the Google calendar, so stay tuned! We are always looking for donations for our classes including white boards, white board markers, pencils, notebooks, reading materials, crayons and gently used books. Please contact Kathy Zaleski if you have any materials, kzaleski@email.arizona.edu.

Harvesting With Liberata

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Harvesting with Liberata

by Mike Parelskin, Harvesting and Food Preservation Coordinator

The month of November lived up to its reputation; we harvested pumpkins like crazy. With over 5 truckloads of pumpkins harvested from Buckelew Farm, we could practically swim in the squash surrounding the Iskashitaa office:

I would like to extend thanks to those who helped with these harvests.

On the last trip to Buckelew Farm, before the frost and the cows got to the fields of leftover pumpkins, Liberata joined me for a harvest. With her fantastic smile and our severe language barrier we headed out in the Fruit Truck towards Three Points attempting to make exchanges about ourselves, where we were from, and what we would be doing for the day. These conversations continued as we arrived at the farm. As we harvested the hefty pumpkins our communications fluctuated between verbal and what I now like to call the universal language: charades. As we acted and made grunting noises followed by a single word, we both were able to learn new words in each other's language, Liberata's being Swahili.

On the adjacent field to ours, a farmer turned on a bird cannon. For those who don't know, a bird cannon is a machine, which runs on propane, and is used to make a very loud bang to keep birds from eating a crop. Well, this constant noise of explosion launched Liberata into a charade I didn't really see coming. As one can imagine, sounds of this nature meant horrific things when they were heard in her home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Liberata formed an air machine gun in her arms and began to fire away. As she fired away her new charade made air-machine-gun, I made a bird with my hands. My bird began to nibble at one of the pumpkins. Liberata fired her air-machine-gun and my bird immediately flew away. 'Ahhhhhhhh' she gasped as the big smile returned and once again stretched across her face. We had done it. We had both won this game of charades. She understood there was no danger to the loud blast of the bird cannon, and I was able to peek into her past as well as be glad the she was here, safely harvesting pumpkins with Iskashitaa.

If you would like to join us for a harvest and a game of charades, contact Mike.

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Emily Ann Jones

Sewing and Crafts Coordinator

Emily Ann Jones, Sewing and Crafts Coordinator

Emily Ann Jones received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Arizona and completed a study abroad program for travel photojournalism in Orvieto, Italy. Although photography is her main passion, she became interested in non-profit organizations, including humanitarian aid while reporting for her senior capstone course, Border Beat.net, a student-run online publication focusing on U.S./Mexico relations. Emily has also photographed and written for the Arizona Daily Wildcat, Tucson Sentinel.com and gained an internship at the Tucson Weekly. Since then she has worked as a marketing consultant and client coordinator for a local independent portrait photography business and has also completed several freelance photography jobs. Currently, Emily also works with another non-profit organization, Planet Coexist, as the video editor and fundraising coordinator that puts on the annual Earthwalk event. With a lengthy background in arts and crafts and planning events, Emily hopes to positively impact the Iskashitaa Sewing and Crafts Circle.

Welcome Lizbeth and Emily, New Iskashitaa Staff!

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome Lizbeth and Emily, New Iskashitaa Staff!

Lizbeth Gonzalez

Volunteer Coordinator

Lizbeth Gonzalez, Volunteer Coordinator

Lizbeth Gonzalez has just joined the Iskashitaa staff as the new volunteer coordinator. She grew up on the Nogales, Sonora/Arizona border where she witnessed firsthand the dynamics of immigration and international relations. She studied International Studies with a focus on Public Health at the University of Arizona, working directly with Latin American women discussing their health issues in Mexico and Guatemala. She has recently returned from Tanzania after coordinating a HIV/AIDS education campaign in rural villages with the NGO, Support for International Change. Lizbeth is passionate about advocating education as a tool to decrease health issues and increase quality of life. Iskashitaa attracted Lizbeth due to our mission to use local harvests to provide nutritional foods to international refugees as well as working to create connections with refugees within the Tucson community. Lizbeth is excited to work locally with a non-profit organization helping volunteers learn about their community and help create connections with refugees.

Upcoming Events

2011-12-09T08:00:00.001-07:00

Upcoming Events

Sewing and Craft Supply Redistribution Day: Friday, December 9 (11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.)

Has moved to the Oasis Learning Center, 306 E. Navajo #1106, and will now be on the first Friday of every month!

The generous donations of volunteers and friends of Iskashitaa have led to a VERY full storage shed and we want to get those donations back out to our refugee friends! As usual, we cannot do this without your help! Please RSVP online or send an email to Emily at eajones85@gmail.com. We need volunteers to set up, help redistribute the supplies, and clean up.

C-Cinco's 2nd Annual Renegade Bazaar: Saturday, December 10, (11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.)

657 West St. Mary's Road, Warehouse Unit C-5

Purchase craft items made by Iskashitaa Refugee Sewing and Crafts Circle and other Tucsonans! Shop local! Put your holiday spending dollars toward social justice!

Food preservation workshops with refugees and Iskashitaa:

Second and Last Friday of each Month (excluding holidays and the last Friday in December)

Pumpkin chutney, apple butter, marmalades, and more! Learn about new foods, techniques, and cross cultural traditions. Come for an hour or come for half the day! If you are interested in volunteering please contact our new harvesting coordinator, Mike Parelskin, at mikeparelskin@gmail.com.

Also contact Mike or check out our facebook page to join us for a harvest!

St. Francis in the Foothills Crafts' Market: Second and Fourth Sundays of the month (8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.)

Every second and fourth Sunday, our refugee-made products are for sale at St. Francis in the Foothills, 4625 E. River Road. Come, browse, and buy our refugee made crafts and local preserves! Items recycled materials sewn, crocheted, knitted, into great new rugs, bags, jewelry, baskets, and clothes.

Thanks!

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your support at our La Cocina FUNdraiser on November 22!

After much preparation and excitement, Iskashitaa celebrated at La Cocina on November 22nd! The event brought together staff, supporters, and friends as we shared food and music. Between a silent auction, a live auction, and sales Iskashitaa was able to raise around one thousand dollars! Thank you to everyone who attended this wonderful night!

Shop Iskashitaa

2011-12-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

Shop Iskashitaa!!!

This holiday season, help support refugee families by purchasing Iskashitaa local food products, handmade jewelry, purses, rugs, or baskets for all of your family and friends!

You can buy Iskashitaa products at Poet's Corner local arts sale this weekend! You can also purchase Iskashitaa products at local businesses throughout Tucson! We are happy to announce the addition of several new business to our growing list including Dinnerware Artspace, Deco Boutique, and Mi Casa! Mi Casa on our very own Grant Rd. is going to start carrying our Burundi and Congolese baskets with NO percentage take for their store just support for Iskashitaa!!! The bar has been raised! Thank You Mi Casa!

Click on our Google Map to find a store near you:

Making time for refugees and recycling...

Patchouli Blue will soon be carrying LOCAL jewelry made of recycled magazines and calendars by one of our Congolese friends. What we want from the community is your beautiful 2011 calendars for our future recycled art projects for UN refugees. No old calendars then how about your extra 2012 calendars - often we end up with too many, No? - This is how you can share the abundance!

Happy Holidays from Iskashitaa!

2011-12-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Holidays from Iskashitaa

Hello Iskashitaa Supporters! We would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season. We have a busy month in store and we hope to see you at one of our many upcoming events.

Please join us for our Volunteer Potluck dinner this Monday from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at St. Francis in the Foothills UMC, 4625 E. River Road. Bring your favorite vegetarian dish to share! The more food the better. Please RSVP with Beth at Eam4586@gmail.com.

General Announcements from Iskashitaa:

Afghani House Burns Down

We are sad to report that the house of an Afghani refugee family has burned down. If you are interested in helping or donating items, please contact Lizbeth, our new volunteer coordinator.

Chickens too!

Do you have a hen that is over the hill? Did you know that in addition to local fruits and vegetables, Iskashitaa also takes donations of live chickens? Contact us to donate!

Iskashitaa Office Hours

We would like to let you know that the Iskashitaa office will be closed for the holidays.

Iskashitaa Office Hours:

Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Please call ahead to schedule an appointment.

2011-11-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Our New Truck!

Iskashitaa keeps on TRUCKIN' but now we actually have a truck for harvesting and transporting sewing and crafts donations, thanks to Laura Aldag and Curt Reinbold's generosity! This is a dream come true for Iskashitaa's director, who is finally understanding the old age adage "If you do not ask, people do not know that you need." Many, many thanks, Laura and Curt! Enjoy your newly purchased vehicle as we reap the benefits of the donation of your former truck - recycling at its best!

2011-11-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Buy

Our

Apple

Butter!

Now on sale! Iskashitaa Apple Butter!

Ingredients: apples, water, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, love.

All of our tasty food products make great stocking stuffers or hostess gifts!

Pick some up today at Tu Cocina at Old Town Artisans!

2011-11-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Help Us Re-launch Our Swimming Program

As you may have read in the local news, a four-year-old refugee boy residing in a Tucson apartment complex drowned in the apartment's closed swimming pool on July 31st, 2011. Iskashitaa staff mourned with the family as they spread his cremains and vowed to work to find inspiration in this tragedy. In January of 2012 Iskashitaa will be restarting the pool safety and swimming lessons for refugees. We are hard at work finding funding and volunteers as the date nears. If you know of a local business that would be interested in supporting this life saving programming or if you would like to volunteer please contact Beth at Eam4586@gmail.com.

