Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action
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rivaiowa.bsky.social
Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action
@rivaiowa.bsky.social
Refugee & Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA) is a grassroots coalition led by refugees and immigrants in Iowa. We empower our communities to access opportunities, build capacity, and grow leaders in Iowa.
Huge thank you to the amazing students who attended and excelled at last week's "RIVA Ignite Your Potential" summer youth event, and to the volunteer panelists who made it unforgettable.

This is what a strong community looks like.

#YouthInAction #CommunityStrong #LeadershipInTheMaking
July 9, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Sina Gul Hakin Khan is the epitome of what a RIVA AmeriCorps member represents—resilience, leadership, and an unwavering commitment to community.

#AmeriCorps #CommunityImpact #RefugeeResilience

www.rivaiowa.org/blog/resettl...
From Resettled to Resilient: How Sina Gul Hakim Khan is Building Bridges in Iowa — Refugee & Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA)
Sina Gul Hakin Khan is the epitome of what a RIVA AmeriCorps member is and how they positively impact the community around them.
www.rivaiowa.org
July 3, 2025 at 7:59 PM
🗣️ Measles Resources in Your Language
Everyone deserves health information they can understand.
Multilingual health education keeps families safe and strengthens our communities. 🌍❤️

Explore now: www.voices4healthriva.org

#MeaslesAwareness #Voices4Health #multilingualresources #communityhealth
Voices for Health | Get Informed Today
Learn about measles symptoms, prevention, and access multilingual resources to protect your family from this contagious disease.
www.voices4healthriva.org
June 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Learn more about how to recognize key signs and symptoms of the Measles Virus.

For more information, visit: www.voices4healthriva.org

#MeaslesAwareness #healtheducation #measlesvaccine #voicesforhealth
June 27, 2025 at 8:56 PM
June 23, 2025 at 6:48 PM
DMARC recently hosted an event to help community members with healthcare, housing, jobs, and other essential services!

Our RIVA Voices for Health team was there spreading information on the Measles Campaign!!

#StayInformed #communityfirst #VaccinesSaveLives #MeaslesAwareness
June 20, 2025 at 5:37 PM
🗞️ Just launched: the first issue of our Measles Awareness Campaign newsletter!

Stay up to date on vaccine news, CDC updates, local stories, and tools to protect your community.

Read the full issue below.
#MeaslesAwareness #PublicHealth #CommunityCare #VaccinesSaveLives #HealthEquity
June 17, 2025 at 11:01 PM
At Hoover Community Schools, RIVA AmeriCorps is making a big impact — from food pantries to English classes — helping children & families flourish, one step at a time. 🌟

#AmeriCorps #StrongerTogether #CommunityMatters #ServingWithHeart #RippleOfChange

www.rivaiowa.org/blog/qrqwar5...
Host Site Success Story - Hoover Community Schools — Refugee & Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA)
Hoover Community School, a RIVA AmeriCorps host site, educated 430 children from preschool through 5th grade. For over 50% of these students, English is their second language. This host site function...
www.rivaiowa.org
June 14, 2025 at 3:32 PM
🚨 MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS: WE NEED YOU! 🚨

Are you serving immigrant or refugee students?

Help your students succeed — become a host site today!
👉 Apply now: www.rivaiowa.org/become-a-host-site

#AmeriCorps #middleschool #highschool #studentsuccess #SupportEducation #nowrecruiting
June 12, 2025 at 8:46 PM
🎙️ RIVA's Director of Research and Evaluation, Erin Kim-Cho, joined Ben Kieffer on Iowa Public Radio early last week to share RIVA's impactful #measles campaign efforts and how we reach immigrant and refugee communities across Iowa.

Catch the interview here: www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/rive...
What Iowa National Guard members will be doing during Middle East deployment
About 1,800 Iowa National Guard soldiers are heading to the Middle East.
www.iowapublicradio.org
June 9, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action
This #ImmigrantHeritageMonth 2025, remember that no matter what opponents might claim, the fact is that immigration is good for America ✨ americasvoicecnn.substack.com/p/immigrants...
Immigrants Have Always Belonged In America
As part of Immigrant Heritage Month 2025, cities and counties all over the country are recognizing and celebrating the contributions of our immigrant neighbors.
americasvoicecnn.substack.com
June 4, 2025 at 1:27 PM
📣 Community colleges: RIVA AmeriCorps needs host sites! Support immigrant & refugee students with mentoring, coaching, tech & English training.

