From Crisis to Growth: The History of EMBARC
When Henny Ohr, our executive director, co-founded EMBARC back in 2012, she didn’t think the organization was going to last. She certainly didn’t expect EMBARC to grow the way it has—from a small group of volunteers to a large staff serving more than 10,000 refugees and immigrants each year.
The child of Korean immigrants, Henny attended law school in New York City and became a public interest attorney with a focus on immigrant and refugee rights. In 2008, she moved to Des Moines with her husband and became Executive Officer for Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs within the Iowa Department of Human Rights. In that role, she started meeting refugees—such as the Karen, Karenni, Haka and Mizo Chin, and Shan, among other ethnic minority groups from Burma—who were struggling to settle into their new lives in Iowa.
Henny Ohr, EMBARC co-founder and executive director
“People in Iowa literally could not get food and other basic essentials.”
Refugees from Burma (also known as Myanmar) began arriving in Iowa in 2007 and 2008 as a priority class of refugees; most had spent decades in refugee camps in Thailand. About 1.5 million refugees have fled Burma since 1962, when a military coup overthrew the government and began stripping ethnic minority groups in the country of basic human rights.
Iris Tun is one of the co-founders of EMBARC. Before the organization was founded, she served as an emergency contact for about 100 families in crisis. Now she’s a Family Advocate.
When the refugees from Burma began arriving in Des Moines, they had few or no connections here—no one who spoke their language or who could direct them to local resources. Many had little experience with the modern world. The problem was complicated by the fact that the different ethnic groups speak a variety of languages and dialects.
Resettlement agencies had limited resources and were often only able to provide three months of assistance—a basic checklist of services. Henny was eager to help, but she knew that the people most affected by the issues should be the ones determining the solutions.
Henny invited people she called “the doers,” refugees who were helping their neighbors and advocating for their communities, to an initial meeting to discuss options. Many of these emerging leaders didn’t speak fluent English, some couldn’t drive, and few could use a computer. But it was important for the refugees themselves to take ownership of the group. They recruited people who were committed to service, who could learn and grow into their role as leaders and co-founders. Together, they decided that forming a coalition would be the best way forward.
The group discovered a potential grant opportunity from the Office of Refugee Resettlement—one specific to ethnic, community-based assistance. A few of the co-founders—including Pastor Ro Sang and Board President Mone Aye—traveled to Chicago to crash their conference. Henny followed around the program officer in charge of the grant, finally catching her in the bathroom to ask for a meeting. After completing an 83-page application, they eventually got the three-year grant.
With the grant as a launchpad, EMBARC became an official nonprofit. Henny quit her job with the Department of Human Rights to lead the fledgling organization—without pay for the first two years.
“We learned as we went, helping one family at a time. We were just doing our best.”
Dalia Kyi was one of the early EMBARC staff members. She now serves as the Program Manager overseeing the Crisis and Advocacy Program.
EMBARC intentionally hired refugees and immigrants who were already serving their communities as volunteers. Their lack of credentials and technical knowledge prevented them from getting other jobs in human services. But they were already doing the work.
“We wanted to pay people in the community and support them, so they could continue their work,” says Henny.
The strategy was a triumph. Many staff members from the early years have since gone on to earn associates and bachelor’s degrees, filling in gaps in their technical skills while gaining an even deeper knowledge of the community over the years.
As a grassroots and mission-driven organization, EMBARC focused on empowering refugees and immigrants, building leaders in the community, and growing capacity. But funding was an issue. People often needed direct assistance, but the grants EMBARC received only paid for programs. The staff ended up volunteering to fill those gaps in their personal time. Henny knew that model wasn’t sustainable.
“We didn’t want to continue to do something and not have the system get better.”
RISE AmeriCorps members at Volunteer Iowa Day at the Capitol in February 2020.
But then EMBARC saw an opportunity to train a generation of refugee and immigrant leaders, young people who could contribute to system change across the state. In 2015, EMBARC founded RISE AmeriCorps, one of the largest and most diverse AmeriCorps programs in Iowa. Most members come from local refugee and immigrant communities, and they work to promote economic self-sufficiency, job readiness, and community engagement. One of the other goals is to support and strengthen ethnic community-based or refugee-led organizations. During their 11-month terms at these host organizations, members gain the experience and skills they need to become leaders and professionals.
Over time, EMBARC and RISE AmeriCorps began serving refugee and immigrant groups from other countries, such as new arrivals from Congo in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The unique needs of each local refugee or immigrant population guided decisions on how, where, and when to serve them best. Although EMBARC started out in a state of triage—responding to urgent crises again and again—the organization has now entered a more stable, growth-focused phase.
With more than 20 full-time staff members serving the community—and nearly 100 RISE AmeriCorps members working in 10 cities and towns across the state—EMBARC’s impact continues to grow. Each year, that means thousands more refugees and immigrants in Iowa learn how to navigate life in the U.S., grow into local leaders, and reach their full potential as Americans.
Help EMBARC grow leadership and build community so that all refugees and immigrants in Iowa have the opportunity to fulfill their potential and achieve their dreams.