Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
Annual Report 2021 S Y R I A N C O M M U N I T Y N E T W O R K www.syriancommunitynetwork.org 5439 Broadway Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60640 /SyrianCommunityNetwork @SyrianCommunityNetwork @SCN_NetworkBoard of Directors President Zaena Rihani Vice President Gerald Doyle Treasurer Paul Fackler Abdelnasser Rashid Dr. Nina Shoman-Dajani Farah Siddiqui Kiran Siddiqui Hadia Zarzour Members at Large Brad ZibungIndex Message from Executive Director 1 5 7 9 11 19 20 21 3 About SCN Meet our Team How Can You Help? Pandemic Response Our Programs Looking Ahead - Our New Strategic Plan Our Action for Afghans Financials0 1 Message from Executive Director Dear Friends, Syrian Community Network (SCN) was born in 2015 with the arrival of the first Syrian refugee family to Chicago. Since then we have navigated many turbulent times as a community, and I am proud of the ways that we have been able to step up and support refugees and immigrants. In the past year and a half, our team adapted all of our programming to a virtual service model for safety in the pandemic, and we actually increased our capacity to meet the basic needs of our community. We also hired a Medical Case Manager to inform our families about the virus and vaccine. We are ever so grateful for all of the ways you have uplifted our spirits, amplified our voice, and advocated right along with us in support of refugees. Your support has meant the world to us and we know we could not have gotten this far without you. Even with a more welcoming administration in the White House, refugees and immigrants will continue to face many challenges in their new communities and navigating complex systems. As an immigrant myself, I understand these challenges and how meaningful it is to triumph and persevere with others beside you. While the initial mission of SCN was to serve resettled Syrian refugees, we have since broadened our scope to target predominantly low-income, Arabic-speaking immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. As part of our open door policy and vision for a United States that is welcoming to all, we are also doing our part, alongside other coalition members, to welcome Afghan families arriving in the state of Illinois. We anticipate working with over 300 Afghan adults and children in our Case Management and Immigration programs through June of 2022, which increases our client population by 40%. 0 2 In community, Suzanne Akhras Sahloul Founder & Executive Director Today and everyday, our commitment to caring for our most recently arrived Americans has never been stronger. SCN is at a critical inflection point as we continue to seek the best ways to work with refugees and immigrants in our communities. As we plan for the future, our staff and Board of Directors are in the process of developing and implementing a strategic plan for the next three years. We want to ensure that our growth and next steps are meaningful and further our mission to meet the evolving needs of families. Our strategic plan is guided by feedback gathered from our clients, staff, board members, community partners and donors. We have gone through several ideation sessions and will be focusing on three pillars: Improving organizational infrastructure, Strengthening current programming, and Expanding and building out new programs or services based on needs identified by the community we work with. 1. 2. 3. When I think of how far we have come these past 6 years, I become even more excited about all of the wonderful possibilities for our future. These pillars will be the foundation for SCN to launch into our next phase, an organization with grounded experience, capacity, and drive to make large impacts on the lives of refugees and immigrants in our community. I am always humbled by the ways in which I was welcomed as a child in a new country. My hope is that SCN will be that resource for refugees and immigrants and a connecting point for others members of the community who support through volunteering, donations, or advocacy. There is always more work to be done, and there is a role that everyone can play. While you read more about our work, please consider what your role might be in this endeavor. As we enter our seventh year, we want to thank everyone who has supported us and our community members. Let’s continue to work together to build a welcoming community and support system for our newest neighbors. This is our time to grow and build what we started together.0 3 Mission Vision Syrian Community Network is a 501(c)3 refugee and immigrant support organization that builds community and serves families by addressing their evolving needs. SCN envisions a United States that is welcoming to all immigrants and refugees. We define this as a United States that unapologetically advocates for the safety, autonomy, and agency of all—extending to the most marginalized in our communities.Syrian Community Network (SCN) was established to address an urgent need in the United States and sought to provide a culturally and linguistically sensitive space for families to seek the help they needed in transitioning to their new lives and community. While the initial mission of SCN was to serve resettled Syrian refugees, we have since broadened our scope to target predominantly low- income, Arabic-speaking immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, regardless of their country of origin. In fiscal year 2021, we served over 300 families comprising approximately 875 individuals. They sought out our organization for assistance in applying for public benefits, to engage in our adult and youth education programs, and to have an accredited person help with legal immigration forms and petitions. All of our services are offered completely free of charge. 0 4 “They help my children with their studies in the Homework Room. Additionally, any problems I face, whether they are governmental or personal, they help me, whether the help is with translation or with the paperwork.” - Hussam0 5 Meet Our Team We are proud to have amazing people working to build community and meet the evolving needs of refugees and immigrants. Across the full staff, 45% are Syrian or born to Syrian parents, and 60% of those individuals were resettled in the United States as refugees. Suzanne Akhras Sahloul Founder & Executive Director Maya Atassi Director of Operations Trudi Langendorf Education Director Samira Alhamwi Education Manager Emily Kane Youth Program Teacher0 6 Lauren West Development & Communications Director Zak Witus Volunteer Coordinator & Community Organizer Ryan Harris Case Manager Rehab Alkadi Medical Case Manager Amr Othman Agha Senior Case Manager Al Peters Immigration DirectorNext >