Fairfax County, Virginia - Opportunity Neighborhoods
Communities from Arizona to Fairfax, from Warwickshire to New Anschpach, and Bogota to Cartegena have seen the positive effects of nurturing immigrant populations. Learning the best ways to integrate newcomers helps stimulate economies and create vibrant and competitive communities.
Through a successful model of building welcoming communities, Fairfax County, Virginia brings community-based organizations together to better meet the needs of vulnerable populations. Opportunity Neighborhoods (ON) provides a network of partners who identify gaps in services and then work with low-income residents together to prioritize their needs, and develop solutions with shared support from:
- Community members
- Faith communities
- Schools
- Businesses and
- County Agencies
By collaborating with partners to deliver needed resources for refugee and vulnerable youth along with their families. Opportunity Neighborhoods creates a strong infrastructure to welcome, support, and empower newcomers through sustainable integration.
Please visit Opportunity Neighborhoods for newcomer integration and community strengthening ideas.
Refugee Physicians: The Untapped Resource That Could Help Solve the U.S. Doctor Shortage
Imagine being a skilled professional–a doctor even–respected in your field. And then war erupts, displacing you from your home, your family, your livelihood, your identity. When such a physician arrives in the United States, their credentials and expertise are erased and they must study for, and pass three United States Medical Licensure Exams (USMLEs), each of which involves fees and lengthy study programs. In addition, they must complete a residency program which are extremely competitive. Given the low-income, high-living expense lifestyles refugee doctors face upon arrival, these are steep barriers to overcome. TSOS is working to make these obstacles surmountable.
African Food is Delicious: TSOS at the One Journey Festival
On June 24, 2023, TSOS had the opportunity to join with NoVA Friends of Refugees and other organizations at the One Journey Festival, a celebration of unity, diversity, and refugee contributions and talent. It was so fun.
Stepping into Each Others' Stories
When describing the work I do here at TSOS, I often say, we try to help people “step into each other’s stories.” Lately, I’ve been doing more of that myself.