Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network is a grass roots organization that helps in rebuilding refugees' lives. Through a 100% volunteer-based model, we unite refugees to the community. Iskash*taa has a number of unique programs designed to empower the refugees to use their knowledge and skills from their country of origin (i.e. agriculture through harvesting, tailoring, and crafts to help serve them in America. Iskash*taa has also worked to build a networking community among Tucson area refugee volunteers and agencies.

We are a 501(c)3 organization under the fiscal umbrella of St. Francis in the Foothills UMC.

Our Mission

Iskash*taa Refugee Harvesting Network empowers refugees by creating opportunities to use their knowledge and skills to help their families and their community and to better integrate with the larger Tucson community while gaining life skills that serve them in America.

Origins

Refugee students were recruited in 2003 to participate in the Tucson Youth Fruit Mapping and Gleaning Project to identify fruit tree locations, harvest, and redistribute locally grown food resources (fruits/vegetables), many of which were going to waste. After organizing four of these youth fruit mapping programs (see Tucson's Food Conspiracy article), the budding grassroots organization received a grant from United Way to regularly begin harvesting backyard fruit and gleaning from local farms with refugees.

People

Although Ishkash*taa started out working with Somali Bantus, we are increasingly working with other refugee populations from Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Iraq, and Rwanda.

Staff

Barbara Eiswerth
Executive Director
(520) 440-0100

Tara Pullano
Resource Coordinator
(520)722-9285
 

Natalie Brown
Community Liason