2011-11-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Breaking Down Stereotypes

by Taylor Corcoran, Iskashitaa HCET Intern

Before moving here, most of the individuals Iskashitaa works with likely had preconceived notions of what life in America was like. I had always assumed that my own stereotypes about refugees would factor in to how I interact with individuals during harvests and ESL classes, but I had never stopped to consider what role their ideas about us may play in the acculturation process. When I analyze my stereotypes pertaining to refugees, I realize that my strongest idea is that the majority of refugees come from impoverished, underdeveloped nations with poor systems of education. I am glad that, even within the first month of interning with Iskashitaa, this stereotype has begun to crumble. I have harvested with individuals who ran their own businesses in their former lives, spoken with families who had everything in their home country and lost it all when they moved here, and shared the common experience of being human with those whose language and culture differ from my own.

2011-11-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

Volunteer of the Month: Georgia Andersen

Georgia Andersen has been quilting up a storm for Iskashitaa! Her beautiful quilts will be featured in our auction at La Cocina on November 22. Georgia has personally cleaned out her craft closet and donated sewing and quilting supplies for refugees to use. She has also encouraged friends to do the same. In addition, Georgia has helped during Sewing and Crafts Supplies Redistribution days to assist refugees who are receiving the gifts of her generosity. Thank you for all you do, Georgia!

2011-11-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Harvesting with Mike Parelskin, Harvesting and Food Preservation Coordinator

With my cup of coffee drained, I hooked up the trailer to my bicycle, wheeled my tiny wagon train through the front door and headed to work. With a hot lead on a pomegranate tree from Barbara, permission granted by the owner, and a picker in tow, I was ready to harvest!

I pedaled northeast navigating across town and eventually made my way to the wonderful Winterhaven neighborhood, where I found the tree shimmering in a light breeze. It was in the middle of a patch of grass growing so green I had to squint to be sure I wasn't having hallucinations of a desert oasis. Softball-sized fruits glowing bright red, like ornaments on a Christmas tree, dangled delicately looking delicious as leaned my bicycle carefully against a fencepost.

I attacked the tree with vigor akin to a kitten and efficiency similar to that of a kindergartener working on a 1,000-piece puzzle. The branches were sharp and every other fruit was either just far enough away that I needed the picker, or just close enough that I had to drop the picker and wrangle the fruit off the branch by hand. Alright, I'm new to this I admit. Next I decided to take a methodical approach; I worked my way around the tree, pulling off a gaggle of pomegranates within arm's reach, and then switched to the picker for the more elusive ones. Then I crawled underneath the low branches into the shade and picked the hard-to-see fruit from the inside out. After a few rounds of this and a few hours, I had harvested close to 100 lbs of big, juicy, sweet pomegranates!

The only problem: my bike trailer's weight limit is 75 lbs. Well, I thought, I have to get this fruit to the office somehow. I loaded my trailer to the brim, fastened my helmet securely, and cautiously eased my bicycle into the street. It felt very heavy. Kerplunk! My bicycle and trailer tipped over and the pomegranates rolled every which way like Iskashitaa volunteers at an apple harvest. A few choice words escaped like the fruit from my trailer. I pushed my bike back up with a considerable effort, moved it to the fencepost to pick up the scattered pomegranates and reloaded it for a second try. This time I successfully worked my way up to speed and slowly made it back to the office.

Local Limes & Pomegranates

If you would like to join me for an exciting harvest like this one, by bike or car, let me know! Email me at mikeparelskin@gmail.com.

2011-11-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Iskashitaa & Tucson Meet Yourself

What a weekend! Thousands of people traveled to Tucson Meet Yourself during the weekend of the 14th and Iskashitaa was proud to be part of the excitement. Ten refugees worked as artisans exhibiting their crafts and showing visitors their beautiful work. We had basket weavers, loom weavers, knitters, and a bead maker demonstrating with us as Iskashitaa staff helped taught visitors about our work. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to support our work and visit with us. We had a wonderful time!

"Wasn't it fabulous? I loved all your artists and your demonstrations at this year's Tucson Meet Yourself. Your group was engaging and beautifully demonstrated your living traditions. I could have sat and watched Ismail for hours. I liked the way Beth set up the tables and the chairs so the group was more accessible to the visitors. Thank you all for your involvement and for the joyful participation of your artists. I hope they made a lot of money in the store! I hope we work together again, soon!" - Monica

2011-11-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

Giffords Staffer Speaks About Volunteering with Refugees

Pam Simon, a community outreach representative of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and longtime friend of Iskashitaa, gave a speech at the 2011 Arizona Refugee Resettlement Conference on September 8th. Her speech was extremely dynamic and eloquent, speaking to the challenge many refugees face when adjusting to life in a new country, how the Tucson community can assist in this adjustment and finally, how much cultural exchange, dialogue and a realization of shared experiences can happen when volunteers and refugees work together.

Pam mentored a family from Africa and shared how powerful meeting with a family can be. "I take very little credit but a friend of mine became that one person that made a difference in the life of our African family."

She helped them get library cards, make trips to the food bank, sign up for boys and girls club, get a physical for soccer, and figure out the bus routes to adult education classes. A year and a half later, the boys all speak excellent English and are getting good grades. One boy is looking forward to college and being able to help support the family. They have dreams that could never even been considered in a refugee camp.

"Knowing this family has been a gift in my life and I share this story with neighbors, friends and relatives. To be a volunteer is a small investment of time with incredible rewards on both sides."

She also spoke to the ways that the community can get involved into the lives of refugees, whether it is a big commitment or small. "My call to action is that we must share the story of the refugee. Whether it is a church, civic group or business we need to share the joy of being involved with these amazing people who share our communities. Maybe all someone needs to be a volunteer is someone else saying, 'I will go with you.'"

Pam's words inspired all of us at Iskashitaa to keep doing what we love, which is working with refugees, listening to their stories, and learning from them. We encourage you to get involved with us to continue the collaboration and exchange. Come harvest and learn Nepali from Bhutanese refugees, cook recipes from Iraq, learn how to basket weave the Burundian way, or become a family mentor and visit with a family each week. Contact the volunteer coordinator if you are interested in learning more about our opportunities.

2011-11-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

All Day! November 22: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
La Cocina Restaurant in Tucson, Arizona

Did you tell a friend? Are you bringing a refugee? Stop in and Say HELLO! This is our biggest event of the year and we can't do it without your support!

Photo by Jodi B. Darling

DONT MISS OUT

2011-11-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

All Day! November 22: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
La Cocina Restaurant in Tucson, Arizona

Photo by Jodi B. Darling

Door Prizes, Great Food, Beautiful performances, All of your Iskashitaa and Refugee friends!!

See you there!

2011-11-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Shop Iskashitaa!

Click here to see where you can buy Iskashitaa products!

2011-11-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Ideas for Pomegranate

Seeds

Spice up your pasta salad or spinach salad!

They make a dynamite addition to guacamole.

We use them in salads with smoked trout.

Juice and add to smoothies, freeze in ice cube trays.

Use them in pesto and (which also freezes well in ice cube trays)!

Try them on vanilla ice cream or with yogurt and milk.

Cook up a quick compote for pancakes and waffles or with ham, pork chops, or lamb.

Add them to pumpkin muffins in the fall.

They work well in couscous salad, with arugula, pine nuts and crumbled feta.

Use a citrus-y dressing.

Oh, and you can put them in cottage cheese, too.

Make wonderful Chile Relleno with pomegranate seeds.

Or top slices of baguette with slices of brie. Broil until starting to melt (1-2 min) and then top with the pomegranate seeds.

Pomegranate and green apple salad: pomegranate seeds, shredded green apple, and toasted slivered almonds, over crisp iceberg lettuce with a lemon, grainy mustard, honey, and olive oil dressing.

Enjoy!

2011-11-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

Friday Harvests

with

Annie & Tucker

Have you met Tucker and Annie yet? They are working the gardens and trees of Tucson each Friday with volunteers and refugees. In October they have picked limes and pomegranates, explored new types of spinach, and taught us all a bit about Jerusalem artichokes. They even harvested amaranth:

They are learning about Iskashitaa as they plan their own harvests and enjoy the outdoors. Don't miss out on their fun trips from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. each Friday morning!

2011-11-16T12:16:00.001-07:00

La Cocina FUNdraiser:

All Day! November 22: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Photo by Jodi B. Darling

Come see the beauty of UNHCR and Iskashitaa's work. Join us at the beautiful La Cocina restaurant at Old Town Artisans (201 N Court Ave) on November 22 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., refugees will demonstrate their crafts and refugee-made crafts will be available to purchase. From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., we will feature refugee entertainment including dancing and singing, as well as a silent and live auction.

Enjoy a dish from the globally inspired locally conscious dinner menu or a drink from the affordable yet eclectic wine and beer selection. During the event, La Cocina will donate ten percent of all food and drink profits to Iskashitaa! Try the Iskashitaa-inspired dessert made from locally harvested apples and pears from Brown's Orchard.

We will also be collecting canned goods for the Community Food Bank. This is a time of great need leading up to the holiday season. Please clean out your pantry and help us spread our reach further. Learn more about the work of the Community Food Bank by stopping by their information table.

Help us make this night a success! Donate items for our auction! Do you own a business? Show your support for Iskashitaa by donating your services or products. Don't own a business? Then ask your friends! All donations are tax deductible. Contact us to make a donation. This Thanksgiving season, most of us have all that we truly need. Let's work together to support an organization helping new Tucsonans who have survived so much to get here, and now need our friendship and gifts of time and talent.

See you there!

Welcome Calean!

2011-05-29T11:28:00.002-07:00

We are excited to welcome Calean Frye to the Iskashitaa Staff this month! He has just finished his first semester at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona and has been working with Iskashitaa through Eller for nearly five months. His main task during these past months were to get refugee made products into local retail stores.

This was a success for Iskashitaa as refugee products are now sold in CRIZMAC and Nurturing Nature, and we are continuing to build partnerships with other local boutiques. He will be helping throughout this summer and hopes to continue supporting Iskashitaa throughout college.