Apply now 👉 rivaiowa.org/become-a-host-site
#AmeriCorps #RIVA #EducationSupport #CommunityCollege #IowaCommunityColleges
May 28, 2025 at 1:36 AM
RIVA joined MyHealthIowa for a health screening event at Tawbah Islamic Center in #DesMoines last Friday! 💙
RIVA members helped with screenings, coaching & health kit distribution 🧡 we are grateful to serve the Sudanese & Somali communities.
#CommunityHealth #Volunteering
May 23, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Reposted by Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action
Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.
Diseases are spreading. The CDC isn't warning the public like it was months ago
Some of the CDC's main channels for communicating urgent health information to the public have gone silent.
www.npr.org
May 21, 2025 at 11:24 AM
We have multiple AmeriCorps positions open for our May 26th start date!! Read below and visit rivaiowa.org/apply if any of these interest you 🤩
#AmeriCorps #desmoinesiowa #iowacity
May 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
We have multiple AmeriCorps positions open for our May 26th start date!! Read below and visit rivaiowa.org/apply if any of these interest you 🤩
#AmeriCorps #desmoinesiowa #cedarrapids
May 15, 2025 at 7:13 PM
We have multiple AmeriCorps positions open for our May 26th start date!! Read below and visit rivaiowa.org/apply if any of these interest you 🤩
#AmeriCorps #desmoinesiowa
May 8, 2025 at 8:29 PM
The tax code tells a story—one shaped by decades of policy choices that have benefited some families while leaving others behind. This conversation will explore how smarter, more equitable tax policies can open doors for families to thrive.

bit.ly/4456chX

#EveryFamilyForward #EconomicEquity
Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom ...
bit.ly
May 7, 2025 at 6:55 PM
📣 Big shoutout to our amazing RIVA #AmeriCorps members who recently connected with 15+ local and #immigrant families from the Middle East and Africa! 🌍✨

They shared our mission, handed out info on RIVA initiatives, and even helped visitors apply for opportunities right on the spot. 🙌
April 7, 2025 at 6:18 PM
🌞 From Cameroon to Urbandale, Iowa, Sylvie Forkwa transformed her passion for hair braiding into a thriving business, Miss Vie's Braiding. Discover her inspiring story:

#IowaBusiness #womeninbusiness

www.rivaiowa.org/blog/bo0dzqk...
Healing Hands: How an immigrant from Cameroon turned a hobby into a thriving local business — Refugee & Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA)
Sylvie Forkwa is a living example of how the plans we lay for ourselves can often unfold to reveal where our true passion lies and point to one’s purpose. Now located in Urbandale, Iowa, Sylvie is an ...
www.rivaiowa.org
March 21, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Reposted by Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action
After losing her husband to violence in 1993, Mwaka Sangwa fled with her children from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Determined to provide a secure future, she began farming in Zambia.

Today, she's a lead farmer mentoring other women. 🌱✨
March 19, 2025 at 3:41 PM
​RIVA's Health Equity Campaign is a community-based coalition led by immigrants, working to ensure everyone has access to responsive healthcare and to address health disparities in our communities.

#ourvoices #inclusivehealthcare #HealthAccess

www.rivaiowa.org/blog/health-...
Creating a more inclusive and equitable health care system  — Refugee & Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA)
Founded and led by RIVA, the Health Equity Campaign is a collaborative, community-based effort to address health disparities that affect refugees and immigrants across the state. The campaign brings t...
www.rivaiowa.org
March 19, 2025 at 5:29 PM
🌟 Exciting News! 🌟

Our Executive Director, Henny Ohr, will speak on a #Zoom webinar, addressing the complexities caregivers face in #immigrant communities and their aspirations for change.
Secure your spot now and be part of the conversation! 🚀

burness.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: How Can We Deepen Our Understanding of Caregiving by Listening to Families with Immigrant Experience?. After registering, you will receive a confirmation em...
Para leer este mensaje en español: https://bit.ly/3Xq4l39 Join us on Monday, March 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET for a live, interactive conversation on addressing the complexities faced by caregiver...
burness.zoom.us
March 17, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action
Measles cases in the European region doubled in 2024 to a more than 25-year-high, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF said, as they urged action to boost vaccination levels that declined during the COVID pandemic reut.rs/3DFi0fV
Measles cases in Europe doubled in 2024 to highest in more than 25 years, WHO says
Measles cases in the European region doubled in 2024 to a more than 25-year-high, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF said on Thursday, as they urged action to boost vaccination levels that declined during the COVID-19 pandemic.
reut.rs
March 13, 2025 at 1:29 PM