Neighbor to Neighbor

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South Bend, IN
Neighbor to Neighbor

Creating a community network for South Bend's refugees and immigrants.

10/16/2026

💚 We Belong to One Another 💚

What a night! Thank you to everyone who joined us for Neighbor to Neighbor’s Welcome Dinner last Friday. We left feeling grateful for this community and inspired by all the ways we can offer belonging to one another.

Throughout the evening, all three of our staff members shared reflections on what it means to belong to one another. Our Belonging Wall invited guests to share moments when someone made them feel welcome and ways they could extend that same welcome to others.

Belonging doesn’t happen by accident: it grows through the invitations we offer, the relationships we build, and the care we show our neighbors.

And our guests showed up in a big way! 🎉 Our goal for the evening was to raise $7,500. By the end of the night, they had given $11,150 and pledged another $50,000! That generosity puts us nearly halfway toward our $125,000 end-of-year fundraising goal.

We’re carrying this momentum into our annual Welcome Party campaign, launching November 2! Whether you make a one-time gift or become a monthly donor, you’ll help Neighbor to Neighbor sustain and grow the programs that bring newcomers and longtime community members together. Follow along here for stories of welcome, connection, and belonging in the weeks ahead.

Thank you for helping us build a community where everyone has a place to belong. We belong to one another. 💚

10/12/2026

Neighbor to Neighbor is looking for a Case Management Coordinator to help us walk alongside our newcomer neighbors as they build their lives in our community.

We’re looking for someone who is passionate about supporting refugees and immigrants, building relationships, and helping create a community where all belong. The position can be part-time to full-time, depending on experience and growth.

🗓️ Applications close October 30!

Know someone who might be a great fit? Please share this opportunity with your networks and help us find the right person to join our work of welcome.

🔗 Learn more about the position and how to apply: https://n2nsb.org/news/case-management-coordinator/

10/09/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

ICE arrests of people with no criminal convictions have increased by 770%.

The federal government has repeatedly said its immigration enforcement efforts are focused on people who have committed crimes. But data from the Deportation Data Project show that arrests have increased much more sharply among people without criminal convictions than among those with convictions.

Since the period before the current administration:
• Arrests of people convicted of violent crimes increased 37%
• Arrests of people convicted of nonviolent crimes doubled
• Arrests of people with no criminal conviction increased 8.7-fold

And as of July 2026, people with no criminal conviction made up 70.6% of those held in ICE detention, according to data from Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC).

The numbers matter. They help us see beyond the rhetoric and understand who is actually being caught up in our immigration enforcement system, which includes thousands of people who have never even been convicted of a crime.

10/07/2026

Where We’re Finding Joy: New Friendships, Shared Traditions

Sometimes, the joy of welcome looks like dancing together, sharing a meal, or discovering something new side by side.

Amritam and Melissa are a new Welcome Project pairing, and they’re already finding fun ways to get to know each other! Amritam invited Melissa to a Nepalese Teej celebration on Notre Dame’s campus, where they danced and shared food with other women celebrating marriage and community. Melissa returned the invitation by bringing Amritam to a classical Indian music performance.

Their time together is about more than fun outings, though. As Amritam explores what she’d like to do next, Melissa has been helping her navigate employment and educational opportunities. And now they’re even considering taking a community yoga class together!

We love seeing this friendship take shape through shared experiences, mutual interests, and the everyday work of walking alongside one another. That’s the heart of the Welcome Project: building relationships where everyone has the opportunity to share, learn, and belong.

Here’s to many more adventures, new discoveries, and moments of joy together! 💛

10/02/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

As of yesterday, many immigrants who are legally living in the United States, including refugees and people granted asylum, are no longer eligible for Medicaid unless they have a green card or fall into one of a few limited exceptions.

Here’s the problem: the government is barely processing green card applications.

More than 149,000 refugees who have applied for green cards are currently stuck in limbo. Fewer than 4,000 refugee green-card applications have reportedly been processed so far in 2026.