Iskashitaa is excited to work with such wonderful and committed individuals as Calean! If you know of someone who is looking for a part or full time position and has the energy and initiative to work in a non-profit with refugees, please contact us!

A night of FUNdraising

2011-05-16T10:39:00.004-07:00

"What a night! As I danced in the night air to a 9-part Congolese band, I felt lucky to have been invited to La Cocina for dinner.

The food was amazing. I enjoyed the best chai tea I've ever had, an eggplant sandwich, and a wonderful bowl of curry. (I might have even ventured back for some soup and a cocktail!) As I ate, I chatted with a few Nepali friends and even won a quilt in the silent auction.

AND when I thought of the money I had spent, I felt good to know that proceeds from my food frenzy and my warm quilt would go to a non-profit that I love."

Did you miss out on the FUNdraiser at La Cocina this month? Don't despair! Iskashitaa will be be celebrating with our friends and supporters at La Cocina on September 27th! Mark the date and check our website for more information!

New Perspectives

2011-05-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

My name is Danny Mayasich, and this was my fourth semester working with Iskashitaa's HCET team. I continue to grow and learn the more I work with the amazing people who run this organization. From 4-6pm Monday and Wednesday, another University of Arizona undergrad, Amanda, and I taught English as a Second Language to a community of Nepalese refugees at the apartments at 29^th st and Alvernon. Our students ranged from grandmothers to grandchildren, fluent English speakers to people who spoke no English at all. It was a different mix every class, and it was a blast.

Our overall goals for the year in the classroom were to aid them in getting around Tucson, expose them to common items and aspects of American life, and most importantly make their transition to this country a bit easier. Our curriculum included a broad range of activities, including board games, card games, puzzles, lectures, writing exercises, oral exercises, trips to the library, and getting out and involved in Tucson. That brings me to the next area of work that Iskashitaa does besides ESL. When we weren’t in the classroom, us teachers were helping out with harvests around Tucson (which ranged from someone’s backyard with a couple trees to a 100+ acre pumpkin farm), culling fruit, making preserves, and juicing. We also spent time with crafts, sewing, and helping out at fairs and festivals where refugees had the opportunity to get out in the community and sell their goods.

Some refugees come here with nothing, and it can be very hard for them to find a job - especially in the current economy. Iskashitaa offers these wonderful people the chance to work with other members of the community and use their skills to get them some.

I love everything about the work that Iskashitaa does, and I have become a much better person because of it. It’s way too easy to take for granted the multitude of blessings I have as a Caucasian American in an upper-middle class family. Mon, Sabitra, Ratna, Sabeka, Samna, Ghana, Bhim, Him, Menuka, Jarna, Arjun, Don, Rogita, and Kirti have given me a new perspective on life, and they have shown me through their smiles and their actions what the true meaning of happiness is.

Goodbye HCET

2011-05-03T20:49:00.002-07:00

After two semesters of working with HCET interns to teach English, we are proud to be saying goodbye to some strong teachers and welcoming 5 new interns for the fall semester. Thank you to our HCET interns for all of their hard work!

To learn more about what the interns learned this semester, please take a look at their final presentation.

2011-04-22T16:03:00.001-07:00

Teacher's Corner

Although Iskashitaa is best known for produce redistribution and sewing programs, there is a lot of wonderful work going on in the English Classes as well! Below are a few entries from the English teaching Intern's weekly blog.

In the classes at Las Casitas, Danny and I went over a sizing lesson on Monday that seemed to be very beneficial. Though we had no students the week after Spring Break, there now seems to be a normal crowd of about 5-6 students. On Wednesday of last week, we made our first trip to the library on 22nd street with four students. We spent the entire time filling out applications for library cards and explaining how the library works. The librarians were extremely helpful and found all kinds of books for us. They were even nice enough to give us two copies of the New Oxford Picture Dictionary and forms written in Nepali. We checked out a couple books and simultaneously caused confusion by not checking out the dictionaries that were gifts.

The Oasis Classes ran an extra curricular adventure on Saturday. 5 students (Camille and Amanda included) from Camp Wildcat went to Oasis Apartments and rounded up about 15 kids to go to the park and play. We played basketball, soccer, and frisbee. There was also much hula hooping and screaming "take my picture-- take my picture!" (I brought a camera and didn't realize how photogenic these kids were going to be! It was nuts!) After more than 2 hours and lots of water breaks, we headed back to the apartments where more pictures were taken. All the kids were awesome, but one boy in particular was especially adorable. I think he was the youngest-- maybe 5 or 6 years old. But he made the cutest noises, wanted to carry the hula hoops and made us let him hold onto a tree and watch him jump down from it without blinking. It was awesome. Overall, I think everyone had a great time.

To learn more about what Iskashitaa's Honors Civic Engagement Team is doing, check out their weekly blog. Please contact Kathy if you are interested in volunteering with English classes or donating children's books and teaching manuals.

2011-03-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sewing Needs

Iskashitaa Refugee Sewing and Crafts Circle needs your help! We work with refugee women, men, and children from about 12 countries who receive donated sewing machines, looms, and supplies to make craft items for home use and for sale at events throughout Tucson and a couple of locally owned stores (Nurturing Nature and for a limited time, Toque de Pasion).

What we need:

1. Sewing and Crafts classes weekly teachers

2. Sewing and Crafts classes substitute teachers

3. Quality control/ color selection experts to meet with crafters to improve product lines (once or repeatedly)

4. Donations of items on our wish list

5. Event volunteers for sales days at community events (one time commitment up to several times/month)

More information can be found at:

http://www.iskashitaa.org/WhatWeDo/IskashitaaSewingandCraftsCircle/tabid/223/Default.aspx

Harvesting Unconditional Love by Girls Making Media and Iskashitaa

2010-12-15T21:17:00.002-07:00

Girls Making Media's has been collaborating with Iskashitaa and four amazing young women to make a movie about Harvesting Unconditional Love. This video will be submitted to the MLK Day Film Fest in January. Enjoy watching the video below:

This video is a collaboration between Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network www.fruitmappers.org and Girls Making Media www.girlsmakingmedia.com in Tucson, AZ. It was created for entry in The Third Annual MLK Day Film Festival offered by the Southern Arizona Volunteer Center www.volunteersoaz.org.

DISCOVERY GIRLS’ 12 TWEEN ROLE MODELS MET IN SAN FRANCISCO

2010-12-15T15:39:00.002-07:00

DISCOVERY GIRLS’ 12 TWEEN ROLE MODELS MET IN SAN FRANCISCO
The girls will participate in a photo shoot for a special edition of the magazine, featuring them as real role models for tweens and celebrating 10 years of DG!

SAN JOSE, CALIF. (December 1, 2010) – Not many young girls can say they started their own charitable organization at the age of 7, reported live from the middle of a hurricane, or were raised in Madagascar – but for some of the 12 girls who recently won Discovery Girls magazine’s Role Model contest, these experiences are just a part of growing up.

Now these 12 girls, all between the ages of 9 and 13, can add being featured in a national magazine to their lists of accomplishments. For the first time since being chosen as DG Role Models in October, the 12 met as they arrived in San Francisco for their photo shoot on Dec. 6 and 7, 2010.

A trip to San Francisco was just one of the prizes for the tweens, who traveled from 11 different states and Nova Scotia to meet at the photo shoot. The real prize: being featured in a special 10-year anniversary edition of the magazine, scheduled for release in the summer of 2011. Their accomplishments will be highlighted in the issue, giving them the chance to inspire their peers—an entire generation of girls.

Get to know our Role Models:
Abigail, 11, Missouri– Created www.CreationsByAbby.com, where she sells her hand-made t-shirts and original art to raise money for children in the Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis.

Calista, 11, Pennsylvania– Determined to make a difference, she founded Calista Cares at the age of 7 to raise money for Special Olympics and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. She makes and sells crafts, holds bake sales, runs lemonade stands and hosts raffles.

Cameron, 12, California– A talented writer, Cameron has already had a story published in an international children’s magazine. She plays tennis and lacrosse, and makes the world a better place by baking cupcakes for the elderly and packing food at her local food pantry.

Cannelle, 11, Arizona- Born in Africa, adopted by an American mother and a French father, Canelle speaks 4 languages and has moved 7 times, on 3 continents.Her personal experiences fuel her passion for helping others adapt to new lives—including volunteering for a local group that assists African refugees (Iskashitaa).

Carmel, 11, Illinois– A “friend magnet” who has a gift for making people laugh, Carmel loves to write, andhas been creating her own stories since kindergarten. She also plays two instruments and is in her school band.

Erica, 11, Nebraska– Erica is an actress and singer who is active in local theater productions, plays the cello in a youth orchestra, and sings in a choir that gives performances around her state. She also volunteers for Operation Christmas Child.

Jenna, 11, Iowa –Teaches baton twirling at a studio she runs with her sisters. Loves to teach girls baton because it boosts their self-confidence and raises their self-esteem. Frequently donates her time as an entertainer at fund-raisers.

Kate, 11, New Jersey– With a smile that lights up a room, Kate is known for persevering when things get tough, and always going that extra mile to brighten someone else’s day. She plays the violin and loves basketball.

Kennedy, 13, Pennsylvania– At age 6, she founded Kisses for Kaeden, an organization named for her baby brother, who was born with a hole in his heart. To date, the group has raised over $100,000 to help children with hear defects and special needs.

Maia, 13, Nova Scotia, Canada– Canada’s youngest-ever co-chair of the junior board of CISV, an international peace organization that promotes children’s cross-cultural friendships. Maia reported live on Hurricane Earl for her own video blog.

Mary Margaret, 12, Maryland– The founder of Kids Are Heroes, a non-profit organization that inspires kids to start community projects that help people, animals, and the environment. MaryMargaret has also spearheaded efforts to raise thousands of dollars for her own causes.

