Today is Giving Tuesday, a day of shared humanity and radical generosity. With the recent bussing of refugees to New York, the fall of Afghanistan last year, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, global and national events have reached our neighborhoods. In response, we have seen an outpouring of support from people in our local communities and across the country, as school communities welcomed bussed families with open arms and material support, neighbors organized stoop sales and bake sales to raise funds for displaced Ukrainians, and people around the country rallied to help newly arrived Afghans adjust and find resources.

At each step of the way, as the global community and the local community join together, individuals and organizations on the ground have turned to the Refugee Translation Project for translation support to bridge the language gap, whether it be between service provider and client or between asylum applicant and immigration officer. We are proud to act as a bridge for language, as these efforts not only serve as a cultural and interpersonal bridge, but also as a bridge to safety.

We look forward to you joining us in our End of Year Campaign this year. Our translation services are free to people seeking safety in New York and beyond. The funds we raise go towards paying our translators, many of whom are refugees themselves, and towards our efforts to build collaboratively with community groups, immigration service providers, and advocacy groups to better support refugees in 2023.

Thank you everyone who came last night to our Brooklyn Bar Night Fundraiser! It was a super fun event, and 7 lucky folks went home with a prize (some with two!). A special thank you to Emma’s Torch for the generous $50 gift certificate and support, and to Rengim Mutevellioglu for generously donating a half hour photoshoot. We would also like to thank community members Paula Bowen, Ayelet Prizant, and Catherine Hunsburger for donating items to our raffle. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to board member Mohamed Khelifi who eloquently made the case for donating to our cause.

Our Brooklyn Bar Night Fundraiser kicked off our 2022 End of Year Fundraiser Campaign. The funds we raise go towards paying our translators, many of whom are refugees themselves, and towards our efforts to build collaboratively with community groups, immigration service providers, and advocacy organizations as we support immigrants and refugees in our communities locally, nationally, and globally. We are actively growing our capacity to meet this critical need and we invite you to join us in our work.

You can check out more photos of the Brooklyn event on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Join us this Thursday, November 17 from 6-9 pm at the Adirondack Bar to put the fun back in fundraising!

Come for an opportunity to connect with other translation fans and support the Refugee Translation Project, stay for drinks and the raffle.

Emma’s Torch generously donated a $50 gift certificate to our fundraiser raffle! Emma’s Torch is a Brooklyn restaurant that empowers refugees through culinary training and job placement services.  Their Carroll Gardens restaurant serves seasonal New American cuisine prepared by their new American students. They also run the cafe in the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library.

Professional photographer Rengim Mutevellioglu is generously donating a half hour portrait photoshoot to our fundraiser raffle! Here’s your chance to get your headshots done or sit for a family photo session. A $500 value!

Bid on these items and more at our in-person raffle, which allows you choose the prizes you want to compete for.

Suggested donation: $25 at the door or to our End of Year Campaign page.

See you there!