A movement of neighbors and friends dedicated to welcoming new arrival families into our community through inspired crowdsourcing solutions.
MIRY’S LIST 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
MIRYSLIST.ORG | @MIRYSLIST
2019 DEDICATION TO
ANA HUNA
By Rabia Ahmadi, Director of Family Services, Miry’s List
About a year ago, when my daughter was five, she asked me a question: “Why did we leave Afghanistan? We have no one here. Nothing here.” I sat on the end of her bed as my four-yearold son listened from across the room. I started telling them the truth. “It wasn’t safe for us. There were explosions by our house. We were afraid. We were scared. We had to leave Afghanistan.” I kissed them goodnight. The next morning, my daughter had more questions. “Will explosions hurt my grandparents? My aunts, my uncles?” She had been up all night thinking about this. “What about my classmates, my cousins? Did you think of them?” An impossible question. A mother’s heartbreak. I realized I made a mistake by telling her the truth. That truth is not for my children. That truth is for my friends. I remember thinking at that moment, I need to tell my friends. And I need my friends to help me figure out what truth to tell my children. When I was still in Afghanistan, colleagues who had already come to the United States warned me: “Rabia, you won’t have any friends in the U.S. People won’t have time to listen to you.” I worried about leaving my relatives and being with just my two kids and husband. Loneliness is a form of death — a dying of the soul, not the body.
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“You are not alone,” I say, “we are here for you.” Then I ask them what they need. I explain that they don’t have to pay for the packages that show up at their door from their Miry’s List wishlist. “It’s a gift from somebody who doesn’t know you. But they care about you. This is a way of welcoming you to your new home.”
Before they arrive in the United States, every refugee has already spent many years living in fear. Most people remain in terrifying conditions — waiting and hoping things will get better — until their final surrender to the fact that they won’t. That’s when they apply for resettlement. And at that point it takes at least another five years for the U.S. to approve and process a resettlement application.
As a child, one of my dreams was to grow up and be able to help my people. I am living that dream now, thanks to Miry’s List.
When we get here, there’s a lot to learn. For example, in Los Angeles where I live, if you don’t have a car, you can’t do anything. But in Afghanistan, women aren’t allowed to drive. So when I came here, I learned to drive. And then I helped two other women to learn how to drive. Now they can drive. They can take their kids to school and go grocery shopping.
The Miry’s List community have become my people. This includes my own country’s people, Arabic, Persian, Iranian, other countries, and Americans. Even if I get another job someday, I will always be part of Miry’s List. This is my family. It is the family that welcomed me to America. It is the family I chose in America.
For refugee women — wives and mothers — depression is so common. We are carrying so much, for ourselves and our families. I feel like the women in our program get better after talking to me a few times. This is very rewarding for me.
Family to family, friend to friend, we will figure out how to explain this world to our children. And we will all get better. Together.
Ana Huna. Man inja hastam. I’m Here.
Everybody needs a friend. Everybody needs a person to share their pain. Especially refugees. They leave their parents, their relatives, everybody. They come here alone to the unknown. When they hear from somebody from their country, who speaks their own language, they feel relieved. We all need somebody who can sit and listen.
And we’re not going anywhere.
This is what I do for Miry’s List. I’m the Director of Family Services. I talk to the families. I encourage them to be strong. In Dari, we use the phrase Man inja hastam, which means “I’m here.”