Sophia, 9, Michigan– Our youngest role model, Sophia loves playing piano at senior centers and volunteers for a variety of causes, including raising money for Haiti and helping out at a local food bank. She even picks up trash on her school’s playground during recess!

About Discovery Girls and the Role Model search:
The San Jose, Calif. based magazine has an international readership, is produced bi-monthly and is in its 11^th year of production. The magazine strives to empower girls to celebrate who they are and to realize their potential.

The Role Model contest was announced in the June/July 2010 issue of the magazine. The editors invited readers who believed they embodied the mission of the magazine to enter. After receiving thousands of entries and narrowing the choices to 30 finalists, the magazine waited as the world voted daily for their favorite role models. Voting concluded on Sept. 30, 2010 and the winners were announced the first week of October

Tucson Street Fair December 10-11

2010-12-12T20:00:00.002-07:00

Thank you to everyone that stopped by the Iskashitaa booth at the Tucson Street Fair. We were tucked back in the Sky Bar parking lot, but we made the most of it. Friday we had two amazing refugees displaying the way the make the handbags and rag-rugs. Saturday we jumped on the taste test band wagon and had people tasting the marmalades and olives. I imagine that it was because of this that we sold out of the Fig Marmalades. Also, I finally was able to purchase a big jar of the olives, which are way more delicious than anything I can purchase at the store. It's been one day and I think I've eaten 50 of those things. Seriously, anyone who is not coming by Iskashitaa's table is a fool. These products are too good to pass up, probably the most unique stuff you'll find at any table at any event. For information on where Iskashitaa will be next, check out the calendar at http://iskashitaa.org/Calendar/tabid/212/Default.aspx. Best Regards... Kenny Nelson

Submit Your Favorite Recipe!

2010-11-23T11:53:00.001-07:00

We all have that favorite pumpkin or squash recipe that we wait all year for.

Share a recipe with us and you could win!

The most original recipe submission will receive a free squash of their choice from our 22 varieties of locally gleaned squash.

This season 7 harvests yielded some ~12,000 pounds of squash from two farms (Native Seeds/Search & Buckelew) and one local urban pumpkin patch (St. Mark's UMC). Thank you to our donors for allowing us to feed families!

Something For Nothing By: Luvmoni Biswa

2010-11-22T12:10:00.002-07:00

Human wants are unlimited but the resources available are limited. People always want more and more everyday no matter what is going on in the world. Everywhere in the world,life is very different. I am a refugee boy and things have always been very difficult throughout my life.

When I was back in the refugee camp in Nepal. The camps are made up of clusters of huts made out of bamboo, thatch, plastic, etc. All the huts are made in rows, having little or no gaps. Between the rows, small gaps are kept where doors of the huts are facing. The size of each hut is very small and hardly four or five people can live. Sometimes, seven to ten people are forced to accommodate which becomes very congested.

During the summer, nearly sixty percent of the rain leaks from the unsafe roofs of the huts soaking all the materials including bedding and foods. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) used to provide some limited food-stuff every fourteen days. Including kerosene oil and coal for cooking food. People cook food by themselves in each family and share it to others in their family. They do not have any choice of food.

Without the electricity in the camps, the nights are complete darkness. From the bedroom we could see the moon at night and feel the chili dewdrops early the next morning. People eat and go to bed early. The clean water is not enough, and people often have to fetch water from nearby streams. Stream water, which contained many kinds of bacteria was not purified or treated and killed some thousands of innocent Bhutanese.

The life in camps are really miserable and monotonous. They are out of reach from digital modernized world and anything going on outside. We have suffered a lot in silence and God became greedy to us in spite of our undeniable needs. On the other hand, the life in the United States is completely different than the life in the refugee camps in Nepal. The life is luxurious in warm and nice apartments. The apartments have everything, such as water, air conditioning, electricity, and a gas stove for cooking food. The rooms are big enough to live with lot of furniture. People have many choices for foods.

People in the United States can go anywhere as they wish. They have many kinds of media for the circulation of news like cell phone, radio, and TV. There is very strong security for the people to live.

I am very happy in the United States than in the refugee camps. The life is easier and safer in the United States than in the camps. I have never thought of coming to this country, USA even in my dream and spent life freely and luxuriously like today. So I am always very grateful to this country for bringing me in and giving a new life to a refugee boy who had no destination in life and had no hope to live. These are the great things this country has done me for nothing. THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD…USA!

Scholarship Help

2010-11-11T17:00:00.001-07:00

Many of the refugees Iskashitaa is connected with are pursuing college degrees. I'm currently a university student, and I know that it's hard to obtain information about this process. It's hard to even formulate the questions you need to ask in order to have everything explained to you. For example, when I applied to University, I didn't know how to get financial aid, and I didn't even know what my problem was, so I didn't know what questions to ask. Also, I didn't figure out until the end of my senior year that if you apply for financial aid very early in the spring semester that you are more likely to receive federal grants. It's awarded on a first come, first serve basis but nobody tells you these things. So, I thought it might be good to share a useful tool with everyone who follows this blog. The tool is called "Scholarship Universe and it's on the UA Financial Aid Website: http://scholarshipuniverse.arizona.edu/

On the main page you will see two things: a button to enter the site and a box displaying at least a thousand scholarship opportunities. Now, the actual website requires a UA email, but as a reliable scholarship guide the main page is adequate. If you don't have a UA email, then just ask someone at Iskashitaa and they will be able to help you look through the site. Once you login to the scholarship universe the website takes you through a questionnaire that narrows down the number of scholarships that are out there to a few that work with your qualifications. This is pretty handy. It can be a huge ordeal looking for financial assistance, and sometimes you just don't have the time. So check out this webpage if you are interested in applying for a scholarship or a grant. -Kenny Nelson, Intern

Smashing Pumpkins!

2010-11-09T21:10:00.002-07:00

On Saturday I picked up some of Camille and Amanda’s English students at Oasis, then we drove to a pumpkin farm to collect pumpkins after meeting at Iskashitaa. I got to meet Neema, who I thought was really nice, and I had a really good time at the harvest. For the last 30-45 minutes I got to walk around smashing pumpkins so we could collect the seeds, which was way too much fun…When we got back to Iskashitaa we formed a long line and passed the pumpkins from the truck to back against a wall in the front yard. I had a good time, and all of the refugees seemed to enjoy the event.

-Danny (Honors College Intern)

What's Cooking at Iskashitaa?

2010-11-09T14:31:00.004-07:00

Calabaza en Tacha is a trditional dessert that is prepared during the Fiestas de Muertos. It is very easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 4 to 5 lbs Pumpkin approx.
8 Cinnamon sticks
Juice of 1 Orange
4 cups water
2 lbs Piloncillo ( you can use brown sugar or raw sugar)

Directions:

Cut the pumpkin into medium (2½" to 3" squares or triangles). Remove seeds and strings. With a sharp knife make diamond designs over the pulp

Put the sugar in a pan with the cinnamon, orange juice, and water. Bring to a boil and stir until the piloncillo has dissolved.

Place the first layer of pieces of pumpkin upside down so they absorb as much juice as possible. The second layer should be with the pulp upwards. Cover and simmer. When ready the top of the pumpkin pieces should look somewhat glazed, and the pulp soft and golden brown.

Let cool and serve with syrup. You can also add cold evaporated milk. I prefer to have the pumpkin after it has been in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

-- Recipe from Keren (Tested by the Iskashitaa Staff who are getting fat eating it!)

"Music that defines the experiences in Somalia

2010-11-04T07:58:00.002-07:00

Around the time of the World Cup over the summer, I heard of a Somali rapper named K'naan on National Public Radio (NPR) and downloaded some of his music. He is a rapper from Somalia and speaks of his and other Somalis day-to-day experiences of survival in Mogadishu and the emotional consequences of war. His lyrics are powerful, evoke emotion and gasps at what some people have experienced there, like in his song, ABC's and discussing the experience of children in education. "They don't teach us the ABCs, we play on the hard concrete, all we got is life on the streets." He said in an interview that this is very true for the youth in Somalia. He left Somalia when he was 13, first to join relatives in New York City and then to settle in Toronto, Canada. He has tried to avoid using gangsta rap, he explains, since "gangsterism isn't something to brag about," especially with other Somalis. His music includes influences from Somali music and traditional instruments, Ethiopian jazz samples and American hip hop. Check him out. (Information taken from NPR interview and Wikipedia)
--Kathy Zaleski, Iskashitaa Community Education Coordinator

Trunk-or-Treating

2010-11-01T13:54:00.003-07:00

Little Dorothys, masked superheroes, princesses, astronauts, birdwatchers, miners, a dog dressed up as a flying monkey from the Wizard of Oz and more spent last evening at St. Francis in the Foothills 'trunk-or-treating.' I had never heard of trunk-or-treating before this event which involved gracious volunteers dressing up in costumes and decorating the trunks of their cars while passing out candy. Along with trunks for trick-or-treating, there were booths set up with games, an inflatable bouncer that was very popular with the young children and beads for making jewelry.

I have been out of the country for Halloween since 2005 and I forgot how much fun the holiday is and how it's a great escape to become something only found in fairy tales, cartoons, or in one's imagination. I brought two children with me from Bhutan for their second Halloween. One of the children, Krishna explored the entire carnival and went trunk or treating a few times and had a very full bag of candy by the end of the night. I doubt he got much sleep last night since I kept hearing him munching on candy throughout the entire event. Pankaj helped in handing out candy and we discussed how Halloween is somewhat of a strange holiday with people wearing crazy costumes; we discussed this while my face was painted as a cat and I was wearing large, floppy ears on my head. My favorite part of this event was seeing the large amount of refugee youth present with the kids from Tucson and having interactions with one another.

