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In our Community:

A quarterly newsletter to friends and supporters
Engaging with refugees and immigrants to build better communities.


True community 

Thanksgiving, or Friendsgiving, is the perfect opportunity to give thanks and honor the wide circle of friendships and community partnerships forged through SHC.

For refugee and immigrant families who are starting all over, comfort and friendship are everything.

Students like Malalay and her son who came to our 2 GENeration summer camp at Templeton Elementary School in 2018. Malalay had recently arrived in the US, not knowing a word of English, or how to read and write in her native Dari, as she had never attended school in her home country of Afghanistan. At camp, Malalay met other families and learned to form letters and words in English right away. While she learned English, an ESOL teacher from Templeton ES and SHC volunteers engaged her son in academic instruction. With the support of the synagogue sponsoring her family, and regular SHC early literacy classes, she was able–just a few weeks ago–to transition to more intensive refugee ESL classes at community college. And by the time her son started Pre-K this Fall, he was more comfortable both in English and in the classroom environment.

Malalay's story exemplifies one of the many ways in which our community has come together over the past year to share friendship and a welcoming hand. With all of you we share our deepest appreciation and thanks.

Merritt, Kate and Yasmina

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New grants = more classes! 
SHC now offers four Intensive English classes and a new Citizenship class at our Learning Center in Hyattsville (each meeting twice a week), four classes at Prince George's County libraries, and one at Temple Shalom in Silver Spring. The classes were made possible with generous grants from the Prince George's County Council, County Council Member Dannielle Glaros, the International Monetary Fund as well support from individual donors and volunteers.
When Council Members roll up their sleeves!
This summer, SHC distributed more than 220 backpacks filled with school supplies and nearly 400 uniform items for elementary school aged children from Landover and Riverdale communities. We were joined by Jolene Ivey, event sponsor and Council Member for Prince George's County District 5, who helped distribute these needed items to families in Landover. Other event sponsors included Lidl and the Invisible Hand Foundation. Washington Episcopal School generously donated over 200 uniform items. Click here for a complete list of all those who contributed to SHC's successful Back-to-School Event. 
Teachers bring school home at SHC Back-to-School Playdates!
Kicking off the new school year in the community, Principals, teachers and staff from William Paca and Templeton Elementary Schools came out to meet families at the apartment complexes where many of their refugee and immigrant students live. Teachers are always prepared! Templeton Elementary arrived with plenty of extra uniform items while William Paca brought extra backpacks full of school supplies.

Understand what you eat!

Eating right can be a challenge when family grocery budgets are dependent on food stamps. Leslie Jefferson, a nutritionist at Giant Supermarkets spoke to families about simple ways to balance family meals at SHC's series of Summer Welcome Workshops. Members of the SHC community helped attendants understand the full presentation: interpretation in Arabic was provided by Sama Al Badri, an Iraqi refugee; French interpretation was provided by Fatou Coulibaly, a French teacher at Edmund Burke School in Washington DC; and a Farsi interpreter was made available by PGCMLS.
Martha Ruff, librarian for the Prince George's County Public Library System knows a thing or two about the art of story-telling!
Storytime is a cornerstone of SHC's library English classes and is enjoyed by children and parents alike thanks to SHC's partnership with PGCPLS bringing more ESL classes to library locations.
 SHC presently welcomes about 40 moms and 25 young children to four weekly English classes at two library branches in Prince George's County. The classes are designed for women, often with young children, who have limited opportunity to learn. SHC works with PGCMLS to encourage English language learners to access library resources like Storytime and Kids Achieve Club that promote family literacy.
With your donation today, help us share more stories!
Have you considered volunteering with SHC? Our volunteers mentor, teach and often form lasting friendships with family members. Please contact us if you would like to find out more.
Do you shop on Amazon? Every eligible Amazon purchase you make can benefit SHC when you shop through this link. Bookmark the link for all your purchases!
Copyright © 2018, Solutions in Hometown Connections, Corp. All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
4423 Lehigh Rd, Ste. 458, College Park, Maryland 20740

Solutions in Hometown Connections is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization in Maryland. Our EIN is 82-1942936. A copy of the current financial statement of Solutions in Hometown Connections is available by emailing info@shconnections.org. Documents and information submitted under the Maryland Solicitations Act are also available, for the cost of postage and copies, from the Maryland Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (410) 974-5534.

Want to connect?
Send an email to info@shconnections.org






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Solutions in Hometown Connections · 4423 Lehigh Rd Ste 458 · College Park, MD 20740-3127 · USA

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