At Neighbor to Neighbor, we have newcomers who have been waiting more than two and a half years for their green cards. A process that once took roughly 6–18 months — already a significant wait — has slowed dramatically as USCIS processing has deteriorated since early 2025.

So people who followed the rules, completed the required applications, and are simply waiting for the government to do its part are now losing access to health coverage because their applications haven't been processed.

That's the part that is so difficult to reconcile: You can do everything right and still be penalized.

At N2N, we believe our newcomer neighbors deserve better than to be caught in a bureaucratic limbo they did not create.

10/01/2026

Only 3 tickets left!

Next Friday, we’ll gather at Jesús Latin Grill & Tequila Bar for Neighbor to Neighbor’s Welcome Dinner & Fundraiser, and there are only three seats available!

Your ticket is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested price of $100, and every dollar of ticket sales goes directly toward Neighbor to Neighbor programming. So you’ll be supporting the work of welcome while enjoying a delicious dinner and spending an evening with some fabulous people. Sounds like a pretty good deal. 😉

🗓️ Friday, October 9
🍹 Cocktails & cash bar: 5:30 PM
🍽️ Dinner & program: 6:00 PM
💚 Theme: We Belong to One Another

If you’ve been thinking about coming, now’s the time! Grab one – or all – of the last three tickets here:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/welcome-dinner-and-fundraiser

This event is sponsored by:
University of Notre Dame
Indiana Trust Wealth Management
Southwire
Matthew Kahn & Janine Felder-Kahn

09/30/2026

🥗 Lunch for a good cause! 💚

Sunnyside Presbyterian Church is hosting a Salad Bar Luncheon & Craft Sale, and we’re grateful to announce that all proceeds will benefit Neighbor to Neighbor!

Join us on Tuesday, October 13, from 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. for a delicious salad bar lunch, some local craft shopping, and a chance to support the work of welcoming newcomers in our community.

📍 Sunnyside Presbyterian Church
115 S. Frances St., South Bend
💵 $10 per person
🥗 Eat in or take a to-go box!
🎨 Craft sale, too!

We’re so thankful to Sunnyside Presbyterian Church for dreaming up this delicious way to support the work of welcome! 💚

🎟️ Tickets: https://sunnysidechurch.breezechms.com/form/74096f11719

09/25/2026

We’re hiring!

Neighbor to Neighbor is looking for a Case Management Coordinator to join our team and help newcomer families navigate life in South Bend with dignity, connection, and support.

This role will work closely with newcomer families, volunteers, and community partners to coordinate practical support and help families access the resources they need to thrive.

Interested? Or know someone who might be a great fit? Check out the full job description and application details here: n2nsb.org/news/case-management-coordinator

Please share this post with someone who might be interested in joining the work of welcome!

09/24/2026

2026 Community Outings are a wrap!

Our Welcome Project newcomers and volunteer teams had a beautiful evening together last Friday at the final community outing of the year: an ND Women’s Soccer game at Alumni Stadium!

The weather was perfect, the company was even better, and the Irish took care of business with a 4–0 win over Boston College. ☘️

Community outings like this are an important part of the Welcome Project: They're a chance to share fun experiences in our city and build the mutual relationships at the heart of our work.

We’re grateful for another season of friendship and connection!

09/23/2026

What Do We Owe Each Other?

This Thursday, September 24, visit the University of Notre Dame for a conversation about our role in supporting our immigrant neighbors.

“What Do We Owe Each Other: Our Role in Supporting Our Immigrant Neighbors” the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights will bring together a panel of community voices to explore questions of belonging, responsibility, and how we can show up for one another.

📅 Thursday, September 24
🕠 5:30 p.m. EDT
📍 Eck Visitors’ Center Auditorium, University of Notre Dame
🎟️ Free and open to the public

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to be a good neighbor and what we owe one another as members of a community, we hope you’ll join the conversation.

Register using the QR code in the graphic or through this link: https://shorturl.at/Kfq61

Address

South Bend, IN

Website

http://www.n2nsb.org/

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