Adult Ed: Allison Hoeman With Des Moines Refugee Support

July 30th at 10:30 AM in Simmerman Lounge

Please plan to join us to meet Alison Hoeman, Founder and Director of DM Refugee Support. It is one of those little-known gems that does so much for our refugee community. Ella Schlueter, one of our SUMMIT interns, is working with Alison and will be present also to talk about her experiences.

DM Refugee Support provides young refugees with the resources, support, and experiences they need in order to be successful in school and in life. Young refugees are individuals who have fled their home countries due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. Despite facing challenges, they are often resilient and determined to rebuild their lives. It is important to support and empower them and provide them with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

What DM Refugee Support Does:

Providing a new beginning: Basic necessities such as food and clothing are provided as part of the homing process for refugees; as well as assistance with locating work, registering for schools, and picking up the local language. Assistance is also provided to teen refugees by helping them learn to drive, get a driver’s license, part time jobs, college tours, admittance and scholarships.

Integrating into American Life: For refugees, trying to integrate into American life can be a difficult process because they frequently encounter language and cultural barriers in addition to the trauma of displacement. DM Support provides language classes for students not strong in English.

Getting involved: Sports and activities are helpful because they help refugees get involved with the community. For refugees, it is important for them to get involved. For this DM Refugee Support holds summer camps, and soccer every night.