Glenview Nonprofit Supports Refugee, Newcomer Families

GLENVIEW, IL — A Glenview-based nonprofit is using mentorship, sponsorship and community support to help refugee and newcomer families build connections as they adjust to life in Illinois.

Building Peaceful Bridges works with refugee and newcomer families of all faiths, providing direct support through relationships with volunteers. The organization’s mission is to foster multicultural relationships while assisting refugees with integration into American society and educating communities about the challenges refugee populations face.

The organization will host a Family Fun Day on Saturday, June 13, at Indian Trail Park in Glenview. The closed event is for families and individuals connected to Building Peaceful Bridges and will include activities for all ages celebrating refugee and newcomer families and the volunteers who support them.

Speeches are scheduled for noon.

Organizers said the gathering comes during a year in which many newcomer families have faced challenges including cuts to SNAP benefits, delays in green card or asylum application processing and fear of ICE detention.

Even with those challenges, Building Peaceful Bridges said families are working hard to thrive in their new communities.

The event also comes during June, which includes World Refugee Day, and organizers said the focus is on celebrating newcomer families, their resiliency and what they add to the community.

Building Peaceful Bridges said the gathering will also recognize the bonds formed between newcomer families and the volunteers who support them.

“[Building Peaceful Bridges] reminds me of what family means and what family connections feel like, and it’s nice to have that here,” Zahra, a refugee youth from Iraq, said in a statement shared by the organization.

More information about Building Peaceful Bridges is available through the organization’s website.