Среќен ден на вештерките! (Happy Day of the Witch! In Macedonian)

--Kathy Zaleski
(Iskashitaa Community Education Coordinator)

Teaching and Learning Together!

2010-10-20T11:29:00.005-07:00

At class this week we brought in two large maps: one of the world and one of the United States. One student seemed to understand the maps and general geography fairly well, as he was the first to point out Bhutan and Nepal. We discussed the different continents, countries, and oceans, taking time to spell out each one. Also, we practiced cardinal directions by directing each other to countries on the map. I was surprised that so many of our students had family in other American states and all over the world. Another student excitedly pointed to different states stating such titles as “mother brother,” “brother sister”, or “in-law” to describe the relations she had in each state she recognized. By the end of the class, the United States map was populated by shiny star stickers affixed to each recognizable state that housed family members.

-Camille (U of A honors college Intern)

Tucson Meet Yourself

2010-10-11T22:51:00.003-07:00

Tucson Meet Yourself went off this weekend without a hitch, in other words, it was incredible! So many people and so many cultures. I enjoyed walking past a Swedish table representing my heritage, but I was on my way to the Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network table. On my way I passed many food vendors. I especially enjoyed my Samosas at the Guryasamo booth.

The many smiling faces brought a good feeling to my heart, as everyone was so different from each other and equally enjoying themselves I felt I could also enjoy myself. These kinds of events are why I do what I do.

Oh, and did I mention the fantastic smells of all the food! If anyone missed out on this event I hope the sublime look on her face as she smells her corn makes you jealous. Mark your calender, this is an annual event!

In this picture you can see two friends exchanging interest in one example of Refugee craftwork. They are holding a Burundi Basket weave. Iskashitaa had these on display, and they were available for purchase. The technique behind these handicrafts is fascinating; the basket is made from dried palm leaves and threads of recycled plastic, the leaves are bound into a cord and then spun into a spiral and intricately wrapped in plastic. I was amazed by the patterns they formed.

Walking away from Tucson Meet Yourself, I feel excitement. I'm excited by idea that Iskashitaa connected with many new people through the crafts of Tucson's amazing refugee population. I'm excited to hear if new volunteers will join because of the booth at TMY. Most importantly, I'm excited that people are so involved in their cultures and customs that they work to make Tucson Meet Yourself an annual event. Good job Tucson!

Kenny Nelson

Iskashitaa Intern

Tucson Meet Yourself is starting today! Please make it a point to support these refugee entrepreneurs!

2010-10-08T00:22:00.002-07:00

Food Vendors:

Sahra Hirsi will be selling Somali food including sambusas and Somali tea at the Guryasamo stand near the library.

Sultan Palace, a local refugee-owned business, will sell Afghani food.

Iskashitaa Refugee Sewing and Crafts Circle (IRSCC) will feature Burundi baskets, rag rugs, plarn water bottle holders, and much more for sale, and refugees from many countries will sell and demonstrate how to make these beautiful items. Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network will also have available local fruit and preserved food items from locally gleaned produce. Stop by their booth at Pennington and Church by the library.

The Somali Bantu Association of Tucson, Arizona will have a booth on the grass on the main library plaza. Stop by to learn about SBATA and purchase jewelry.

International Rescue Committee MicroE participants:

Aita Gurung: Demonstration – 10/9-10

Artiest from Bhutan, he would like to demonstrate his art paintings and introduce the Bhutanese art culture.

Charlotte African Tailoring: Demonstration - 10/9-10

Charlotte, a tailor from Congo, will demonstrate her African tailoring styles and introduce her African dresses made for male and female.

Morad Ceramic: Sale - 10/9-10

Morad uses special paints on ceramic bowl, plates and more. This type of art originated in Turkey and called the Art of Izink Ceramic. Morad has learned and master this type of paintings and started his own small workshop business. He is planning to sell his products at Tucson Meet Yourself.

Tatari Import: Sale - - 10/9-10

This is a small family business owned by Ejaz Bhakshi and his wife, who are both from Afghanistan. They sell clothes for men and women, accessories, antiques from the Middle East and other parts of the world.

Paradise Fashion Design: Demonstration – Only Sunday October 10th

Teddy Mambulu is from Congo. He designs and tailors African clothes for men and women.

This is his first year in the USA, and he would like to show his product to the public.

Volunteering at the click of a button!

2010-10-03T23:40:00.001-07:00

Volunteering with Iskashitaa has never been quicker or easier! Iskashitaa now has all of our events listed on the internet with quick links to signup sheets. All our wonderful volunteers need to do, is go to our website: www.Iskashitaa.org and click on the events tab. Now you can sign up for all of our fun events at anytime of the day or night. Our volunteer coordinator will update you as the event gets closer and if you decide you cannot come, just return to our website and “undo” your signup. Don’t forget to check back often because we are always finding new ways to spread our mission throughout Tucson and we cannot do it without your help!

Wednesdays are foodie days!

2010-09-17T21:47:00.004-07:00

On Wednesdays Iskashitaa is busy harvesting limes, making olives, culling mesquite beans, or canning home made preservatives. No matter which week you join us, you will always have fun learning and enjoying time with other local volunteers and refugees. Join us this week at 8am at the Iskashitaa office and experience our community first hand. To sign up, please click here and follow the directions on the site. You will be contacted on the Monday before your harvest with more details! Hope to see you harvesting with us soon!

Iskashitaa graciously welcomes monetary donations of any size. See how your donation can help:

2010-09-08T11:15:00.002-07:00

Kumquat level- $25:
Buys vital tools for Iskashitaa - a new fruit picker for our green work
We desperately need to replace our worn out tools!

Lime level- $75:
Buys us 5000 minutes of cell phone time – the amount of time the director spends on the phone in a month

Meyer Lemon level- $200:
Buys a month’s worth of gas for one vehicle for harvesting and redistribution trips

Tangelo level- $500:
Supports harvesting coordination through the AmeriCorps program

Pumpkin level- $1,000:
Supports volunteer and resource coordination through the
AmeriCorps program

If you would like to make a monetary contribution to Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network, please make checks out to St Francis in the Foothills UMC and write Iskashitaa RHN in the memo line. Mail checks to: St Francis in the Foothills UMC 4625 E River Rd Tucson, AZ 85718. We also accept credit cards. Contact us for more information. All donations are tax deductable!
Thank you for your continued support!

How can your group Support Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network?

2010-08-31T10:45:00.008-07:00

We have been receiving support from Tucson faith communities and other Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) for years now. We are grateful for that support, and want to explain how you might be our next liaison between your FBO or civic group to enable Iskashitaa to assist even MORE refugees in our community. How can groups work cooperatively with us? Become that missing link for Iskashitaa today!

Catalina United Methodist Church’s youth group organized a day of harvesting. For weeks, they advertised the project in their bulletins, requesting members and guests to provide addresses of fruit trees to harvest. On the designated Sunday afternoon, the youth harvested the fruit and delivered it to the Iskashitaa office from 8 different properties. The youth and volunteers ended the evening with a celebratory dinner at the church.

During this citrus season the members of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson regularly organize fruit harvests of their own trees and their neighbors’ trees. Each week the members bring the bounty of their harvests to their Sunday services, and one volunteer brings the crates to our headquarters. You could organize something in your neighborhood through the neighborhood association or among friends or other civic groups.

Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Parish takes another route to support Iskashitaa efforts to improve Tucson refugee lives. Iskashitaa Refugee Sewing and Crafts Circle provides opportunities for refugees from many countries with a wide variety of languages and faith backgrounds to socialize, enhance their crafting skills, practice English, and make products for use in their own households or to sell to create sorely needed income. FBOs and other groups can sell refugee-made crafts at their organizations' meetings several times each year. All you need to do is arrange for the selling event to be announced ahead of time, pick up craft items, set up a table, collect money, and record sales!

Iskashitaa means “working cooperatively together”, and it truly does take a communal effort to keep us up and running. If you’d like to increase your current level of involvement, please call Natalie Brown at 928-503-7496 or email her at natalie.sue.brown@gmail.com.

Spend Time with a Refugee Family

2010-08-26T12:32:00.005-07:00

One of the greatest things that you can do to help a refugee family is simply to spent time with them. One of our volunteers, Ron Bayes, recently took fourteen refugees to the Grand Canyon in a rented 15-passenger van. Here’s what he had to say about the experience:

We assembled at the apartment complex where many of the group lived and began our journey on Friday, at around 6:30pm, as many of the participants were required to work that day. We got to Flagstaff around 11:00pm and took a quick tour of the massive house where we were to stay. The owner of the mansion-like home is my friend of many years, Tom, a Flagstaff general contractor. While Tom and his family were absent, he was generous enough to allow all of us to stay at his luxurious home and use all of its many amenities.

Saturday morning, we awoke to the sun and the cool Flagstaff morning air. Many enjoyed the morning by wandering the spacious premises or hanging out in the lush manicured backyard overlooking a large pond. Some others performed meditation or yogic morning rituals. The women made a savory breakfast, all participated in the cleanup, then we hit the road for the Grand Canyon. The route from Flagstaff to the south entrance of the Canyon was stunning. In Tusayan, the town just outside the park entrance, we watched a gorgeous panoramic IMAX movie highlighting the many treasures within the Canyon. The group could hardly contain their excitement to get into the national park.

It's always a pleasure to show people the Grand Canyon for the first time, marveling at this larger-than life chasm cut by the mighty Colorado River and geologic upheavals over many eons. Using a combination of our rental van and the park shuttle, we made many stops to several spectacular overlooks.

