Finding Refuge

06/19/2024

We got a surprise for you!!🙊🙊

Introducing Safi Qadir🙌🏽

Safi Qadir is a calligraphy artist from the Chicagoland area who breathes new life into the ancient artform by combining classical and modern techniques, as well as by blending Arabic, English and Chinese styles. Besides his work as an artist, he’s a tech startup founder aiming to connect and strengthen the bonds between Muslims within communities throughout the country.

Catch Safi make a calligraphy painting in real time at Routes & Routes & bid to take it home 🏠

We’re only two days away!!

06/15/2024

🍉Introducing Dima Zaghal ✨

Meet Dima Zaghal, a Palestinian-American artist based in the north suburbs of Chicago. Dima's creative pursuits adopt an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing painting, sculpture, alternative processes, poetry, performance, and installation art.

Her work delves into personal themes such as identity, memory, faith, and familial storytelling. Each stroke, form, and word expressed speaks to the essence of her lived experience. Dima aims to foster a deeper understanding of Palestinian and Arab diasporic narratives, inviting viewers to engage with her art and nurturing dialogue and appreciation for the vibrant culture she embodies.

At our Roots & Routes event on June 22, Dima's engaging exhibit "Home (وطن)" will be on display, offering a powerful journey through her personal recollections and material consciousness as a Palestinian of the diaspora.

Don't miss her artist talk at 5:00 PM, where she will walk us through her work and the stories behind it.

📅 Date: June 22, 2024
📍 Location: Abrahamic Center for Cultural Education
🎟️ Tickets: sliding scale

06/15/2024

DID YOU KNOW THERE’S LIVE MUSIC @ ROOTS & ROUTES?!

Introducing Our Musician: ADE 🎶✨

Meet ADE, a multifaceted musician with a rich tapestry of experiences. Born in New York and raised in Iowa, ADE's love for storytelling shapes his music, which blends acoustic vibes with R&B influences. As a producer, mixing engineer, singer, rapper, and songwriter, ADE's work reflects his innermost thoughts and the complexities of love and life.

Inspired by artists like Daniel Caesar, Clinton Kane, Lizzie McAlpine, Labrinth, and Smino, ADE creates a unique sound with extended chords, moody lyrics, and powerful vocals. Proficient in six instruments, his journey began with a memorable third-grade solo and has led to notable performances, including opening for Davido and performing at the Mission Creek Festival.

Check out ADE set the vibes at Routes and Routes on June 22!! Ticket link in bio :)

06/13/2024

Introducing Our Second Spoken Word Poet: Liz Bajjalieh 🎤✨
Meet Liz Bajjalieh (she/they/he), a q***r diasporic Palestinian and Irish poet and activist based in Rogers Park. Liz is not only a talented comedian but also a gifted writer, on track to publish their first book, "SCREAM Until You Know What God Is," with Fernwood Press later this year.

Join us for Roots & Routes on June 22 to experience Liz's unique blend of humor, poetry, and activism. Immerse yourself in a night of visual art, music, storytelling, and delicious food, all elevating stories of belonging and community🌍❤️

📅 Date: June 22, 2024
Last day to buy tickets June 21st!!

06/12/2024

Introducing Our Comedian: Manaeha 🎤✨
Meet Manaeha (they/she/he), a ceramicist living in Chicago, originally from California, and about to embark on the journey to law school. Manaeha is in love with clay, SRK, jellyfish, languages, dancing, and most of all, making people laugh.
Though new to the stand-up scene, Manaeha is perpetually and dangerously committed to the bit. What's the difference, anyway?
Join us for Roots & Routes on June 22 to experience Manaeha's unique humor along with an immersive night of visual art, music, storytelling, and delicious food. Celebrate stories of displacement and belonging, and support a great cause!
📅 Date: June 22, 2024
🎟️ Tickets: $5 - $75
Be a part of something powerful. Together, we can make a difference.
Get your tickets now!

06/10/2024

🌟 Meet our storyteller, Safia Mahjebin! 🌟
Hailing from the County of Kings (power to the people), Safia stretches through space and time as an artist, recently diving into documentary filmmaking. A proud alum of the UChicago Popular University for Gaza (May the university of Chicago be cursed for profiting off of war), she carries the fire and love from her experiences into ever-liberatory directions.

