Refugee Resettlement in NoVA and Falls Church: An Update

To register for this program, please scroll down and click on the blue "Register" box.Join us for a community update on the state of refugee resettlement in Northern Virginia and Falls Church co-sponsored by Welcoming Falls Church. Learn from a panel of refugee organization representatives about the challenges and opportunities of welcoming refugees to our area.The panel will first offer an overview of federal refugee policy as context for understanding how families arrive in the United States and how those who have recently arrived are faring. This will be followed by a local update, inspired by Falls Church's history of hospitality -- from welcoming the Southeast Asian refugees who arrived in the 1980s and 1990s and helped shape the vibrant Eden Center, to the community's mobilization between 2022 and 2025 to welcome and support refugee families through innovative public-private partnerships. The program will also feature a video excerpt of recent comments by Andrew Veprek, the Assistant Secretary for the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), as background to a deeper discussion of local policy.About the PresentersBob Elston leads community outreach and volunteer engagement in Northern Virginia for Ethiopian Community Development Council, Inc., one of the nation's nine national resettlement agencies. As Community Engagement Manager, Bob works to build the local capacity and support networks necessary for refugees to achieve self-sufficiency and successful integration in Northern Virginia. ·Dan Altman is Co-Founder & Executive Director of Northern Virginia Resettling Afghan Families Together (NoVA RAFT), a high-impact, grassroots organization that has been instrumental in coordinating furniture donations, housing leads, and volunteer support for hundreds of families arriving in the region.Welcoming Falls Church will update the community on the families that Falls Church welcomed, including how they have fared and what the organization has learned.Paul Boesen, Co-Founder & Board Secretary of Welcoming Falls Church, will moderate.City of Falls Church 250 The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary, or Semiquincentennial, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, marking the formal founding of the United States. This national milestone is an opportunity to reflect on the country's founding, honor its diverse history, and explore how the American story continues to evolve. Communities across the nation, including the City of Falls Church, will host events, programs, and projects to commemorate the occasion and engage people in meaningful conversations about the past, present, and future of the United States. Learn more...