This has been a busy and meaningful month in CRIW'S Pathways to Learning (P2L) program!
We celebrated VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH taking time to recognize and thank our amazing volunteers — Lisa, Jenny, Marjorie, and Tracy — for their dedication, compassion, and huge support. We also celebrated MOTHER'S DAY with the children, who created beautiful handmade artwork for their moms.
While refugee mothers build language and digital skills through ESOL and digital literacy classes, their children are right next door learning, exploring, and growing in our Pathways to Learning early childhood program.
From fine motor development and balance to cognitive and social-emotional learning, we are supporting meaningful growth for our youngest learners — while also removing barriers that help women access education and opportunity with confidence.
#PathwaysToLearning #EarlyChildhoodEducation #RefugeeSupport #WomenEmpowerment #litearcyforall #equityforlearning
𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲!
Eight Dari- and Pashto-speaking Afghan women completed facilitator training and stepped into leadership roles by bringing their lived experience, compassion, and community knowledge to this work. Seeing women from the community serving as trained leaders and facilitators was both powerful and inspiring.
CRIW & Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health (PRCH) are so proud of their wonderful accomplishments and grateful for the trust, connection, and leadership they continue to build within their communities. #CRIW #NewHaven #Afghanwomenstrong #CodesignAfghanWomen #womeled
Last weekend, CRIW held a craft sale at @leiladaynewhaven Spring Fair! It was a wonderful opportunity for women to share traditional Afghan clothing, jewelry, and accessories with the community.
Last weekend, CRIW held a craft sale at the Leila Day Spring Fair! It was a wonderful opportunity for women to share traditional Afghan clothing, jewelry, and accessories with the community.
Thank you to Leila Day for inviting us to join, and to everyone who stopped by and supported the sale — your encouragement means so much! More craft fairs are being planned, so stay tuned! #NewHaven #Afghancrafts #Afghanwomenstrong #CRIW
This week, CRIW partnered with the Yale School of Nursing @yalenursing to host a culturally and linguistically responsive First Aid workshop for Afghan women in our community.
The workshop was specifically designed for mostly preliterate participants, minimizing reliance on written materials and emphasizing hands-on demonstrations, visual communication, and interactive learning.
Participants learned:
• Proper use of items in a first aid kit • How to recognize minor illnesses or injuries that can be treated safely at home • When to seek care from a primary care provider, urgent care, or the emergency room
The primary goals of the program were to improve participants’ ability to distinguish between emergency and non-emergency situations, increase confidence in caring for minor health concerns, and promote appropriate healthcare utilization — helping reduce unnecessary emergency room visits. To ensure accessibility, pre- and post-workshop assessments were conducted.
The results demonstrated a substantial impact:
✔ A 60% increase in knowledge
✔ A 30% increase in confidence in knowing how to treat various health issues
Outcomes also included improved understanding of appropriate care settings, stronger basic first aid skills, and greater self-reported confidence in managing illness or injury.
Special thanks to Asia Neupane from the Yale School of Nursing for organizing the workshop, Moira Lewerk for designing and facilitating the workshop, Ghada Eldari - CRIW Board Director and Yosra Raziani for their support of this initiative.
We are grateful for this meaningful partnership and the opportunity to support health education in ways that are accessible, empowering, and community-centered. #healthliteracyAfghanwomen #NewHaven #CRIW #YaleSchoolofNursing #communitycollaboration #healthequity #advancinghealthoutcomes
12 HOURS LEFT OF #THEGREATGIVE and we're asking you to act now!
At a time when funding cuts are threatening critical community programs, your support is more urgent than ever. Refugee and immigrant women in New Haven are facing increasing barriers to resources, stability, and opportunity—but together, we can help ensure these programs not only continue, but grow.
TODAY, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven will match gifts based on the total number of donors. That means your gift can go even further in supporting women and families in our community.
⏳ Time is limited: Matching ends at 8:00 p.m. TODAY! Every donor counts, so giving today makes an immediate difference.
Why your support matters now -- Your gift today can:
* $20 — Help provide childcare, enabling women to attend programs
* $50 — Support interpretation and translation—essential for full participation across all programs
* $100 — Expand access to critical mental health resources through our new program
* $250 — Support economic empowerment through our Threads of Hope initiative
* $500 — Help sustain multiple programs and expand outreach to serve more women and families
* $1,000 — Support a full cohort of women in a disability support project ------------------------------------------ To donate: /organizations/criw-the-collective-for-refugee-and-immigrant-women-s-wellbeing
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP WHEN IT MATTERS MOST!
