09/27/2026
What do we do with what life gives us?
Somewhere between displacement and resettlement, between receiving help and learning how to help others, one question began to shape the direction of my life:
How can I give back?
How can the experiences that nearly broke us become knowledge capable of rebuilding others?
That question became a calling.
The calling became a discipline.
And eventually, it became an institution.
The Congolese Integration Network was born from a simple but powerful realization: resettlement does not automatically create belonging.
A family can arrive safely in America and still remain socially isolated. A parent can find employment and still struggle to understand the systems surrounding the family. A child can sit in an American classroom and still feel caught between cultures. A refugee can receive assistance and still remain outside the structures of opportunity.
So we began by listening.
We listened to Congolese refugees and immigrants. We identified needs, strengths, dreams, and barriers. We connected families with resources and began building the structures necessary for social, economic, cultural, and human integration.
Ten years later, that first question still guides me:
How can I give back? Here is the link for our 10th anniversary gala
https://cinfundraiser2026.auctria.events/
As we celebrate 10 years of CIN, I am grateful for every family, volunteer, staff member, partner, and community leader who helped turn a personal question into a shared mission.
HOME BEYOND BORDERS
From Exile to Belonging
Celebrating 10 Years of Faith, Healing, and Transformation
