What a journey 2023 turned out to be! It marked a year of incredible growth and memorable opportunities for Dwell, and we are stepping into 2024 with even greater excitement and anticipation.

Reflecting on the past year, we've witnessed so many wonderful developments. We were honored to receive a contract from the Alabama Office for Refugees, allowing us to expand our services significantly. This has led to many new faces joining our Dwell family. English classes have quadrupled in frequency, reflecting our community’s ever-growing dedication and enthusiasm. Our community events, such as the back-to-school bash, health fair, and holiday toy drive, have seen outstanding participation, maxing out our space’s capacity. Moreover, our monthly food distribution continues to be a valuable aspect of our community outreach, feeding hundreds every month.

As we look forward to 2024, we are excited to share some fantastic news. Dwell is partnering with Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), extending our services to now include welcoming and resettling new refugee families to Mobile, AL. This marks a significant expansion of our mission as we have historically focused only on post-resettlement services. Additionally, we are in the application process of becoming an emergency food pantry through “Feeding the Gulf Coast”, and launching new tutoring opportunities for older students, along with additional cultural orientation classes.

Now, we are reaching out for your support. To sustain and expand our vital services, we need to grow physically as well. We recently signed the lease for additional space, including the former boutique next door and a large room at the back of our current facility which will be completely dedicated to our children's programming! These spaces are full of potential but require renovation to become more functional.

To achieve this, we are setting a financial goal of $15,000 for equipment & supplies, and looking for volunteers to help with some of the work related tasks, including:

• Building three new walls

• Laying new flooring

• Installing doors and cutting out wall sections

• Painting

• General carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work

• And other miscellaneous tasks

If you're in a position to contribute financially to this project to support Dwell’s growth, we encourage you to click the link below to donate. Also, if you're interested in offering your time and skills, please contact our fantastic project manager, Georgia Ann Clark. She can let you know how you can be a part of this exciting expansion.

Your support is vital to what we do, and we are deeply grateful for your generosity as we continue welcoming new neighbors to Mobile.

Thank you for being part of our journey.