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CONTENTS 2019 DEDICATION………………..2 LETTER FROM MIRY...............7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY…..…..8 MIRY’S LIST CULTURE...….....10 OUR MISSION……………………..12 WHY WE’RE HERE…………..…..13 OUR APPROACH………….……...15
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE: THE HAMADA FAMILY…..……........16 OUR PROGRAMS…….….…..…20 IMPACT AT A GLANCE……….21 FUNDING AT A GLANCE……24 WELCOME, NEIGHBOR….....27
THE HEROIC ACT OF MIGRATION……………………….32 2019 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS…36
OUR PARTNERS…………….….45 OUR DONORS…………………..46 THE GREAT EQUALIZER/ RECIPE……………………………...55
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Miry. Photograph by Christina Gandolfo
A LETTER FROM
MIRY Dearest Miry's List Community, Thank you for helping! Since July 2016, we've gone from a spontaneous meeting with a newly resettling family from Syria to a full-fledged nonprofit organization serving hundreds of refugee families resettling in America. We have served over 2,000 people! This impact is because of you. • Your hands click through our family wishlists and send gifts to our beloved families. • Your voice is an advocate for our families, our organization, and immigrants around the world. • Your eyes watch us grow. • Your ears listen to our guidance and asks to help us achieve our mission. • Your heart stays with resettling refugee families who need us now more than ever. We prove that we, as neighbors, have the power to impact the lives, experiences, and memories of families fleeing war, injustice, and persecution as they arrive here to restart their lives. We demonstrate that we can connect with resettling refugees without the need for common language and experiences. We seek out our commonalities and we eagerly learn from and explore our differences. Your generous contributions of time, money, manpower, skills and resources are the fuel that drives Miry's List forward. At Miry's List, we are building a culture that sees newcomers not just as refugees, but rather, our new neighbors. We welcome newcomers and foster a safe, encouraging culture for all people to share life experiences and heal trauma through connection and sharing. We aim to connect Americans with their resettling neighbors and to demonstrate how good helping and being helped feels. Your unwavering encouragement and support for this movement has made our impact possible. Thank you for being by my side. By our sides. Together, we have always been, and always will be, amazing. With gratitude,
Miry P.S. I love hearing from you. Reach out to me directly at miry@miryslist.org. 7
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
WHAT WE DO Refugee resettlement in the United States is handled by nine licensed nonprofit agencies and hundreds of local affiliates that are regulated by and receive funding from the federal government. But the system is understaffed and underfunded, and even the most heroic caseworkers are limited in what they can do. This leaves many resettling families struggling to meet their basic needs – not to mention their psychological and social ones. That’s where Miry’s List comes in. We’re the first organization to create a scalable solution to address the problem of refugees starting out in America without essential supplies or a support network. In 2020, we’re setting out to help 150 more new arrival families. With your help, we’re going to do it.
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Naseema Kashefi, right, cooked Afghan food for her son, Haroon, 2, husband, Bashir, and Miry Whitehill, founder of Miry’s List. Photo: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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6 CORE VALUES OF MIRY’S LIST CULTURE 1. Fair shot and equity. Every family and individual is important and deserves a fair shot at a good life. 2. Inclusive to the core. We celebrate our differences, they make us unique and complete. 3. Safe and encouraging. Fostering an environment where its safe to share life experiences and heal trauma, not through compartmentalizing, but through sharing. 4. Civility leads. Encouraging the demonstration of kindness to develop more compassionate and empowered leaders. 5. Consent. Honoring our ability to choose. We are unique individuals who proactively opt-in to our lives. 6. Presence. We are here and we all belong. We are here for our families. Our families are here, and we can help.
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MIRY’S LIST:
OUR MISSION Refugee families come to the United States seeking a safe haven from violence and persecution in their home countries. They leave behind family and friends, as well as virtually everything they own. Many Americans, seeing these families in their communities wonder: What can I do to help? Miry’s List provides a mechanism for people to directly help new arrival refugee families with the things that they need to get started in their new lives from diapers to beds to cleaning supplies and toiletries. MIRY’S LIST ANNUAL REPORT 2019 |
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WHY WE’RE HERE:
THE PROBLEM The agencies tasked with supporting refugees resettling in the United States are understaffed and underfunded. Reductions of the annual refugee admissions cap - and accompanying further reduction in federal funding - exacerbates this problem. Public services intended to assist refugees are disappearing on a national scale.
