Letter received from our partners at RefugeeOne on July 17, 2025
It’s hard to believe we’re halfway through summer! Our summer activities are in full swing, including the Youth Program’s summer camp, where this year’s theme is Science in the Sun. Though many children participate in our program, the Andino Ramirez children are taking a different approach, and we’re excited to share more about them with you!
The eldest son (age 17) is in a social work program this summer and is really enjoying it—he hopes to give back to his community through this career path one day. The middle and youngest children both opted to take summer courses through their school. The middle child is taking boxing classes and the youngest is catching up on English to prepare for the coming year. We love that the kids are able to explore their different interests through summer programming!
The kids will also receive dental care at RefugeeOne soon—our in-house dental clinic provides free dental support to clients. Care is provided by pro-bono dentists, as well as our full-time dental hygienist.
The mother continues to work and feels much more established in Chicago. She is excelling at her current job, but the RefugeeOne Employment team continues to monitor for job upgrades since her current position does not have benefits. The Employment team thinks she’d excel at a Spanish speaking role, so they’re actively working on finding a good fit for her.
Though the Andino Ramirez family has faced hardships, they are adjusting to life in Chicago, step by step. Your support was a big part of them finding stability and safety here. Each member of the family gives back to our community in their own unique way, and we’re so grateful that your generosity is allowing that good to unfold.
Despite the suspension of the federal U.S. Refugee Admissions Program in January, we’re still quite busy helping our newest neighbors thrive because of the generosity of supporters like you! In addition to serving hundreds of newcomers we’d welcomed before the suspension took hold, we’ve enrolled 120 new refugees since January 20. Newcomers are learning English, finding jobs, building friendships, learning to cope with trauma, becoming U.S. citizens, and so much more. Additionally, we continue to advocate for thousands worldwide who now dangerously wait in limbo.
Thank you for this incredibly timely support!