In Part I of last week's 2-episode arc, we introduced you to our REACTsponsors Program Director, Erin Howe. She talked about the REACTsponsors program and how it provides nationwide end-to-end support as a Sponsor Circle Umbrella and a Private Sponsorship Organization for Americans who want to enrich their communities and themselves through sponsorship of Afghan and Ukrainian newcomers. We also discussed her experience over the last year developing a flagship sponsor program and delved into how sponsoring works and what to do to get started. She went over the highs and lows of sponsorship, discussed the ONE thing she wishes people knew about sponsoring and then ended with a favorite memory and what she’s most excited about in the year to come.

You can hear the entire episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

REACT DC currently has nearly 14+ Ukrainian Sponsor Circles, with ongoing efforts to recruit & hand-match 100 circles to Ukrainians in need by the end of 2022. With a best in class in class Sponsorship Program & a track record of 60+ past & present Sponsor Circles since January 2022, REACTsponsors will be by your side throughout the sponsorship experience.

Interested in joining the Welcome Movement & becoming a Sponsor? If you, your family, church, club, team or organization are interested in learning more about Uniting for Ukraine, contact our REACTsponsors Program Director at [email protected] or go to our website.

In today’s episode we'll welcome back Erin Howe, our REACTsponsors Program Director, and introduce you to Cynthia Rapp Sandhu, one our REACTsponsors.

Cynthia Rapp Sandhu lives in Farmington, New Mexico.  She holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Boston University with an emphasis on the role of religion and identity in conflict and peacebuilding.  After graduate school, Cynthia briefly worked abroad and then returned to Boston to work in higher education in international affairs and Middle East studies.  In 2010 she moved to New Mexico, and for the past eleven years, she has taught courses on history and ethics at San Juan College.  She also oversaw the Global Studies Program at San Juan College for three years.  She has participated in summer faculty research programs at the University of Oxford, Indiana University, and Harvard University.  Cynthia enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and two young daughters.

Erin and Cynthia are here to talk about Sponsorship, and Cynthia’s experience preparing for Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans and ultimately participating in Uniting for Ukraine program. They’ll go over the highs and lows of sponsoring, discuss the ONE thing they wish people knew about sponsorship and then end with a favorite memory.

REACT DC currently has nearly 14+ Ukrainian Sponsor Circles, with ongoing efforts to recruit & hand-match 100 circles to Ukrainians in need by the end of 2022. With a best in class in class Sponsorship Program & a track record of 60+ past & present Sponsor Circles since January 2022, REACTsponsors will be by your side throughout the sponsorship experience.

Interested in joining the Welcome Movement & becoming a Sponsor? If you, your family, church, club, team or organization are interested in learning more about Uniting for Ukraine, contact our REACTsponsors Program Director at [email protected] or go to www.reactdc.org/reactsponsors.

To help support REACT DC’s efforts Donate Now to have an immediate impact in the lives of refugees. Donations support families in immediate need and ensure support for families still to come. REACT DC, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

To stay updated on this channel, check back soon and you’ll see our next episode coming through and until then thank you for taking an interest, and we look forward to broadcasting to you again soon!

website: www.reactdc.org

email: [email protected]

Facebook: @REACTDC

Instagram: @reactdcorg

Twitter: @reactdcorg

LinkedIn: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

YouTube: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

In Part I of this week's 2-episode arc, we'll introduce you to our REACTsponsors Program Director, Erin Howe

Erin has lived and worked in every corner of the continental US, Hawaii, and abroad. Her professional record includes time working to employ at risk populations by matching employer needs with eligible candidates seeking reentry into the workplace, a testament to her belief in the power of opportunity.  As a military spouse, she has volunteered to serve in multiple family support organizations in leadership roles, providing vital insight and help for people far from home.  In addition to her role at REACT DC, she currently serves as Patrol Squadron Four’s Command Ombudsman, providing support to active duty families in such ways as accessing resources and disseminating important information.  A staunch advocate of direct, effective communication, Erin is a bastion of honest feedback at a critical connection point between volunteers and evacuees.

In this episode, Erin is here to talk about the REACTsponsors program and how it provides nationwide end-to-end support as a Sponsor Circle Umbrella and a Private Sponsorship Organization for Americans who want to enrich their communities and themselves through sponsorship of Afghan and Ukrainian newcomers. We’ll also discuss her experience over the last year developing a flagship sponsor program, delving into how sponsoring works and what to do to get started. She'll go over the highs and lows of sponsorship, discuss the ONE thing she wishes people knew about sponsoring and then end with a favorite memory and what she’s most excited about in the year to come.

REACT DC currently has nearly 14+ Ukrainian Sponsor Circles, with ongoing efforts to recruit & hand-match 100 circles to Ukrainians in need by the end of 2022. With a best in class in class Sponsorship Program & a track record of 60+ past & present Sponsor Circles since January 2022, REACTsponsors will be by your side throughout the sponsorship experience. 

Interested in joining the Welcome Movement & becoming a Sponsor? If you, your family, church, club, team or organization are interested in learning more about Uniting for Ukraine, contact our REACTsponsors Program Director at [email protected].

To help support REACT DC’s efforts Donate Now to have an immediate impact in the lives of refugees. Donations support families in immediate need and ensure support for families still to come. REACT DC, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

To stay updated on this channel, check back soon and you’ll see our next episode coming through and until then thank you for taking an interest, and we look forward to broadcasting to you again soon!

website: www.reactdc.org

email: [email protected]

Facebook: @REACTDC

Instagram: @reactdcorg

Twitter: @reactdcorg

LinkedIn: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

YouTube: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

In this episode we introduced you to a very special guest, our REACTsurge Program Director, Abdul Sami Ahmadi. Sami talked about the REACTsurge program and how it is helping deepen partnerships with northern Virginia resettlement agencies by providing quality case aides for temporary staff augmentation. We also discussed his experience over the last year to include resettlement and REACT DC, how he’s contributed to the success of and why he's so drawn to REACT DC’s mission, went over the highs and lows of his position and responsibilities within the organization, discussed the ONE thing he wishes people knew about resettlement and then ended with a favorite memory and what he’s most excited about in the year to come.