In California alone, 11 of 28 resettlement agencies have closed in the last 3 years and the remaining can only provide support for a limit of 90 days. Despite dwindling funding, refugees, many of whom worked for the US military in their home countries, continue to arrive for resettlement. In 2019, 30,000 refugees moved to the U.S. through the Federal Refugee Resettlement Program, fleeing war, persecution, and violence in their home countries. These families come to the US with multiple young children (50% of the families we serve have more than 2 children under age 5), speaking limited English, and carrying trauma and loss. They are often housed in empty or sparsely furnished apartments, lacking adequate resources to meet their most basic needs. Their vulnerability is compounded in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, when many do not have the resources to safely isolate, work, and continue their education from home. Miry’s List provides essential needs like beds, diapers, and cleaning supplies for resettling families. We also rally neighbors to welcome families with warmth and open arms, creating spaces for cultural exchange and mutual learning. This community infrastructure has proven essential, allowing Miry’s List to mobilize quickly for the vital needs of our families.
We don't need allies. We need accomplices. 13
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Abdullah, age 4
OUR APPROACH:
SURVIVE, HIVE, THRIVE Our approach is divided into three chronological pillars that start from our families’ first steps off the plane:
Survive Brand new arrival families are in “survival mode,” often living in motel rooms, jet-lagged, quiet, confused and scared. The goal in this initial phase is for each family member to rest, relax, and do whatever they need to do to feel safe. Services offered in Survive include: Emergency supplies like diapers, wipes, cell phones, car seats.
Hive Once a family has moved into their permanent home, we begin the Hive phase of our program. Our compassionate community surrounds our families with the people, services, and things they need to rebuild their lives. Services offered in Hive include: Wishlist creation, English tutoring, playdates and social gatherings, shopping trips, rides to appointments, career development and mentoring, and pregnancy support.
Thrive In the Thrive phase, families feel safe, empowered, hopeful, and supported. All school-aged children are enrolled in school, adults in the family are working, enrolled in college or trade school, learning English. Often families in the Thrive phase inquire about volunteering opportunities with Miry’s List to help families who have come after them. Programs offered in Thrive include: New Arrival Supper Club, volunteer and work opportunities at Miry’s List, professional development workshops and leadership training.
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WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?
HAMADA* FAMILY What does it feel like to resettle with your family as refugees in America? Let’s consider the Hamada family’s experience. The Hamada family arrived on May 23, 2019 to Los Angeles from Afghanistan. They’re a mom and dad with 5 children aged 2-13. They were referred to Miry's List by their cousins who resettled in LA in 2018 from Afghanistan and benefited from our programming. Over 90% of our new families hear about us through word-of-mouth referrals. Mr. Hamada is enrolled by phone with Rabia, our Director of Family Services for families speaking Farsi, Dari, Pashto, Urdu, or Hindi. The Hamada’s speak Pashto, a language spoken in the east, south, and southwest parts of Afghanistan. Rabia records information about each family member, including age, clothing size, and shoe size. In employment history, Rabia learns that Mr. Hamada served as an interpreter for the US Army in Afghanistan for 11 years. His English is nearly perfect. The family received violent threats related to his work with the US military, and for this reason, they had to flee Afghanistan. Rabia learns the Hamada’s are living in a sparsely-furnished apartment in Reseda – they’ve been sleeping on the floor since they arrived. Their most urgent needs are beds, mattresses, and bedding. They’d like to host their cousins for a meal, but they’re embarrassed to invite guests to an empty apartment. Rabia adds beds, bedding, a sofa, lamps, kitchen appliances and a dining table and chairs to their list. Mr. Hamada is worried about his wife. She doesn’t speak a word of English. He’s scared she will feel alone in America. Through speakerphone, Rabia reassures Mr. and Mrs. Hamada in Pashto, “Welcome to America. We are glad you are here. You don’t have to be scared, because you are not alone here. Now you are part of the Miry’s List family. We’re with you, we’re your friends, and we’re here beside you no matter what. I’m here to help.”