P.S. Matches are based on the number of donors—so your gift of any size truly counts. Don’t wait—give before 8:00 p.m. TODAY!
TODAY & TOMORROW, we invite you to be part of something powerful!
During the Great Give, 2-day fundraising campaign, your support will help expand programs built from the ground up—centering the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of refugee women in New Haven.
CRIW's initiatives including the Pathways to Learning Program - P2L, a coordinated ESOL and digital literacy class and onsite preschool readiness, Women's Leadership Group, Mental Health Codesign, Threads of Hope: A Peer-Led Afghan Sewing and Craft Collective and city-wide Coalition don’t just provide services—they shift power. By elevating those most impacted, we’re creating new ways to solve long-standing challenges, breaking barriers at the grassroots level.
Every gift fuels this work. Will you join us in driving meaningful, lasting change? See comment for link to donate!
𝐓𝐎𝐃𝐀𝐘 - 𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟔 & 𝟕, 𝐰𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥!
During CRIW's 2-day fundraising campaign, your support will help expand programs built from the ground up—centering the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of refugee women in New Haven.
CRIW's initiatives including the Pathways to Learning Program: P2L, a coordinated ESOL and digital literacy class and onsite preschool readiness, Women's Leadership Group, Mental Health Codesign, Threads of Hope: A Peer-Led Afghan Sewing and Craft Collective and city-wide Coalition -don’t just provide services—they shift power. By elevating those most impacted, we’re creating new ways to solve long-standing challenges, breaking barriers at the grassroots level.
Every gift fuels this work. Will you join us in driving meaningful, lasting change?
𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓!
To donate: /.../criw-the-collective-for...
STARTING TOMORROW May 6, We invite you to be part of something powerful!
During CRIW's 2-day fundraising campaign, your support will help expand programs built from the ground up—centering the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of refugee women in New Haven.
CRIW's initiatives include the Pathways to Learning Program (P2L) - a coordinated ESOL and digital literacy class for Afghan women and an onsite preschool readiness for their children.
Hear from the women themselves about the impact of P2L on their lives!
Every gift fuels this work. Will you join us in driving meaningful, lasting change?
On May 6 & 7, we invite you to be part of something powerful!
During our upcoming 2-day fundraising campaign, your support will help expand programs built from the ground up—centering the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of refugee women in New Haven.
CRIW's initiatives including the Pathways to Learning Program - P2L, a coordinated ESOL and digital literacy class and onsite preschool readiness, Women's Leadership Group, Mental Health Codesign, Threads of Hope: A Peer-Led Afghan Sewing and Craft Collective and city-wide Coalition don’t just provide services—they shift power. By elevating those most impacted, we’re creating new ways to solve long-standing challenges, breaking barriers at the grassroots level.
Every gift fuels this work. Will you join us in driving meaningful, lasting change? #GreatGive2026 #CRIW #SupportRefugeeWomen #NewHaven
On May 6 & 7, we invite you to be part of something powerful!
During our upcoming 2-day fundraising campaign, your support will help expand programs built from the ground up—centering the voices, leadership, and lived experiences of refugee women in New Haven.
These initiatives don’t just provide services—they shift power. By elevating those most impacted, we’re creating new ways to solve long-standing challenges, breaking barriers at the grassroots level.
Every gift fuels this work. Will you join us in driving meaningful, lasting change?
𝗬𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗪, 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 (𝗣𝗥𝗖𝗛) 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴. Fifty-three Pashto- and Dari-speaking women participated in thoughtfully facilitated activities led by trained Afghan community codesign leaders who share their language and lived experience. At the same time, 30 children were supported and cared for by the CRIW P2L Childcare Team, led by Rebecca Foley and an incredible group of dedicated volunteers.
Codesign is a bottom-up, community-driven approach that centers the voices, expertise, and priorities of those most impacted. What we witnessed was connection, trust, and the collective shaping of ideas that reflect real needs and strengths.
Deep gratitude to everyone who made this day possible—this is what meaningful collaboration looks like. #CRIW #YalePRCH #Codesign #Afghanwomenemotionalwellbeing #refugeewomenmentalhealth #NewHaven #Afghanwomensvoicescentered