Join us on June 22 at Roots and Routes to hear Safia's powerful narratives and celebrate our stories of resilience and belonging. Don't miss this captivating evening!

06/05/2024

🤣🤣Get ready to laugh

🎤Introducting Zaid Fouzi 🙌🏽

🗓️Catch him at Roots & Routes on June 22!!

Zaid Fouzi is a Syrian-American comedian based in Chicago who has performed across the U.S. and Canada. He dedicates his comedy to advocating for the Arab-American identity and has worked with some of the top Arab-American comedians including Bassem Youseff, Sammy Obeid, Ahmed Ahmed and Amer Zahr. His work and story have been featured on NPR, and AlAraby TV.

Ticket link is in the bio!

05/29/2024

🌍✨ Roots & Routes: Stories of Displacement and Belonging ✨🎨

We are partnering with to bring you all an immersive multi-sensory experience!

Join us for a powerful and transformative event celebrating the resilience and strength of those who have faced displacement. This immersive experience brings together visual art, comedy, music, and food to elevate stories of belonging and the human spirit.

Highlights:
🖼️ Gallery Viewing: Explore the thought-provoking work of .art highlighting her identity as a Palestinian in the diaspora.
& the standing exhibit at reflecting on the interconnectedness of faith.

🎤 Performances: a stellar line up of comedians, musicians, spoken word poets, and storytellers. Be on the look the lookout for the full lineup drop 👀👀

🎨 Interactive Activities: Participate in interactive activities.

🍴 Food & Drink: Savor delicious food and drinks inspired by global cuisines.

💯💯All proceeds support unhoused refugees and refugees in Palestine. Your participation makes a difference!

📅 Date: June 22, 2024
🎟️ Tickets: $5 - $75

Be a part of this unique event and help make a positive impact. Get your tickets now!🙌🏽🙌🏽

This event will not have been possible without the support of 🙏🙏

Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the resilience and stories of those who have experienced displacement and found belonging.

03/15/2024

Pardes Gaya
With every journey away from one’s homeland, stories of longing and displacement find a voice through the poignant words of Mahmoud Darwish and Reza Mohammadi. In an era where forced displacement has become a harsh reality for many, their verses echo the silent sacrifices and untold hardships faced daily by refugees.

You can support our work helping refugees rebuild their lives and find home by donating below or purchasing this poster from our store link in the bio!

03/12/2024

Ramadan Mubarak to all those practicing this year especially those who have been displaced from their homes and have to spent this beautiful month without their communities and loved ones. May they be able to reunite one day 🤲🏼

12/24/2023

75% of our current residents are people that have been displaced because of genocide.

Displacement is not just an after effect it is a very intentional means of conducting genocide. Furthermore, putting displaced people into situations where there isn’t safety for them is perpetuating genocide further. When people are displaced from their land and there are no safety nets, people are put into unlivable situations of homelessness, food insecurity and danger.

We at Finding Refuge have made it our mission to support people at this crucial stage, where having a place to stay, food, and safety are imperative for people to heal from the horrors of genocide. Please consider donating to us as the holiday season approaches. We are receiving applications from people displaced from Gaza and Congo and need your help to be able to provide them with the aid they need.

SUPPORT the displaced communities of Gaza and the Congo by donating to the link in our bio today!

12/15/2023

For 70 days we have seen the unrelenting genocide on the people of Gaza with over 20,000 people martyred and 2.2 million people displaced by the settler colony of israel. Now more than ever, we cannot stop talking about Gaza. We cannot stop talking about a free Palestine. Palestine is a beacon of hope to global struggles against oppression. Refaat Alareer, the beloved poet, writer, and scholar, who was martyred last week in Gaza wrote in a poem 'If I must die you must live to tell my story.. If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale."

With the millions displaced in Gaza and the millions more displaced all around the world, Refaat’s word ring the most true to refugees. They are people who have lived despite all the odds stacked against them, all the oppressive forces that have tried to take them out, all the pain of loosing loved ones, leaving behind family. They must live to tell the story of their people, their land, the cause that is worth dying and living for. We must lift them up and support them once they arrive at borders because the tales of Refaat Alareer and all the souls we have lost teach life.