*Program names been changed their privacy. Huda Abu participant Gharbih, Director of have Family Services Arabicto at protect Miry’s List with her sons, Qassim 10, Mohammad, 7, and Abdullah, 4 Photograph by Christina Gandolfo
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Haroon, age 2
"You're not only helping out with the needed and crucial stuff, but also in shaping the model that I promised my family when we had to take our big move. The things that I wanted them to follow and to live within - such a generous and giving community." -Ahmed Abedy, new arrival dad of 4 from Iraq, Miry’s List team member
Huda Abugharbih, Director of Family Services, Arabic
Amar Dass, Director of Operations
Maaysa Kanjo, New Arrival Supper Club Chef
Rafid Albawi, Director of Logistics
Christy Anderson, Director of New Arrival Supper Club
OUR PROGRAMS:
THE IMPACT Emergency Supplies: Urgently needed items that can't wait, including but not limited to bedding, mattresses, diapers, wipes, cell phones, car seats, baby formula, and refrigerators.
Wishlists: As our flagship program, Wishlists by Miry’s List has supported over 350 new arrival families to get the things they need to survive and thrive in their new homes. Over 100,000 people have visited our Wishlists website since 2017 and thousands of generous donors have purchased over $175,000 in housewarming gifts for our families, who qualify for the program for up to two years after their arrival to the United States.
New Arrival Supper Club: Our wildly popular Los Angeles event series connects resettling chefs with their new American neighbors around the universal language of delicious food. New Arrival Supper Club gives our families the opportunity to show off their skills and culture, make money, and meet people who want to welcome them.
Welcome, Neighbor: We’re making Los Angeles a more welcoming city for refugees by giving Angelenos opportunities to connect with their resettling refugee neighbors. In partnership with LA2050 and EmpowerLA, Welcome Neighbor gives Angelenos opportunities to make direct and meaningful connections with resettling newcomers in our city.
2019
IMPACT AT A GLANCE
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226
GIVING CITIES
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FAMILIES SERVED
1,082
CITIES SERVED
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WISHLIST GIFTS GIVEN
SUPPER CLUB EVENTS
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“Seeing the needs of our neighbors and coming together to fill those needs makes the community as a whole a better place. Miry’s List is not just about giving away goods or services, it’s about building people up, making connections, deepening our attachment to our neighbors and neighborhoods.” — Jenna Fischer, Actor and Miry's List Board Member
FINANCIALS:
2019 FUNDING AT A GLANCE
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A GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT:
992 INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE DONATED MONEY TO MIRY’S LIST IN 2019 AT I O N S FOUNDATIONS $174,482
EV 21 EN . 9% TS
SPECIAL EVENTS $93,769
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on
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ER A L &A 20. 2% DMIN
CONTRIBUTIONS $160,334
GENERAL & ADMINISTRATIVE $87,487
FU N D RA I 8.5 SING %
FUNDRAISING $36,670
PR O G RA M 71. 3%
PROGRAMS & SERVICES $308,272
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WELCOME NEIGHBOR
From left, Rafid Albawi, Miry Whitehill, Cyndi Otteson, and Ayman Issa at the 2019 World Refugee Day Awards at The Jane Club in Los Angeles. Photo: Christina Gandolfo
A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MIRY’S LIST, LA2050 AND EMPOWERLA Miry’s List won the 2018 LA2050 Activation Challenge, and since then, Welcome, Neighbor engagements have provided numerous interactive opportunities for Angelenos to learn about how refugees settle in our city, how it feels for families, and how we can help. Participants had opportunities to meet new arrival families directly, getting to know one another as neighbors, often over a meal, conversation, and shared lived experiences. Since its inception, we have enrolled 14 neighborhood councils in Welcome, Neighbor and appointed 24 volunteer Welcoming Liaisons leading their neighborhood’s efforts towards resettling refugees. Our neighborhood welcoming resolution, declaring neighborhoods a safe, welcoming place for all, has been adopted by 9 neighborhood councils across the city. More than 10,800 people have made direct inperson connections with resettling Angelenos at 64 Welcome, Neighbor events, and we
have reached nearly 80,000 more people through outreach, marketing, and social media. Miry’s List team members and program recipients presented at 17 neighborhood council meetings, providing board members and stakeholders with information about and actionable steps for gaining perspective about and supporting resettling Angelenos. Around the holidays, some councils chose to have a direct impact in the form of housewarming gifts. Welcome, Neighbor activated Angelenos to the vastly diverse experiences of refugees and encouraged new engagement with these populations. In-person engagements ranged from a multicultural story hour at Hammer Museum Family Day, to middle schoolers sending welcome packages and cards to our newest arrivals, to a panel about the diverse makeup of the LA food scene at the Los Feliz Art & Food Festival.