On the way back to Flagstaff, we took a detour to behold Sunset Crater, stopping at a beautiful volcanic overlook to take pictures and play amidst the volcanic rocks and sand. Once we reached Flagstaff, I showed the group several sites and took them to a popular overlook up near Lowell Observatory. Eventually, we all retired back at Tom's house, each person a bit tired from being in the sun for most of the day. Through group effort, we ate a satisfying Nepalese meal and cleaned up, played some billiards, talked, and went to bed early.

Sunday morning, we once again awoke to the Flagstaff sun, and had a relaxing breakfast. After packing up and giving the house a quick cleaning, we were off to Sedona. The weather was perfect for the meandering drive through Oak Creek Canyon, where we stopped to gather some refreshing spring water from a lesser-known well along the side of the road. Continuing our journey, we stopped in uptown Sedona to get some ice cream and admire the sculptures from local artists. On to Airport Mesa, where we could see a panorama of Red Rock formations in all their glory, then through the Village of Oak Creek to view even more spectacular Red Rock natural sculptures.

Arriving in Tucson early in the evening, we bade or farewell to one another, and recovered from a very fast but enjoyable trip. Not a single person was left behind, injured, or worse. It seems that everyone had a great time, experienced new places, and enjoyed the company of the rest of the travelers. What a beautiful adventure!
I hope this information is helpful and encourages other volunteers to share their time in this way. It was incredibly rewarding and has added depth to my relationship with many of these refugee families!

Thanks to the Adhikari family for help with organizing the trip.

Exciting Harvesting Update from Barbara Eiswerth: Tomatoes, Grapes, Peaches, Pears, Apricots and More!

2010-08-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Iskashitaa has never seen a July like this before (by far). Not only did we harvest more variety of fruit in record poundage from backyards and local farms but new fruits and new opportunities are happily stressing our redistribution systems and food preservation knowledge. University of Arizona farms contributed tens of thousands of hydroponic tomatoes, then two weeks later 7 million grapes! How do you handle/harvest peaches, pears and apricots? How do you store grapes and make raisins? 50,000 tomatoes is a lot to handle for this little operation with no cool storage or freezer space. We survive with your help, and swapping food for cool/cold storage with Southside Presbyterian and the Community Food Bank. Refugees benefit all around contributing to their families and the Wellness Center at Catalina Magnet High School. We learn to preserve, dry, pickle and ferment from refugees. Have you ever made raisins before? Call us now to harvest your fig and peach trees! Pomegranate season is just around the corner, and soon we will be harvesting apples and pumpkins from local farms. Contact us to donate your fruit or to get involved with our exciting harvesting activities!

Cultural Exchange with Up With People

2010-08-25T05:52:00.005-07:00

The Iskashitaa Refugee Sewing and Crafts Circle joined Up With People alumni at the recent Up with People reunion. The Refugees taught basket weaving, finger weaving, knitting, and crocheting in a wonderful exchange of cultures. The scarves and other crafts that were made that afternoon were later for sale along with other refugee-made craft products at the Up with People marketplace during the reunion.

Later, Iskashitaa volunteers and refugees were invited to Up With People's 45th Anniversary Premiere “A Song for the World” on Friday, August 13th. Here is what one recent refugee from Iraq had to say about her experiences, "Dear friend: if are planning to attend the show, let me warn you! You are about to have a once in a lifetime event, something I can't forget and will not forever!"

To read more about the Up With People event and Dalia Sarkeis' experiences, don't miss the most recent Iskashitaa Newsletter!

Congratulations Sahra Hirsi

2010-03-07T10:38:00.003-07:00

COURTESY OF JEANNETTE MARé-PACKARD
Sahra Hirsi (with bell), Barbara Eiswerth (to Hirsi's left in white shirt) and volunteers from Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network. Hirsi was nominated by Eiswerth.

Advocate gives voice to refugees

Kimberly Matas
Arizona Daily Star Posted: Saturday, March 6, 2010 12:00 am

The recipient of this week's Ben's Bell is Sahra Hirsi, an advocate for refugees living in Tucson.

Hirsi was nominated by Barbara Eiswerth, executive director of Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network, who said: "Sahra is a voice in a community that has so little voice. Sahra's spirit of cooperation, innovation and generosity has made her an inspirational and impactful leader.

"Her dedication to the women, many single mothers that have survived war, persecution, and loss beyond most our imaginations is demonstrated with her gentle way, her kind understanding, and her devotion to helping others," Eiswerth wrote in her nomination.

Hirsi and her family moved to Tucson four years ago after being exiled from Somalia in the early 1990s and living in Kenya for 15 years where she worked with refugees.

She works for the Amphitheater School District as a family and student mentor and volunteers in the community teaching parenting classes and serving as an interpreter and a mentor.

"I help the families to understand the system and I do whatever I can to support them," Hirsi said. "I do it because I feel very, very happy when someone else is helped because when you don't speak the language it's very hard.

"It doesn't matter what time it is, if it's one in the morning or I'm at work, I always make time for my community and there are a lot of people who do the same thing."

"We want to better our community," Hirsi said. "We want to give back to Tucson."

The project

The Ben's Bells Project to promote kindness, compassion and community was started in 2003 by the family of Ben Maré Packard as a way to honor the 2-year-old who died of croup a year earlier. In 2005 the project began "belling" those who make the community a better, kinder place. Go to www. bensbells.org/Nominate.html to submit a name. Go to www.bensbells.org or call 628-2829 for more information.

Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or at 573-4191.

Refugees and UA Students' Successful Uberharvest

2010-02-23T09:34:00.005-07:00

In our recent UberHarvest, Iskashitaa partnered with The Community Food Bank (CFB), the University of Arizona Returned PeaceCorps Volunteer Fellows program and the U of A Blue Chip Program, leadership education club. Neighbors from Sunset Ridge Neighborhood, near Orange Grove and Oracle arranged for us to harvest 86 trees. Four hundred-eighty pounds of tangelos, tangerines, lemons and a few grapefruit went to Isakshitaa refugees and the rest was donated to Tucson’s Food Bank. Thank you Susan Brown for helping out at this harvest with refugees from Burundi, Somalia, Congo, Bhutan and the Sudan!

Harvesting Volunteers Needed!

2010-02-22T09:59:00.002-07:00

Iskashitaa is looking for volunteers who can dedicate a couple hours of their week to harvest fruit from Tucson’s backyards alongside refugees. We have harvest sites all over the city, and can set up harvests around your schedule. Harvesting is a great activity for groups and individuals, young and the young-at-heart. You can enjoy the sunshine and mild spring temperatures while getting some exercise. Give us a few hours of your week, and help feed hundreds of families. If you are interested, please contact us at (520) 440-0100.

A Harvest That Helps Many

2010-02-12T14:56:00.002-07:00

Check out this article about Iskashitaa harvesting fruit trees published last week by the local news source, The Explorer.

The Explorer - The Voice of Marana, Oro Valley and Northwest Tucson Archives El Sol A harvest that helps many

Refugees pick unneeded fruit from NW trees

By Steve Renzi, Special to The Explorer
Published:
February-03-2010

What was Walid Gamarelanbia, a refugee from Sudan, doing, climbing up in Lynne Ingalls front-yard cumquat tree in northwest Tucson – a tree her son had planted more than 30 years ago?

Harvesting fruit, of course.

On Saturday, Gamarelanbia (whose last name translates as "prophets of the moon") climbed up a ladder and, wearing a harvesting sack that looped around his left shoulder, proceeded to fill it with perfectly ripe and delicious cumquats.

Cumquats are "the little brother of the orange," according to Gamarelanbia. He and a small group of people rode up to a couple of households near Ina and Shannon roads and proceeded to harvest the citrus trees growing in two Northwest yards.

The group is called the Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network. The word Iskashitaa means "working cooperatively together."

Barbara Eiswerth is the director and founder of the refugee harvesting network.

"I speak food," Eiswerth said. "Our group is the only one in the nation that has fused welcoming refugees and harvesting.

"Food is a common denominator among all cultures. Harvesting food is a concept that the refugees are familiar with. The food that we harvest is divided up in three ways: some of it is taken home, some of it is donated and some of it is sold. We recently filled two 18-wheeler trucks with harvested food and donated it to the Community Food Bank."

Last Saturday, Eiswerth and Natalie Brown, community liaison for Iskashitaa, came with refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Bhutan and other countries, along with volunteers from Catalina Foothills High School and college students to pick fruit from the citrus trees of two Northwest-side homeowners.

"The cumquats would have fallen on the ground and just gone to waste," said homeowner Ingalls.

"I don't like to waste things," said homeowner Ruth Denholtz, watching people harvest her lemon and grapefruit trees. "It helps me out, too. Anytime you can help people with something you don't need, it's a good thing."

The group worked quickly, cooperatively and efficiently. Some climbed ladders, some reached under the tree and others took long-handled fruit pickers to reach the fruit on the top. In short order, crates of lemons and grapefruits were filled.

"A refugee is a person who has fled their home country due to persecution or fear of persecution because of their religion, ethnicity or political activity," explains Natalie Brown. She has experience working with AIDS projects in the United States, Mexico and Tanzania, and points out there are three refugee resettlement agencies in Tucson.

Qamar collects lemons growing near the bottom and that have fallen down under the tree. She is from Somalia and her family fled during the war. Thirteen-year-old Fahima is from Sudan. She easily picks up a crate full of lemons and carries it, balancing the load atop her head. Lun Xu is tall; he can reach the higher areas easily. Sanz Ghalay, from Bhutan, reaches toward the top with a long-handled pole that has a basket on the end.

Benjamin Matiella is a volunteer from Catalina Foothills High School. He is considering an Eagle Scout project with the Fruit Harvesters Network. Jena Decker and Talia Chonover are college students on winter break.

Harvesting and saving food that would otherwise go to waste is just one of the benefits of the harvesting network. The refugees learn English, life skills, how to navigate through the city, friendship with each other and Americans, physical activity and better nutrition, according to Eisworth.

