Iskashitaa Refugee Network description:
Iskashitaa Refugee Network was founded in 2003, as a mapping project to identify and map through GIS unharvested fruit trees in local backyards. The founder, Dr. Barbara Eiswerth, soon recruited newly arrived Somali Bantu youth refugees to connect and involve them in their community as they learned English and about American culture. They decided on the name “Iskashitaa,” which means “working together cooperatively” in Somali language, Maay Maay. This evolved into using food as the common denominator between resettled refugees and established Tucsonans, with input from refugees shaping the program and providing the cornerstone of our mission.
Iskashitaa has since grown from a harvesting network to a diverse organization securing important needs of the Tucson refugee community. Innovative Local Food Programs have been developed to empower refugees through education, food security, and development of practical life, job, and English skills. Iskashitaa emphasizes community integration as key to fighting social isolation and enhancing networking.
The Iskashitaa Refugee Network Refugee Outreach Coordinator will:
Build Iskashitaa’s organizational capacity to welcome refugees, maintain open and useful communications, connect them to Iskashitaa opportunities, and refer them to partner and mainstream networks of resources.
Cultivate, maintain, and grow partnerships with the refugee resettlement agencies (RAs), refugee service provider agencies, faith-based organizations, educational, and community-based organizations who partner with Iskashitaa Refugee Network. The 3 RAs in Tucson include Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW), Catholic Community Services (CCS), and IRC as well as Tucson Refugee Ministries (TRM).
Job Responsibilities:
Assist Executive Director, volunteer coordinator, and other staff with coordinating refugee involvement and volunteerism through familiarizing and attending each of the five main programs. This includes weekly harvests, refugee garden art program, and food distribution both incoming/outgoing aspects. Additionally monthly community building through events, food preservation workshops, field trips, other educational workshops, and sala de libros programs.
Evaluate programs through qualitative and quantitative methods to record and assess Iskashitaa’s ability to assist with refugee integration, ensuring that refugee input is considered throughout all aspects of programs.
Work closely with staff, interns, and volunteers to communicate refugee needs and wants.
Complete required forms for program participation for new refugees and related data entry, and work with Volunteer Coordinator and staff to assess data flow and improve current systems.
Attend pertinent educational and informational programs citywide and via webinars representing IRN. Report back to the Iskashitaa team relevant findings and opportunities.
Attend quarterly meetings of AZ State Refugee Coordinator’s office to keep informed of current and anticipated refugee populations.
Maintain communication channels such as WhatsApp group chats, email, social media, and in-person visits to keep refugees to share about Iskashitaa’s programs and services.
Coordinate and participate in community events and outreach activities to promote Iskashitaa’s mission and programs.
Provide support in organizing and facilitating educational workshops and training sessions for refugees related but not limited to local food systems, gardening, nutrition, health, safety, and sustainability. Create educational materials in various refugee languages using Canva to be shared with refugee families and used on our website and social media.
Support Development Director in grant writing and fundraising efforts by maintaining accurate records, to track program progress and impact, using Google Suite, Microsoft, and other software.
Manage refugee referrals from other agencies, delegating to appropriate staff and interns as necessary
