Refugees, Families, and the Power of Support

On this episode of What’s Next?, we explore two ways Western New York communities are responding to need and opportunity. Jennifer Rizzo Choi, Executive Director of the International Institute of Buffalo, joins us to unpack recent shifts in U.S. immigration policy, including the review of hundreds of thousands of recently admitted refugees and the pause on asylum applications. She also shares upcoming events at the Institute, from a Meet the Ambassador series to a regional Model UN conference, designed to foster cultural understanding and engagement. We also hear from Alicia Stark of Child and Family Services about their Adopt-a-Family program. She explains how the annual initiative supports over a thousand people each year, providing everything from winter boots and books to essential household items, and how community support is critical as local needs continue to grow.