In case you missed it, we recently hosted our “A Taste of the Middle East” dinner for Good Neighbor Society members and their guests. Good Neighbor Society members who’ve donated $100 or more to our annual fund have access to special events such as this one.
The event took place at our location in downtown Buffalo and featured food catered by Middle Eastern Flavors restaurant, which included falafel, meat pies, chicken and beef shawarma, and baklava alongside beverages and other snacks.
There were custom Arabic calligraphy gifts created on canvas by former IIB refugee client and current M&T Bank Assistant Vice President Durgham Alyasiri. The gifts included a name or word requested by each recipient. Alyasiri also made a presentation to discuss his family’s refugee journey from Iraq and emphasized the key role that community support played in their successes and how he’s since carved out a rewarding career that allows him to give back.
Executive Director Jennifer Rizzo-Choi capped the evening by giving a community update. She discussed our important work of assisting newly arrived Americans in our community and the benefits immigrants bring to the social and financial fabric of Western New York.
The City of Good Neighbors becomes a better place every day, thanks in part to the work done with the support of the Good Neighbor Society. It provides our team with flexible financial resources to deliver vital services that our clients need that are independent of the restrictions of government funding. You can click here to join.