“Now more than ever it is critical that we help our refugee neighbors make a home right here and Miry’s List has been instrumental in this work.” — Mayor Eric Garcetti, November 2019
Mona Caro, CRM Director
Rabia Ahmadi, Director of Family Services, Farsi
Ayman Issa, Director of Logistics
Julie Lacouture, 2019 Chair of the Board
Cyndi Otteson, President of the Board
THE JOURNEY:
THE HEROIC ACT OF MIGRATION It takes a lot of guts to leave everything behind in the face of life-threatening danger like the families enrolled in Miry’s List did. Some of the families in our program have gone to hell and back to survive, escape, start over, find strength, hope, relearn human connection, face isolation and loss of agency in their own lives. These are some of the abilities it takes to resettle as a refugee in a new country. They jump into the unknown as a family - this experience is unique but not uncommon.
How come the adults in that apartment aren’t at work? Why aren’t those kids at school? Where’s their furniture? What’s with the take-out boxes? Don't they care about nutrition? What kind of parents put their kids in this situation? The hundreds of Miry’s List families have taught us: Heroic parents.
Often when we meet resettling families, they are living in sparsely-furnished or unfurnished apartments – no chairs, couches, beds. If somebody walked by and looked through the window of one of these darkened apartments, seeing a big family of 7 or 8 people sitting on the floor, without furniture or lighting, they might ask themselves:
Parents who have experienced migration have had to make the ultimate choice. A no-going-back choice. About staying or leaving. Needing to do what was best for their kids. Making the choice because of their kids. Their experience is truly a hero’s journey.
Zulal, 7. Kabul, Afghanistan. Arrived Dec 2016 Photograph by Robyn Von Swank MIRY’S LIST ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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Zaineb Alawad, age 5, welcoming Miry into her home for lunch in 2017
Migration is heroism.
Zulal, 7. Kabul, Afghanistan. Arrived Dec 2016 Photograph by Robyn Von Swank
“Thank you for your confidence in us. You are making us love work more and more. This program has turned me into a person who enjoys going above and beyond in my work. I feel successful. I'm so grateful to all of you.�
-- Maasya Kanjo, mom, New American from Syria, New Arrival Supper Club chef
Photo by Eric Wolfinger courtesy of Eating Well Magazine
MIRY’S LIST AT THE SKIRBALL CULTURAL CENTER:
LET MY PEOPLE COME and Syrian chef Abeer Aljrafi. The conversation explored Abeer’s leaving Syria and resettling with her family in Southern California with assistance from Miry’s List. The program was very well received with over 100 attendees—Jews, Muslims, old, young, families, new arrivals. Several attendees paid to underwrite the cost of the dinner for the Syrian families who attended.
“In Spring 2019, the Skirball partnered with Miry’s List to create a public program: Let My People Come: A Passover Experience with Miry’s List New Arrivall Supper Club. This program brought Miry's List new arrival chefs to prepare a wonderful Passover-themed dinner. The evening featured a talk by Rabbi Sarah Bassin on welcoming the stranger as a Jewish value and a conversation between KCRW's Evan Kleiman
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“A wonderful opportunity for conversation between Americans and newly arrived refugees—truly a great way to welcome them to our community. Prior to the dinner, several of the refugee families toured the Skirball’s permanent exhibition, Visions and Values: Jewish Life from Antiquity to America.”
