Our Trip to the Iroquois Library

As promised, here are some pictures from our trip to the library to view the Annual Refugee Elder Art Exhibit.  After enjoying a time of Elder volleyball and Monkey in the Middle with some new friends, the elders all visited the gallery at the Iroquois Library to view the art exhibit; the library hosts a beautiful reception for us, and the elders are always excited to see their work displayed:

Of course, since we were already at the library, we had to check out a few books!  The Iroquois Library has an amazing selection of ESL material, as well as books in various other languages; they do an absolutely phenomenal job of working with and reaching out to the international population in Louisville.  Just look at this welcoming sign:

We simply love the staff at the Iroquois Library. To everyone there (including other library patrons), thank you for being so patient with our rather large group of elders last week.  We appreciate your time and energy when working with the Refugee Elder Program!

See you next year!!!

WorldFest is this Weekend!

Be sure to come to WorldFest this weekend!  It's on the Belvedere from Friday, September 2nd- Sunday, September 4th.  There will be performers from around the world, international cuisine, and a chance to 'shop around the world'.  Click on the picture to learn more about WorldFest 2011:

One of our elders from Cuba will be taking his oath of naturalization on Friday, September 2nd.  Come join us at the Galt House at 1:30 for this wonderful event.  Email Jenny at jjohnson@kyrm.org if you'd like to come with us and support another elder becoming a US citizen!  Also, be sure to stop by and visit both the Migration and Refugee Services and KRM booths; we'd love to see you!

Elder Monkey in the Middle

Yesterday, the elders visited the Iroquois Library for the reception for the Annual Refugee Elder Art Exhibit.  We'll have more (lots more, in fact) on that later, but I had to share what happened prior to us viewing the exhibit.  While waiting for the library to open, the elders were all enjoying the beautiful weather, as were some other patrons of the library.  Two young men had a soccer ball and had been kicking the ball back and forth for a little bit, but they weren't necessarily interacting with any of the elders.  A few minutes later, I was visiting with a few of the elders and looked up to see several of the elders gathered near the young men.

And then the most amazing thing happened.  These two young men began kicking the soccer ball back and forth with the refugee elders.  Then they tossed the ball back and forth, then invented some other games, and even played Monkey in the Middle (some caught on quicker than others).  All the while, more and more elders were venturing over to where the young men were playing.  It is so incredible to see young people taking time to share experience with older individuals, especially the refugee elders.  While I didn't get the names of the two young men who were so wonderful to share a little bit of their time and themselves with the elders, I did get to catch them on film:



What a wonderful community in which we live!  Thank you to those two extraordinary young men for offering all of us such an encouraging experience; I hope that each of them will show up at the Elder Program to volunteer more of their time... maybe we should be considering forming an elder volleyball league?  Or perhaps we'll just stick to some pick-up games outside the library...

But because I couldn't resist showing you the elders trying to grasp the concept of the game Monkey in the Middle:



Stay tuned; we'll meet our final intern next week, and we'll also share more about the Elder Art Exhibit.  Exciting things are happening at the Louisville Refugee Elder Program!

Meet Our Intern: Ashley

Last week we introduced you to our intern Anna; now we'd like you to meet Ashley! 

(Ashley also got married in May- congratulations, Ashley!)

Ashley is pursuing her Master's in Social Work degree with a specialization in gerontology and is in her final year of graduate school.  Her individual project will involve networking and collaborating with the greater Louisville Metro community to create a resource guide for elder refugees.  The guide will detail helpful mainstream services available to the elders.  Ashley hopes that as a result of her project, both the elders and the mainstream service providers will be more aware of one another.

Why do you want to complete your internship with the Refugee Elder Program?

I knew I wanted to work with older adults because I have a great passion for working with this population.  I have several years of experience working with the elders in the long-term care sector and wanted to branch out of other areas in the community.  A friend of mine told me about the Refugee Elder Program, and I got very excited about the prospect of working with a such a unique group of individuals.

What about your internship are you most excited and most nervous?

I am most excited about meeting people from a variety of diverse backgrounds and hearing some of their interesting stories.  I am nervous about not knowing enough about cultures with which I am unfamiliar- and coming across as ignorant... I love meeting new people and strive to always have an open mind and willingness to explore things from a different point of view.  In my attempts to learn more about the experiences of refugees, I hope that I won't offend anyone with what could be considered a silly question.

What are your long term goals for your career and life?

Ultimately, my goal is to help people.  I want to continue to work with older adults, which I find extremely rewarding.  I hope to serve as a leader in advocating for this often marginalized population and aim to promote social justice by giving older adults an opportunity to voice their needs.  In the long run, I plan on becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and hope to be able to provide a platform for older adults to be listened to and heard.  Aside from my social work goals, I wouldn't mind one day opening a bed and breakfast with my husband, who is a fantastic chef!

Anything else?

