Each month, your support helps the International Institute of Akron meet urgent needs, strengthen families, and create a welcoming community for immigrants and refugees. In this issue, you’ll find highlights from August, a powerful family story, important immigration updates, and ways you can take action.
IIA at Akron Pride
In August, IIA joined the Akron Pride Festival to celebrate love, identity, and belonging. Pride is more than a parade , it’s a declaration that every person deserves safety and dignity, no matter who they are or where they come from.
We were proud to stand alongside Akron’s LGBTQ+ community, including immigrants and refugees who know firsthand the challenges of seeking acceptance. By showing up together, we continue to build a city where everyone is welcome.
Opening Doors with Driver’s Education
Also this summer, IIA launched a weekly driver’s education class at San Tomasso after noticing that many community members were struggling to obtain their driver’s licenses.
The program goes beyond teaching traffic rules — interpreters are present each week to make sure participants fully understand the material, gain confidence, and feel encouraged along the way. For many, a driver’s license represents independence: the ability to drive to work, take children to school, and participate more fully in daily life.
The class has been such a success that IIA will continue offering it throughout the year ahead, helping more newcomers gain the skills and confidence they need to thrive in their new home.
Supporting a Rohingya Family
In early August, IIA welcomed a Rohingya family of four, parents, a daughter, and a young son, who made the difficult decision to leave upstate New York and move to Akron.
In New York, the family had kind volunteers who supported them, but they longed for something deeper: a true community. They wanted their children to grow up surrounded by others who shared their culture and language, and they wanted the chance to build lasting relationships. Akron, with its growing and supportive Rohingya population, offered them that possibility.
Like any parents, they dream of healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives for their children. But when they arrived, it was clear they faced serious challenges:
The father lives with a bleeding disorder that requires careful monitoring.
The mother suffers from painful joint inflammation.
Their 3-year-old son struggles with gastrointestinal issues and is small for his age.
Despite these hardships, what shines through is their determination. They came to the United States, and to Akron, seeking safety, opportunity, and the chance to give their children a better future. These are values we all share, whether we were born here or arrived more recently.
IIA case manager Sena has been walking alongside the family for the past six weeks, connecting them with medical care, housing support, and daily resources. Her dedication ensures that they aren’t navigating these struggles alone but instead are met with compassion and practical support.
This is the heart of IIA’s mission: helping families like this one not only survive but thrive. With community support, they can focus on what matters most, raising their children, building their lives, and contributing to the city they now call home.
IIA social services case manager, Sena Al-Attabi
Immigration News: TPS for Venezuela Ends
This month, the Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela. TPS has allowed many Venezuelans to live and work legally in the U.S. while their country continues to face political and economic turmoil.
The decision will affect thousands of Venezuelans who may lose legal protections and face uncertainty about their futures. IIA’s legal team is monitoring these developments closely and is ready to support families in our community who may be impacted.
How You Can Help
You play a critical role in sustaining IIA’s mission. Here are three ways to get involved this fall:
Donate: Every contribution helps provide housing, employment support, legal services, and essential resources.
Fundraise for IIA: Organize a fundraiser with your workplace, congregation, or community group. Need inspiration? Head to our Resources Page for the IIA Fundraising Guide!
Invite Us to Speak: Bring IIA to your school, faith group, or organization to share about our work in the community. To learn more about speaking engagement, please email liv.randall@iiakron.org.
Together, we can continue to make Akron a place of welcome and hope.
Recommended Resource
Ohio Immigrant Alliance Blog – Learn, Advocate, Empower - www.ohioimmigrant.org/blog
Stay informed with stories, analysis, and advocacy tools about immigration in Ohio and beyond.
For more resources on advocacy, book recommendations, and more, head to Resources — IIA.
Thank You
To all our supporters, thank you. Whether you give your time, your resources, or your voice, you are the reason IIA can continue meeting urgent needs and building a stronger, more welcoming Akron. Your compassion creates real change for immigrant and refugee families every single day.