Adele Lander Burke, Vice President, Public Programs Skirball Cultural Center
Photos by Nathan Marshall
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MIRY’S LIST AT THE JANE CLUB:
2019 WORLD REFUGEE DAY AWARDS Over 68 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes due to violence or persecution. Each year on June 20th, World Refugee Day honors those who are and have experienced migration and resettlement. Miry's List is a nonprofit organization serving over 300 families who have recently resettled in America as refugees from countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
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On June 19, 2019, Miry's List presented the 2019 Leadership Award to our honorees, Rachel Bloom and Milana Vayntrub, who have gone above and beyond in supporting resettling families and our growing organization this year. Previous year recipients include Jenna Fischer and Lee Kirk.
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75 guests gathered at The Jane Club in Los Angeles to celebrate 2019 World Refugee Day. The evening brought together the Miry's List community to indulge in classic comfort foods prepared by new arrival Syrian chef, Maaysa Kanjo. An elaborate and delicious Syrian dinner was served with wine and cocktails.
Photos by Christina Gandolfo
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MIRY’S LIST AT FAIRMONT MIRAMAR HOTEL & BUNGALOWS:
2019 GRATITUDE GALA Hosted by actress and Miry’s List Boardmember Jenna Fischer, the 2019 Gratitude Award was presented by Miry’s List ambassador and host of KCRW’s Good Food, Evan Kleiman. Evan is passionate about connecting people around the table, breaking through cultural barriers, and making Los Angeles a more welcoming city for immigrants and refugees. The 2019 Gratitude Award was
On November 18, 2019, the Gratitude Gala brought together the Miry’s List community to indulge in a Thanksgiving feast like no other: Part Syrian, part Afghan, part Californian, prepared with love by new arrival chefs from Syria and Afghanistan alongside award-winning chefs at FIG Restaurant for a delicious cross-cultural exchange at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows in stunning Santa Monica.
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presented to Chef Roy Choi, whose inspired platform has transcended cultural barriers and brought Angelenos together around shared food experiences. Los Angeles, a diverse city of immigrants is deeply enriched from Roy’s vision to challenge the status quo and advance social justice.
Photos by Christina Gandolfo
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Milana Vayntrub, Miry’s List Social Ambassador
THANK YOU:
OUR PARTNERS FOUNDATION PARTNERS
CORPORATE PARTNERS
American Endowment Foundation Big Sunday California Community Foundation Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Hollywood Radio & TV Society Islamic Relief USA LA2050 Liberty Hill Foundation Mattel Children’s Foundation McKesson Foundation Occidental College Skirball Cultural Center Snyder White Oaks of Delaware Foundation Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE) Temple Akiba of Beverly Hills The Annenberg Foundation The Denver Foundation The Goldhirsh Foundation The San Diego Foundation The San Francisco Foundation
AirBnB Ameriprise Financial Casper Done & Done Home Go As If Creative ICM Partners LinkedIn Modcloth Northstar Moving ONEHOPE Wine Participant Media Stitcher The E.W. Scripps Company The Jane Club Topo Chico United Talent Agency WME Entertainment Wpromote
NAMED FUNDS
Dawn O’Porter Emily Henderson Evan Kleiman Jenna Fischer June Diane Raphael Laura Long Mara Wilson Maz Jobrani Milana Vayntrub Noureen DeWulf Rachel Bloom Sara Benincasa Sarah Jones Simon Majumdar Tehran Von Ghasri