You can hear the entire episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

👍 Like and 🔔 Subscribe to stay up to date on each episode and enjoy this week’s episode all about where REACT DC has been and where we’re headed.

In today’s episode we'll introduce you to a very special guest, our REACTsurge Program Director, Sami Ahmadi.

Sami is a development practitioner with over 16 years of project management experience. His skills include supervising and managing staff, project implementation, advocacy and lobbying, developing strategic and management goals and work plans, and grants oversight. He previously held positions under USAID and USAID funded programs, including Provincial Implementation Manager, Project Manager, Provincial Coordinator, Activity Development Office and Operation Manager, where he implemented programs focused on child protection, reintegration and demobilization, women in the peace process, women’s political participation, women’s empowerment, gender-based violence, education, and good governance. Sami holds a B.A. from Takhar University, Afghanistan, faculty of agronomy – Department of Agriculture.

In this episode, Sami is here to talk about the REACTsurge program and how it is helping deepen partnerships with northern Virginia resettlement agencies by providing quality case aides for temporary staff augmentation. We’ll also discuss his experience over the last year to include resettlement and REACT DC, how he’s contributed to the success of and why he's so drawn to REACT DC’s mission, go over the highs and lows of his position and responsibilities within the organization, discuss the ONE thing he wishes people knew about resettlement and then end with a favorite memory and what he’s most excited about in the year to come.

To help support REACT DC’s efforts Donate Now to have an immediate impact in the lives of refugees. Donations support families in immediate need and ensure support for families still to come. REACT DC, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

To stay updated on this channel, check back soon and you’ll see our next episode coming through and until then thank you for taking an interest, and we look forward to broadcasting to you again soon!

website: www.reactdc.org

email: [email protected]

Facebook: @REACTDC

Instagram: @reactdcorg

Twitter: @reactdcorg

LinkedIn: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

YouTube: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

In our first official podcast, Episode 1: (Re)Introducing REACT DC, we introduced you to our Founder and CEO Amy Marden and our COO Molly Sepulvado. They took us back to the beginning and walked us through REACT DC's first year and what lies ahead. They discussed why they felt drawn to the mission, went over the highs and lows of their positions and responsibilities within the organization, discussed the ONE (or three!) thing(s) they wished people knew about refugee resettlement and then ended with a favorite memory and what they’re most excited about in the year to come.

You can hear the entire episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

👍 Like and 🔔 Subscribe to stay up to date on each episode and enjoy this week’s episode all about where REACT DC has been and where we’re headed. 

In this first official podcast broadcast we'll introduce you to our Founder and CEO Amy Marden and our COO Molly Sepulvado. 

Amy is a military spouse and member of the Florida Bar. She previously worked as an attorney at a legal aid organization solving complex problems for low-income Americans. She left legal aid to accept a federal clerkship, where she was the first person in the Northern District of Florida to be dual-hatted as both law clerk and judicial assistant. She has since dedicated her time to pro bono assistance in criminal and civil matters, and has served as a resource and referral liaison for US Navy commands in the US and abroad. Amy believes ingenuity and grit can solve any problem, and she has plenty of both.

Molly is a military spouse, mom, and social worker. She has spent the last 7 years working in various social work roles including child welfare advocacy, benefits assistance, community well-being support, refugee and asylum seeker support, and family services. She earned a Master of Social Work from Arizona State University in December 2021. Molly's understanding, experience, and sheer tenacity coalesce into an unmatched commitment to support refugee resettlement.

In this episode, Amy and Molly will take us back to the beginning and walk us through REACT DC's first year and what lies ahead. They’ll discuss why they felt drawn to the mission, go over the highs and lows of their positions and responsibilities within the organization, discuss the ONE (or three!) thing(s) they wish people knew about refugee resettlement and then end with a favorite memory and what they’re most excited about in the year to come.

To help support REACT DC’s efforts Donate Now to have an immediate impact in the lives of refugees. Donations support families in immediate need and ensure support for families still to come. REACT DC, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

To stay updated on this channel, check back soon and you’ll see our next episode coming through and until then thank you for taking an interest, and we look forward to broadcasting to you again soon!

website: www.reactdc.org

email: [email protected]

Facebook: @REACTDC

Instagram: @reactdcorg

Twitter: @reactdcorg

LinkedIn: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

YouTube: Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC)

Welcome to REACT DC Radio, a podcast about refugee resettlement, hosted by REACT DC Communications Director, Devon McCuan. 

Devon is a former Army Signal Officer and current Army wife, Navy daughter, Air Force sister and mom to three wonderful sons. Since leaving active duty in 2010, she's continued to serve the military and wider community, volunteering for multiple army units, mothering groups, and spouses clubs throughout the US and Europe. She greatly values community and adventure, loves travel and reading, and brings her glass half full enthusiasm to the REACT DC team. Devon has a B.A. in Government and International Politics from George Mason University.

This podcast is an exciting new venture for us and we’re looking forward to bringing you episodes in the future to help you learn more about REACT DC, a veteran and military spouse-led 501c3 providing resettlement assistance for recently arrived refugees in the DC metro area and throughout the United States. Our first main episode is coming soon so be sure to check back here in the next few days for the first release.