Thanks to the phenomenal generosity of our sponsors, IRCO’s entire We All Share the Same Sky event has been underwritten. What does that mean to you? That means that you can come, enjoy all the event has to offer (food, music, dance, awesome auction items, etc.!) and know that any and all that you give the night-of the event will go STRAIGHT to IRCO programming and clients who need it the most.

Clients like Metrah, one of the many students who has benefitted greatly from IRCO’s Upward Bound program.  Metrah, a refugee from Afghanistan, was at the lowest level of English as a Second Language (ESL) when she entered our program.  Through her own determination and the academic assistance, one-on-one support and access to resources our program provides, Metrah exited ESL two years early, has maintained a 4.0 GPA even when transitioning to mainstream classes, and has been accepted into Portland State University.  She will be studying Pre-Medicine in hopes of becoming a pediatrician.

The following businesses, community organizations and individuals are generously supporting IRCO’s 35^th Anniversary event. A BIG thank you to our wonderful sponsors!!

Silver Sponsor's: NIKE, Danner Boots 

Bronze Sponsor: SRM Advisors, North Rim Partners

Tags: 35th anniversary | Danner Boots | event | NIKE | North Rim Partners | Sponsors | SRM Advisors

For the third year in a row New Leaf Greenhouse has donated hundreds of tomato plants for IRCO clients. The plants are strong, healthy and ready to put in the ground and clients were eager to take them home. Gone within the hour they arrived, these plants will find new homes where they will be loved and help families become further self-sufficient.

IRCO’s core goals in serving our clients have always revolved around helping them become self-sufficient. Our Employment Services Department does a phenomenal job of helping clients find jobs, and each program IRCO offers in some way supports further growth in self-sufficiency. Growing, tending to and harvesting one’s own food is another great step to a self-sufficient life and we thank New Leaf Greenhouse for again thinking of IRCO and donating these plants!

Tags: New Leaf Greenhouse | news | Self-Sufficiency

Mr. Sokhom Tauch, IRCO’s Executive Director, has been chosen to be a delegate for the UNHCR Refugee Congress to be held on August 3-4 in Washington D.C.   As a delegate, he will represent all refugees in the state of Oregon.

As UNHCR marks the 60^th anniversary of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, the Refugee Congress is bringing together 60 individuals who have resettled in the United States, and who represent the diversity of resettled refugee populations in 50 states.   As a delegate, Mr. Sokhom’s  insights, past and current experiences, and voice will add to the conversation as the Refugee Congress looks at ongoing and future challenges in refugee protection and refugee resettlement.   Throughout the conference and workshops, delegates will examine how the tradition of helping refugees can be improved, and sustained to assist newly arrived refugees in the U.S., and, examine the protection and humanitarian needs of refugees. Their collective voices will be the voice of conscience that must be heard to ensure that protection and humanitarian needs of refugees are not forgotten. The proceedings, findings and recommendations of the Refugee Congress will be shared with U.S. Congressional representatives and, at the UNHCR Ministerial Meeting to be held in Geneva in December 2011, and, with the stakeholders in the U.S. refugee resettlement and protection arena.

Tags: Refugee Congress | Sokhom Tauch | UNHCR