"By donating much of the food that is picked to organizations like the Food Bank or the Gospel Rescue Mission, they are giving back to the community right away," she said. Anyone interested in being a fruit donor can call (520) 440-0100, or e-mail harvest@fruitmappers.org. More information about Iskashitaa and a catalog of items the group creates and sells, such as marmalade, mesquite flour, prickly pear vinegar and harvesting sacks, can be viewed at www.fruitmappers.org

Within an hour, the trees are stripped bare of fruit and the filled crates are loaded into the back of a truck.

"Many hands make light work," said Brown.

"No fruit left behind, no refugee left behind," adds Eisworth.

A Volunteer Celebrating Two Years of Commitment to Refugees

2010-02-11T15:06:00.001-07:00

Approaching her two year anniversary as a volunteer, Joanne Finch’s list of accomplishments and experiences could fill the page. She’s assisted in nearly every program, interacted with hundreds of refugee clients, and practically knows all the Department of Economic Services employees by name. But her commitment to refugees extends beyond the walls of the IRC and into the community; in fact it was at her local church where Joanne’s eyes first were opened to the plight of the refugees living all around her. Encouraging each other along the way, many of her fellow members at Christ Church United Methodist have also become tireless supporters of refugee rights and well-being, shown most clearly in their partnership with Goshen Ministries, an African congregation which includes many IRC clients.

Reflecting on her experiences Joanne identified a couple “Mosts”:

Most Dangerous: Teaching refugee friends how to drive her car!
Most Enjoyable: Pumpkin picking with IRC Clients and Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network.
Most Challenging: Learning how to say “No” in order to promote client independence.
Most Pleasant: Working on Financial Literary with Lisa at the IRC.
Most Fulfilling: Witnessing the reunion of two close friends after years of separation.

Joanne is eager to share her father’s advice with anyone who will listen: “We have no right just to sit around and enjoy life.” Considering all the issues Joanne could have chosen to fulfill her father’s commission and all the organizations she could have worked with, we are so thankful that she is with us at IRC Tucson, creating opportunities for refugees to thrive in our community!

Andy Jenkins, IRC Volunteer Coordinator

CWU Prayer Service for Christian Unity

2010-01-21T16:24:00.002-07:00

Church Women United (CWU) Prayer Service for Christian Unity was Wednesday, January 20 at 7pm at St. Cyril of Alexandria Catholic Church, 4725 E. Pima Street. This year, Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network was selected to be the recipient of the offering, and director, Barbara Eiswerth had a few minutes during the service to share about our work. More than sixty people attended and we thank you CWU and our community for your financial assistance and support during these difficult times.

Peace and Hope,
Natalie Brown
Community Liaison, Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network
928.503.7496

An Indian girl’s journey from begging to giving

2010-01-14T13:51:00.012-07:00

Dear friends of Iskashitaa and Balamani Mariana Madden:

Balamani, a volunteer with Barbara Eiswerth and Iskashitaa for 4 years is asking for your support. This year she was nominated Youth Volunteer of the Year for her tireless efforts helping refugees in the community and assisting in many aspects of work with Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network. More importantly she gives selflessly to put a smile on my faces and hundreds others as well as bring tears to our eyes. In fact, right now, I am having trouble typing for just that reason. Her life story is aptly entitled “An Indian girl’s journey from begging to giving”.

I cannot think of a more well deserving youth for recognition and education through international travel. I am honored to have worked with and learned from her over the years.

Thank you Balamani for sharing of yourself.

Dear friends please support me by voting on my digital video, it’s a 2 minute video of my life and how I help others in my community.

U.S State Department Exchanges Connect Video Contest Change Your Climate, Change Our World." Your "climate" is not only the air you breathe, but also the people, places, and relationships that affect your daily life. Tell us in a video what you or someone you know is doing to make your community a better place, and in the process, contributing to a healthier, safer, cleaner, and more peaceful world. The four (4) winners will receive the grand prize: an all-expense-paid, approximately two-week cultural exchange program to the United States or from the United States to a country to be determined.

I have put in a lot of work making this video just for two minutes. Even if I do not win, I am proud of myself and inspired by making it.

You will need to sign in and register on the site to watch and rate the video if you need more information, email me thank you for your support. The Deadline for rating is January 26th, 2010.

Mariana Madden has submitted this video entitled Volunteering is a Simple Gift” to the Exchanges Connect 2009 Video Contest the thumbnail shows a picture of Balamani Mariana and her parents. Please sign in to rate this video http://bit.ly/7Kz1VW.

Time is precious; use your time to make a difference in the world. When I was in India, I used to go door to door with a bowl begging for food and money, but was often turned away with a grumbling stomach, not knowing when I would be able to eat another meal again.

At a very young age, my birth mother was murdered. Losing my mother was an experience no young child should face. In a strange way, I found freedom through the pain. My mother gave life to me twice, the first time when I was born, the second time when she died.

I was put in two orphanages and later adopted by an American couple, who became my parents. The opportunity of being in a family and the having a free education helped me revel myself and open doors I had shut for many years.

Because of my life experiences, I wanted to help those who have experienced similar hardships. When I was sixteen, I started volunteering with Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network. For the past four years, I have helped harvest and distribute backyard produce that feeds refugee families, sell refugee artwork, teach refugees English, and present at public events. I welcome many young refugees to be part of my family, being there for them when they need someone to talk to, or just a safe place to be.

I also work with refugee and immigrant students at school as part of the Finding Voice Project, where I share my voice through writing, photography and digital stories to empower other youth to share their voices to make a difference in their communities.

Volunteering to me is an important and simple gift I can give as unconditional love to my community.

--Balamani

Winterhaven Lights Walk with Refugees--this Friday

2009-12-15T11:26:00.006-07:00

All are welcome to join the Winterhaven Lights Walk on Friday December 18th at 6:00pm.

Lutheran Social Services has organized an evening walk through Winterhaven, the Tucson neighborhood notorious for its spectacular holiday decorations. This is an event bringing together Tucsonans, refugee families, volunteers and refugee resettlement staff for a little holiday sightseeing.

If you can volunteer to transport refugees to this event, contact us at (520)440-0100. Otherwise, meet at gas station on northwest corner of Country Club and Ft. Lowell at 6:00pm.

We hope to see you there!

EMM (Episcopal Migration Ministries) will be visiting from NYC with a film crew as they are filming a small documentary about refugee resettlement in the US so you may be caught on film if you attend. The footage will be used for web modules that encourage activities ‘beyond the basics’ to resettlement agencies and to encourage involvement from sponsors and faith based organizations.

Interested in researching your African refugees?

2009-12-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Below is an great opportunity for any graduate student interested in studying African refugees. Forward this along if you think you know someone to whom this fellowship applies.

Deadline very soon...

African Diaspora Graduate Fellowships
Deadline: December 15, 2009

TIAA-CREF will award up to $30,000 for Ruth Simms Hamilton Research Fellowships to support graduate-level research on the dispersion and settlement of African peoples once they left the African continent.

It would be good to get a graduate student working on research with our African refugee contingency here in Tucson or Phoenix!

For more information: http://www.tiaa-crefinstitute.org/awards/hamilton.html

Visit or Volunteer with Iskashitaa at the 4th Avenue Street Fair--This weekend!

2009-12-09T15:42:00.015-07:00

When?
Friday, December 11th through Sunday, December 13th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The B Line restaurant has once again generously donated the patio space adjacent to the restaurant to Iskashitaa so we can participate in this winter's 4th Avenue Street Fair! We are looking forward to sharing and selling our fruit products and refugee-made crafts (see our holiday catalog). Stop by, check out our booth and say hi to staff and refugee volunteers at any point during the 3 day fair.

Have time to volunteer?
We still need volunteers this weekend! Please come down for a few hours to help us out. Working at the Iskashitaa booth at the street fair is a wonderful opportunity to interact with refugees, see refugee-made crafts, and enjoy the fun, food and entertainment at the fair! This is a great experience for both veteran and first-time volunteers. If you are available, call or email Tara at 520-722-9285 or tarapullano@gmail.com.

Visit www.fourthavenue.org for more information on the Winter 4th Avenue Street Fair

Saturday's Art Sale

2009-12-02T13:47:00.004-07:00

Iskashitaa will be at the 5th Annual Poets Corner Holiday Art Sale this Saturday, Dec. 5th, 10:00-4:00pm (4221 E. Burns St. -NW of Broadway and Columbus).

Iskashitaa is showcasing the items found in our Holiday Catalog along side the unique works of over 20 artists. Come out and enjoy some refreshments while persuing local, organic food products, refugee-made crafts, ceramics, mixed media, jewelry, fiber art, origami lighting, succulent hangers, garden art, paper sculpture and more.

Also, we would love some volunteer help with this event. Contact Tara at tarapullano@gmail.com if you are interested.

This Black Friday, support Tucson refugees by spending your dollars locally

2009-11-24T08:06:00.009-07:00

Friday November 27th, Iskashitaa will selling our refugee-made, local products at a Local Artisans Market at Placita Plaza (downtown at Church and Congress), as part of the Buy Local Day Events organized by Local First AZ. From 9am to 4pm, we are offering you numerous great gift options:

Local marmalades and vinegars
Recycled rag rugs
Burundi baskets made from recycled material
Plarn water bottle holders
Stylized crocheted bags
Sewn cloth shopping bags
Handmade harvesting bags for the locavores
Quilts & pillows
Baby booties
Skinny scarves perfect for Sonora--more style, less warmth
Hats
Drawstring giftbags
Stockings for your stuffers.

We look forward to seeing you supporting local refugee artisans this Friday! Also, thank you to Chris' Cafe for hosting us.

For more information about the Buy Local Day Events in Tucson, click here or check out http://localfirstaz.com/tucson.