I have an orange cat named Ranga, whom I am very devoted to.  I also have dreams and aspirations of being on a game show.  I love to make things and hope to somehow incorporate my love for crafts into the Refugee Elder Program.  I'm very excited to get started!

On her very first day at the Elder Program, Ashley helps Ah with her assignment.

Welcome Ashley!!!  If you would like to read about our other interns, click here.

Meet Our Intern: Anna

Next week, three students will begin their practicum placements with the Refugee Elder Program; the teachers and elders are beyond excited for these interns to begin; we are counting down the days expectantly!  Each of the students will complete a 450-hour internship over the course of the fall and spring semesters.  They will all work at the Elder Program regularly, but each of the interns will also participate in other areas of the refugee resettlement process, as well as work on an individual project throughout the year. 

We'd like to introduce you to these interns and let you learn a little bit about them, as they will be an integral part of the Elder Program in the coming months. First, we'd like to introduce you to Anna. 

Anna is a first-year graduate student at the Kent School of Social Work; her individual project is developing fundraisers and publicity materials, as well as further developing the mentoring program.  She hopes that she will be able to raise more awareness in the community about elder refugees, their needs, and of course the Elder Program!  Anna answered a few brief questions for us so we could get to know her better:

What made your want to complete your internship with the Refugee Elder Program?

I've been volunteering with this program for about two years and have grown to love everyone involved with it.  I came to this program to teach others, but I feel they have taught me more than I could ever pass onto them.  The Elder Program is full of people who love what they do; they are there because they have a passion for helping others.  I knew after my first day of volunteering with the program that I had to be involved with it; I knew God had placed me there for a reason.  After being accepted to graduate school and then determining my practicum placement, I knew the Elder Program was where I wanted to be.

What about your placement are you most excited and most nervous?

I'm most excited about learning about more of what goes behind the scenes.  I know there is an abundant amount of blood, sweat, and tears that goes into keeping this program successful, and I'm excited to be a part of that.  I'm excited to pick the brain of the program coordinator and really grow into a social worker.  I'm most nervous about messing up; this is a program where we are dealing with people who have seen the worst there is to see in this world...

What are your long term goals for your career and life?

After obtaining my MSW, I hope to work in the international community- hopefully with a non-profit group like KRM.  As a single mother, I am doing my best to teach my son the importance of serving others.  Although he is only seven, I can already see that he has a very kind and giving heart.  I hope to continue to grow that in him.  My main goal is to leave behind something positive for everyone I meet along my journey.  I want to move and motivate people to do something positive with their lives.

Anything else?

I'm so scared of birds that I won't even eat chicken or turkey...but I am captain of a flag football team and love the sport a ton!

Anna has been mentoring Hawa for well over a year now.  Hawa is currently in the process of applying for citizenship!

Welcome Anna!!!



The Annual Refugee Elder Art Exhibit

The Iroquois Library hosts the Annual Refugee Elder Art Exhibit each August.  This exhibit showcases a collection of artwork created by the refugee elders throughout the year during their art classes with volunteer Joyce.  Joyce is a retired art therapist; she visits the elders every other Tuesday and works with a small group each time she is at the program.  Joyce brings her own supplies, her own ideas and projects, and her own wonderful spirit.  We just set up a few tables for her!

The elders participate in art classes on a rotating basis; it is truly amazing to see what the elders create.  While we certainly have some bonafide artists in the program, the majority of the elders simply enjoy creating their own 'works of art' while learning from Joyce and the other elders in their class.  For many, art classes with Joyce are a profound healing experience. 

The elders will visit the library later this month for a reception for the Refugee Elder Art Exhibit, but we encourage you to check out the show sometime this month.  The theme of this year's exhibit is Everyone's an Artist and Everything's a Canvas.  Here's a sneak preview of some of the amazing art you can expect to see:

The staff at the Iroquois Library deserve so many thanks for their support of the Elder Program!  We would like to especially thank Sophie for all the time she spends visiting the program and Karen for the absolutely amazing job she does with the art show each August.  We are so proud to work with you to help serve the refugee elder population.

And to Joyce, thank you for providing such an amazing opportunity to the elders!  Your work with them means more than we can say; thank you for everything you have done and will continue to do for the refugee elders.

Back to School!

This week, the elders returned from their summer break!  Everyone was eager to return to class:

Apparently, all the women in Aimee's class decided to wear pink on their first day back to class!

Tara and Sekhar get help from a volunteer.

Indra, Angel, and Hari enjoy playing a game of UNO to help learn their colours and numbers.

Musa especially enjoyed learning through UNO!



Thanks to everyone who has recently donated to the Elder Program- through both monetary and in-kind donations!  We are continually overwhelmed by the community support for the Elder Program; on behalf of the elders, thank you!  Our Summer Supply Drive will continue through the end of August; we've already received some wonderful donations and are looking forward to much more from this wonderful community in which we live.