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The ̽����ѡ in NJ is hard at work through this crisis.

Launched by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2021, the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP) is an innovative approach to serving historically disadvantaged small business owners who were disproportionately impacted by the economic shocks and hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ̽����ѡ (̽����ѡ) has been serving immigrant, newcomer, refugee, and mainstream community small business owners in communities since 1999 and was proud to join the SBA as a national partner in implementing CNPP.

Through the ̽����ѡ in Oakland’s varied volunteer opportunities, individuals are able to share their unique experience and expertise directly with the ̽����ѡ's refugee and asylee clients in the Bay Area. We currently operate several highly effective programs designed to meet a variety of refugee and asylee newcomers' needs.

In Arizona, the ̽����ѡ is already working to resettle newly arrived refugees while preparing for increased arrivals in the months to come. So far this year, the ̽����ѡ has resettled 46 refugees in Phoenix and 14 in Tucson. 22 more refugees are currently scheduled in Phoenix and 26 scheduled in Tucson. Additional refugee arrivals are expected to be scheduled as the year continues.

There are many ways to get involved in the ̽����ѡ's work in Phoenix.

“When you start doing anything, at first it’s going to be frightening,” Bothina Matar reassures the refugee women she works with in Dallas. She encourages them to strive for a better future—their children’s future—without forgetting their past. “I am trying my best,” Bothina tells them, “and succeeding somehow.”

As of July 2025, Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients who have recently arrived in the United States are once again eligible for structured support during their first 90 days in the country. This development marks a meaningful shift for Afghan nationals who supported U.S. missions abroad and have spent recent years navigating a difficult and often fragmented resettlement landscape. 

Among the dozens of refugees who recently visited Washington, D.C. to tell their stories to Congress, here are fo new Americans who exemplify their vision of hope and acceptance.