More than any other US holiday, Thanksgiving celebrates our history as a nation of immigrants. And for those who have recently arrived to the States, it’s an occasion to remember their journey from one land to another. Miry’s List is an LA-based organization that welcomes families making such journeys. Founder Miry Whitehill and Rabia Ahmadi share on the scope of the organization’s impact.
How does a Syrian refugee start their life over in the U.S.? Try hosting a dinner for an entire neighborhood. That's exactly what the New Arrival Supper Club is all about. Every month, a new refugee family will cook food for an entire neighborhood. The club will sell tickets to the event, and 90% of the proceeds will go to the family that cooked.
While preparing the New Arrival Supper Club’s first meal, 36-year-old Najwa didn’t sleep for two nights. Instead she and her husband disappeared into their apartment kitchen after putting their three kids to bed, whipping hummus and hand forming enough football-shaped kibbe to feed 42 strangers. The effort was worth it. The money raised from the $75-per-person event was used to purchase necessities for the family, refugees who had arrived in L.A. from the Syrian city of Homs six months ago.
Millions of Americans will be going out to dinner on February 14. At best, most will leave with a champagne buzz, a belly full of oysters, and an empty wallet. But a lucky 25 people will spend their night helping out a family of new refugees by grazing on a massive spread of homecooked Syrian dishes in an Atwater Village backyard. Read more >