Marweld Family Fund SRP Family Charitable Giving Fund The Heyman Family Fund The Kirk Family Charitable Fund
SOCIAL AMBASSADORS
THANK YOU:
OUR DONORS INDIVIDUAL DONORS Ann Moores A. Laura Brody Aaron Ettenberg Aaron Small Aaron Victorino Abby Kavanaugh Abby Wowchuk Abdulrahman Al-Shujairi Abigail Dotson Abigail Mcenany Adam Dick Adam Ellison Adam Meinstein Adnan Lakhani Adriane Zaudke Alan Kennedy Alec Steury Alex Cha Alex Davis Alexander Bernstein Alexis Rivera Ali Aziz Alice Hsu Alice Pang Alicia Bowman Alicia Hannah Alison Damato Alison Mestl Alison Morgan & Parke Skelton Aliza Graber Aliza Miner Allen Norvick Allison Bierly Allison Goshorn Allison Holton Allison Ramsey Allison Ramsey Alma Tejeda Alyson Ashford Alyssa Valentine Amanda Deibert Staggs Amanda Prosin Amanda Schack Amar Dass Amber Dolle-Field MIRY’S LIST ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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Amber Estrada Amie Arbuckle Amira Johnson Amrit Rai Amy Calderwood Amy L Durning Amy Preiser Moaz Amy Yanow Anais Kim Anderson Le Andrea Marcos Andrea Miller Andrew Freeland Andrew Knepley Andrew Lower Angela Armijo Angela Johnson Angelica Franco Ann Yasin Anna Harley-Trochimczyk Anna LaNave Anna Morgan Anna Ritchie Anna Sarah M Russell Annette Leckart Anthony King Antonia Issa April Jones Aram Zadikian Ariella Blejer Arthur Issadore Ashkan Ghasemi Ashley Berg Ayano Wolff Babe Micalizio Barbara Kempton Barbara Levin Basit Gopalani Baudelia Taylor Ben Besley Ben Frazer Benjamin Golder Bernadette Dalton Beth Newell Bethany Fitzsimmons Bethany Schaid Bill Landau Billie Greer Bonnie Hulkower MIRYSLIST.ORG
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Bonnie Samotin Bonny Sweeney Brad Jackson Brandon Bernica Brandon Butcher Brandon Parker Brandon Turley Brendan Brady Brenna Hjelle Brent Haub Brent Neill Brian Gunn Brian Howell Brian Rue Brian Stefan Briana Jorgenson Briana Mcelroy Brittni Williams Bryce Altounian C Henry Ouyang Caitlin Zick Cambra Sklarz Camella Gorman Camly Nguyen Candice Bernstein Carlos Enriquez Carmen Iguina Carmen Rios Carol Ann Warren Carol Domansky Carol Fabi Carol Peterkort Caroline Bassett Carolyn Kang Carrie Schreck Catherine Bocskor Catherine Bradley Catherine Dent Catherine McDonald Cathy Hillman Cela Scott Charissa Fry Charles Jade Charlie Fonville Chavie Berman Chris Butcher Chris Etow Chris Nee Chris Wiggins
Christal Smith Christen Vidanovic Christina Cho Christina Mar Christine Chapman Christine Gavin Christine Krebsbach Christine Luu Christine Tuchmayer Christopher Baltodano Christopher Hurley Christopher Lakey Christopher Stuetzle Chyna ChuanFarrell Cindy Chiang Cissy Jones-Lin Claire Glavin Claude J Deering Clemence Gossett Clifton Morlan Cody Jacobs Colin Macdougall Colleen Clark Collin Friesen Connie Sommer Controller Ron Galperin & Rabbi Zach Shapiro Cooper Lau Cory Marquez Courtney Davis Cristina Rivera Cristine Kelley Crystal Ogram Cyanne De Castro Cyndi, Clint, Jasper and Quinn Otteson Cynthia Booth Cynthia Gerard Cynthia Kondon Cynthia Newman Mosenson Cynthia Sabo Dallas Harris Damon Moley Dan Coury Dana Bassett Dana Simmons Daniel Corwin Daniel Horwitz Daniel Lauter Daniel Richter
Daniel Vang Danielle Roderick Danny Schmidt Dara Mendelsohn Daria Ibn-Tamas Darius Fatemi Darshan Kembhavi Dasha Fayvinova Dave and Cindy Peters Dave Kajganich David Anderson David Carson David Chang David Greene David Haskell David Hutchinson David Pannkuk David Paris David Stanton David Watts David Whitehill Dawn & Silvio Chianese Dawn Burkhardt Dean Rostovsky Debbie Thoelke Deborah Edgar Deborah Falb Deborah Henry Deborah Holoien Deborah Wise Debra Regan Dec Le Dee May Dee Rousseau Deidre Lind Desiree Flores Devin OConnor Dhinesh Dharman Diana Nguyen Diane & Mason Lilly Diane Reynolds Diane Wayne Dianne Sampath Dillawar Rehan Dina A Sofah Dominique Watt Don Machado Donald Roderick Donna L Champlin 47