HCET helps refugee families save a bundle $$$$

2009-11-17T15:30:00.008-07:00

ISKASH*TAA
is here for YOU!

Iskashitaa's Honor's College Civic Engagement Team (HCET) from the UofA is teaching refugee families how to get utility discounts from TEP, SWGas, Qwest and Cox lifeline telephone service.

We have offered assistance to refugees from all over the world: Iraq, Bhutan, Somalia, Burundi, Congo, Eritrea, Cuba, ANYWHERE!

We help refugee friends to reduce electric and phone costs only and save:

Save $8.00 off electric bill/month
Save $7.95 off phone bill/month
Total savings of $15.95/month
SAVE UP TO $191.00 each year!

HCET has worked with apartment managers, Tucson International Alliance of Refugee Communities (TIARC), and Bhutanese Mutual Assistance Association of Tucson (BMAAT) to reach a variety of groups. We have visited over 8 apartment complexes and impacted nearly 100 families since September!

To find out where we will be helping to fill out the forms or for more information/questions call Danny: (602) 513-1203 or dmayasich08@gmail.com.

Thank you Honor's Civic Engagement Team and the refugee community volunteers for helping accomplish this lofty goal!

Save a Turkey, Stuff a Pumpkin!

2009-11-17T07:27:00.003-07:00

Have extra pumpkins from Halloween sitting around? Eat 'em!

It's pumpkin and squash season and here are a few recipes Iskashitaa recommends for doing some seasonal cooking.

Elegant Stuffed Pumpkin
From the Vegetarian Times Cookbook
Modified by “Fun with Fruit”, Iskash*taa Harvesting Network

1 five pound pumpkin
2-3 cups brown or white rice, cooked
2 cups crumbled dry bread
1 onion, chopped
½-1 cup chopped celery and leaves
2 local apples (tart, chopped)
Handful dried fruit (any)
1-2 cups vegetable stock
¼- ½ cup butter, melted, or safflower oil
Sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, & paprika to taste
Soy sauce or salt to taste

Cut off top of pumpkin to make a lid. Remove seeds and scrape out any stringy pulp. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well with hands. Add stock and butter, and mix well, adding soy sauce or salt if desired. Stuffing should be moist by not wet. Pack loosely into pumpkin, replace lid, and bake on an oiled cookie sheet for 1 ½ hours or more at 325 °F. It’s done when a fork pushes easily through the pumpkin. Transfer to a casserole dish and serve at the table, scooping out some of the tender pumpkin flesh with each serving of stuffing.

Serves 5-6

Stuffed Squash
From the Vegetarian Times Cookbook
Modified by “Fun with Fruit”, Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network

1 large squash (Hubbard, butternut, or 2-3 acorn squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, minced
6 celery stocks (with leaves)
2 chopped local apples
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup soup stock or water
3 cups cooked brown rice, millet, or bulgur
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed sage
½ cup toasted and chopped almonds, cashews, etc.
Handful dried fruit (raisins, apricots, cherries, any)

Split squash in half and scoop out seeds and membrane. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a skillet and sauté onion. When it’s lightly browned, add celery and sauté a few minutes more. Add salt and ½ cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Combine with remaining stuffing ingredients. Fill squash cavities and brush sides with remaining oil. Place in a roasting pan and cover the whole pan with foil. Bake at 350 °F for 1-2 hours. (Hubbard squash usually takes much longer to bake than an Acorn.)

Serves 6

Pumpkin (& Raisin) Chutney
By Joanna Farrow
Modified by “Fun with Fruit”, Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network

2 lbs. pumpkin, seeded
1 large onion, chopped
1 large cooking apple, cored & grated
1¼ cup raisins, dried cherries & currants
1 ¾ cups white wine vinegar
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
1 ½ oz fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp ground coriander
2 cinnamon sticks, halved

Cut the pumpkin (or firm winter squash) into ¾ -inch chunks, discarding the skin.
Put the pumpkin in a large, heavy-based saucepan and add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat and cook gently, uncovered, for about 45 minutes until the chutney is thick and pulpy. To check whether the chutney is cooked, draw a wooden spoon through the mixture, it should leave a clean trail on the base of the pan that slowly disappears.
Spoon the chutney into sterilized jars and lids. Store in a cool place for a month before using or not.

Makes 2 ½ lbs

Roasted Pumpkin with Cheese Soup

from Ruth Reichl Tender at the Bone

Cut off the crown and scoop out the seeds and strings. Layer it two thirds full with toasted bread and grated gruyere cheese. Then fill it up with cream and chicken or vegetable broth at a 1.5 to 1 ratio. Put the crown on and bake it at 350 degrees for two hours (or less for a very small one). Serve it at the table right from the pumpkin, scooping out the pumpkin meat with the goodies.

Below is a printable version of these recipes.

Save a Turkey_Stuff a Pumpkin Recipes

Looking for good music, food and company?

2009-11-12T10:04:00.006-07:00

The Love Club of Catalina Foothills High School invites you, your family and friends to join them this Sunday for a Refugee Fundraising Concert!

The Love Club and U of A Eller students are helping Iskashitaa empower refugees with this fundraiser night at St. Francis with ethnic food, refugee services and plenty of things to do:

Come view the Refugee Exhibit in Ravenscroft Hall
Try Nepalese food
Get a henna tattoo done by Bhutanese refugees
Spice up your hair with African braids
Shape your eybrow using the Asian tradition of threading
Watch or participate in an Open Mic/talent show
Learn a Bhutanese dance or two taught by refugees
Browse the refugee arts and crafts and Iskashitaa's local marmalades for sale.

Click here for a copy of the flyer for Sunday's Concert.

Call for Volunteers on Nov. 11th and 13th

2009-11-06T09:03:00.014-07:00

Hello All,

It's a busy month for Iskashitaa and saving good fruits and vegetables from going to waste! Iskashitaa will be teaming up with the Community Food Bank next Wednesday and Friday (11th and 13th) to harvest squash and pumpkins from Buckelew Farms, about 30 minutes outside of the city. We are in need of people to help with the harvest, especially drivers for refugee volunteers. If you would like to go and can drive please email me how many you can fit, and what days you are available. Click here to view a flyer about the event. This should be a fun day at the farm, hope you can make it! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to call or email me,

Michael Mayette
Harvesting Coordinator and Product Manager
michael.mayette@gmail.com
520.777.3386

Below are a few more photos of our favorite photos from our harvest 2 years ago at Buckelew Farms.

Join Iskash*taa this weekend

2009-11-05T10:40:00.006-07:00

Saturday, November 7th--Mesquite Pancake Breakfast

This Saturday morning, November 7th, Iskashitaa is contributing local food and juice to the 7th Annual Desert Harvesters Mesquite Milling Fiesta and Mesquite Pancake Breakfast at the Dunbar Springs Community Garden (corner of 11th Avenue and University Blvd). We will be selling our refugee-made jams and marmalades along with crafts made by the Tucson Refugee Sewing and Crafts Circle. Don’t miss this great opportunity to enjoy a local organic breakfast, catch up with Iskashitaa and get some Christmas shopping done.

The mesquite pancake breakfast is from 9pm to 12pm and the mesquite bean pod milling is from 8am to 2pm so don’t forget to bring your own mesquite pods!

Sunday, November 8th--Saint Francis Meet Yourself

Sunday morning from 10am to 12:30pm, Iskashitaa will be talking about our organization and selling local food products and refugee crafts at Saint Francis in the Foothills UMC (northwest corner of River and Swan) for the St. Francis Meet Yourself event. Learn more about Iskashitaa and be sure to check out John Sartin's Refugee Photo Exhibit in Ravenscroft Hall. For years, John has been Iskashitaa’s trusted friend and photographer, capturing images of refugees, harvest events, refugee crafts and more. This spectacular exhibit also features refugee-made arts and crafts. Don’t miss it!

We hope to see you this weekend!

Saturday's Successful Apple Harvest

2009-10-28T08:16:00.004-07:00

Below is a message from Michael, our harvesting coordinator.

Hello all,

I would like to thank everybody that participated in this Saturday's apple harvest. Thirty-six refugees from 18 different families, many of whom have never been outside of Tucson, got to spend a wonderful day picking in Wilcox, AZ. With them were over 20 Love Club volunteers from Catalina High School and several Iskashitaa volunteers. All told we came home with 21 large boxes of apples, many of which have been redistributed among the volunteers and the Refugee families that participated.

Special thanks to the Love Club, without whom this opportunity would not have been possible for so many families. Also, to the many Iskashitaa volunteers that helped coordinate and pick-up. Lastly, I would like to extend great thanks to June and Brown's Orchard, who generously gave all of the apples to us for free, and accommodated kindly a much larger group than was anticipated. We hope to do a similar event again in the future with this wonderful Orchard.

Michael Mayette
Harvesting Coordinator and Product Manager

Photos of this event should be forthcoming and will be posted on this blog. Be sure to check back.

Thank you Love Club!

2009-10-12T11:33:00.001-07:00

Iskashitaa and members of the Catalina Foothills High School Love Club recently teamed up to distribute toilet paper to refugee families in Tucson. The students donated over 800 rolls of toilet paper collected during their toilet paper drive last spring.

Iskashitaa and the refugee families thank the Love Club for all their work and we look forward to working together in the future!

Photo: Iskashitaa's director Barbara Eiswerth and volunteer coordinator Tara with just a few rolls of the love club's tp donation.

Welcome to our blog

2009-10-12T11:03:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Iskashitaa Refugee Harvesting Network’s Blog! This blog is meant to keep you informed of what we are doing in the Tucson community, the partnerships we build and sustain, and how you can be involved with our organization.

If you have questions or comments about this blog, please email Beth at Eam4586@gmail.com.