This year’s International Day of Peace theme, “Invest in Peace,” inspired us to take that message a step further by investing in the future. From Refugee School Impact students expressing peace through art to young Ukrainian singers sharing their talents and youth leaders stepping forward to share their stories, our 11th annual celebration reminded us that young people are not simply the future. They are already helping shape it.
On September 25, 2026, we gathered at the Islamic Center of Riverside to celebrate the end of our Afghan Newcomer Support Program. Every ANSP family completed the three goals on their self-sufficiency plan, and many kept going. Read about the certificate ceremony, our digital skills and driver's permit students, our guest speakers, a potluck cooked by our families, and what two years of ANSP has meant to our community.
"Thank you, CBU. This award truly means so much to HMI. At a time when the winds feel uncertain, we are encouraged to keep building a community where everyone belongs.” -Dr. Selin Nielsen
Ten Ukrainian newcomers walked into a Newport Beach community center for a 2.5-hour workshop and walked out with new LinkedIn headshots, ATS-proof resumes, and a real plan for getting hired in California. Here's what happened inside Mission Hired, including the resume trick that beats the 75% of applications ATS software rejects before a human ever sees them.
Summer break can mean losing routine, especially for a family still settling into a new country. For one week, HMI's Refugee School Impact (RSI) Program gave 30 kids that routine back, plus a camp full of learning with bugs, slime, and school supply giveaways.
At the Governor's Inland Empire Immigration Roundtable, HMI’s own Dr. Selin Nielsen joined local community organizations, legal service providers, and state officials to discuss what immigrant and refugee families in the region really need. From the Inland Empire's status as a "legal desert" to the power of trusted messengers, here's what stood out and why collaboration, not competition, has to be the path forward.
A reflection on advocating for our refugee and newcomer families at Refugee Council USA's Advocacy Days: what it felt like to speak up in this moment, to share what we're seeing on the ground in Southern California, and why it matters now more than ever that we raise our voices for our refugee neighbors, with so much at stake this year.
"Thank you for your willingness to tell your story. I also understand that your stories hold a great deal of sorrow. You have experienced a great deal of loss and grief that most of us cannot understand unless there are opportunities like this, where those of us who have not had those experiences are able to put ourselves in your shoes, even if only for a moment, and walk the path you have taken."
The Inland Empire Refugee Forum returned on June 3, 2026 at UC Riverside — and this was our biggest gathering yet. With Supervisor Medina, representatives from Congressman Mark Takano's office, and community partners from across the region in attendance, we celebrated the close of our most successful program to date and announced a new initiative expanding our reach to even more refugees and newcomers in Riverside County.
Through this partnership, students have access to academic instruction, mentorship, and resources that help them develop important life skills and work toward their future educational and career goals. The collaboration aims to create a supportive learning environment that helps students successfully transition into life in the United States while achieving their academic aspirations.
A reflection on advocating for our refugee and newcomer families at Refugee Council USA's Advocacy Days: what it felt like to speak up in this moment, to share what we're seeing on the ground in Southern California, and why it matters now more than ever that we raise our voices for our refugee neighbors, with so much at stake this year.