Donna Schmidt Dooovall Media Doris Wang Dorothy Dubrule Doug Noffsinger Doug Reynolds Dr. Marisa Fernandez MD Dr. Sahar Shafi DDS Dustin Summers Edwin Moses Elaine Diamond Eleanor Godfrey Eleanor Kim Eleonore Stump Elizabeth Karacuschansky Elizabeth Lilly Elizabeth Pan Elizabeth Puleio Elizabeth Ragagli Elizabeth Ragagli Elizabeth Smith Elizabeth Sodaro Elizabeth Vaughan Elizabeth Wile Elsie Pride Emiliana Dore Emily Alpert Emily Forscher Emily Gaddam Emily Hutson Emily Nerad Emily Primack Emily Scottgale Employees of Dell Employees of Participant Media Employees of Soul Pancake Employees of The CLOROX Company Eric Garcia Eric Wong Erica Deutsch Erik Vallow Erika Mitchell Erika Wright Erin Carrington Erin Cooney Erin Winkler-Mccue Esther Krisman Krisman Ethan Siegler MIRY’S LIST ANNUAL REPORT 2019
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THANK YOU:
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Abdul Kanjo and his son Amer put the final touches on an elaborate Syrian dinner served to 60 guests at the 2019 Wrold Refugee Day Awards at The Jane Club in Los Angeles. Photo by Christina Gandolfo
Photo by Eric Wolfinger courtesy of Eating Well Magazine
THE GREAT EQUALIZER:
FOOD NASEEMA’S MANTU
AFGHAN BEEF DUMPLINGS Serves 6-8 These steamed dumplings are often served with a garlicky yogurt sauce, but chef Naseema Kashefi, of the L.A.-based New Arrivals Supper Club, adds a swirl of tomato sauce to the mantu for a colorful, flavorful counterpoint. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2020
INGREDIENTS 2 Tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided ½ medium onion, finely chopped 8 oz lean ground beef 4 tsp grated garlic, divided 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp ground pepper ¼ tsp kosher salt, divided 20 wonton wrappers ½ cup no-salt-added tomato sauce ½ cup labneh or whole-milk plain Greek yogurt 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint 1 tsp dried mint
DIRECTIONS Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef and 2 teaspoons garlic; cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in coriander, turmeric, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place 4 wonton wrappers on a clean cutting board. Wet the edges of each wrapper with water. Place 1 scant tablespoon filling in the middle of each. For each dumpling, grab the opposite corners of a wrapper and press together. Grab the other corners and press together, so all 4 corners meet in the middle to make a 4-pointed star. Press the edges of the wrapper together to seal. (Optional: Take 2 points of the star that are next to each other and press them together, using more water if needed. Repeat on the other side.) Place the finished dumplings on a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Add 1 inch of water and a steamer basket to a large pot; coat the basket with cooking spray. Arrange the dumplings in the basket without touching and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and steam for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and a pinch of salt; bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Combine labneh (or yogurt) with the remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and pinch of salt in a small bowl. Spread the sauce on a serving platter and top with a swirl of the tomato sauce. Arrange the dumplings on the sauces and top with fresh and dried mint. 55
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