Want to know more about some of the new work that EMBARC has been up to this fall? As a community based organization, we are often the first to hear about the needs in the community and one of the first voices at the table seeking new solutions. One such current solution is EMBARCs new Financial Empowerment Navigator program which is supporting unemployment and re-employment needs.
Read MoreEMBARC and our local partners have come together to make sure our community has access to food - and not just any food! Read more to learn about how EMBARCs pantry is unique from others.
Read MoreJoin us in our newest mental health service as we explore the many benefits of trauma informed yoga with the Crisis and Advocacy Program.
Read MoreMore than just education - EMBARCs citizenship class takes the time to empower clients and engage them in ways that are personalized to help them succeed.
Read MoreWe continue with sharing the journey of the people in our Myanmar (Burma) community. Today we highlight one of our community members, Pray Reh.
Read MoreContinuing with acknowledging and highlighting refugees in our communities, we wanted to start with one of our staff members, Grace.
Read MoreToday, June 20, 2023, is World Refugee Day. A day of acknowledgment where we highlight the current refugee crisis and express the importance of advocating for them and honoring the sacrifices they have made.
Read MoreWe’ve got some big news to share with Iowans today.
After a decade of hard work and determination, EMBARC is opening a new chapter in service.
In the fall of 2021, the EMBARC Burma Community Advisory Board approved a motion to become an independent stand-alone organization. Founding staff member, and long-time lead, Abigail Sui, was voted unanimously to be the new executive director of EMBARC. Under her leadership, EMBARC will continue its existing Early Childhood Parent Navigator, Crisis & Advocacy and Education programs.
Henny Ohr and the Board of Directors are proud to announce the launch of Refugee and Immigrant Voices in Action (RIVA), a new statewide immigrant and refugee organization designed to grow leaders, build community and promote solidarity.
Read MoreLast spring, two pregnant women who had recently arrived from Myanmar showed up at Abigail Sui’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. They needed help finding prenatal care.
Sui, a program director for EMBARC, an Iowa-based nonprofit that supports immigrants, figured she could help these women navigate the health care system.
Even though the women are in the U.S. on visas, they couldn’t get Medicaid due to a federal law that bars many immigrants on visas and green cards from receiving public assistance, including Medicaid, for their first five years in the country. States can choose to opt people out of this waiting period when they’re pregnant. But many states — including the Midwest states of Missouri, Indiana and Iowa — haven’t done this.
Read MoreA new focus group led by EMBARC Crisis and Advocacy is exploring how community-led discussions can open access to mental healthcare information among refugees and immigrants in central Iowa.
For immigrants unfamiliar with the many intricacies of healthcare in the U.S., trying to access care can feel like being stuck in a maze with no clear path forward.
To get a better idea about what it’s like to be an immigrant trying to navigate the American healthcare system, meet U Sak.
Read MoreFinding employment can be a hurdle to success for many immigrants and refugees. Transportation barriers, language barriers, and physical limitations can make getting a job feel like a daunting task.
In April and June of 2022, EMBARC teamed up with Latinx Immigrants of Iowa and Project Iowa to host two job fairs in hopes of providing employment opportunities catered to the needs of the community.
Read MoreMany expectant parents-to-be eagerly await the day they feel their little one moving around. Keeping track of every twist and turn can help parents identify changes in their baby’s movements, potentially preventing stillbirth.
Today, a partnership between EMBARC and Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is expanding access to the nonprofit organzation’s Count the Kicks campaign in the Burma refugee and immigrant community, through Burmese language app translations and a new billboard campaign.
Read MoreThis spring, EMBARC and Woodlawn Early Childhood Center welcomed refugee and immigrant families, as well as Des Moines Public School (DMPS) staff members to ensure that every child in Des Moines has a chance to receive a quality preschool education.
EMBARC and DMPS registered 48 children for preschool throughout Des Moines, Johnston, and Urbandale through the two registration events as well as through EMBARC’s Access Center, Parent Navigators, and case management services.
Read MoreWorld Refugee Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of the refugee community. Their courage and contributions are a reminder of their resilience, and helps the world to build empathy towards their experiences. Through EMBARC’s refugee staff and volunteers, the organization strives to make every refugee and immigrant feel safe in their new homes.
“A safe home to me is somewhere that you can be yourself without violence or discrimination,” said Lal Muani, Lead Parent Navigator at EMBARC.
Read MoreThank you to BrownWinick Law for supporting EMBARC!
BrownWinick’s Community Engagement Committee recently hosted a cornhole tournament and reception, raising $615 among staff members to donate towards EMBARC. More than 15 teams participated in the bags tournament.
Read MoreCome visit EMBARC and our partners on Friday, June 24 for our next job fair! The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Franklin Cafeteria at 4801 Franklin Ave, Des Moines, IA.
Read MoreOur Parent Navigators and families joined EMBARC on a field trip to Get Air Trampoline Park.
Read MoreEvery Wednesday, you can find Deborah Timmons at EMBARC’s Access Center at 4801 Franklin Avenue in Des Moines. Since October 2021, Deb has volunteered at the Access Center to support the refugee and immigrant community.
Read MoreIn honor of Women’s History Month, Iris Tun, a co-founder of EMBARC, shared her story of EMBARC’s founding years, and what community leadership means to her. Iris currently works as a Burma Family Focus Family Advocate and Parent Navigator for EMBARC.
Read More
