Switchboard Blog

Switchboard’s blog posts offer a wide range of insights on the newcomer experience, including practical tips for navigating the resettlement process, resource lists tailored to community needs, case studies about relevant programs, engaging stories of successful integration, and more.

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How to Develop and Run a Community Advisory Board (CAB) Meeting

A community advisory board (CAB) is a group of individuals from a specific community who come together to provide guidance, feedback, and support to organizations, projects, or initiatives impacting their community. CABs are often useful in health care, education, research, and community development projects to ensure that the voices of community members are heard and…

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During the holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims fast—that is, refrain from eating or drinking—from sunrise until sundown. This year, Ramadan occurs from March 11 to April 10, 2024.  But many newly arrived Muslims are still learning to navigate the food resources available to them, and some are living in temporary accommodation with limited cooking appliances,…

A refugee’s resettlement journey involves not only acclimating to a new environment, but also learning the intricacies of a new financial system often vastly different from that of their home country. Navigating personal finance is thus a challenging task for many newcomers. Gaining a thorough understanding of the U.S. financial system empowers newcomers with the…

Many parts of the U.S. are currently experiencing winter conditions including snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures. Newcomers may not be familiar with cold weather environments or proper safety methods. This post details resources and considerations for vehicle and transportation safety in winter that service providers can share with clients. This is part two of…

Many parts of the U.S. are currently experiencing winter conditions including snow, ice, and extremely cold temperatures. Service providers should ensure that newcomer clients understand the necessary steps to prepare for extreme winter weather and have adequate resources for coping with winter storms and hazards. Many clients have never experienced cold winter environments and may…

While most case managers know that proper documentation is crucial for maintaining ethical standards and program compliance, it can often feel burdensome and overwhelming. Case managers experiencing this overwhelm may look for ways to make paperwork more efficient and meaningful. This blog post explores ways to streamline processes so that documentation supports, rather than hinders,…

As providers for their community, ethnic community-based organizations (ECBOs) take on a variety of important roles—all of which require adequate funding. Without proper funding, ECBOs would be unable to pay for programs and activities for their communities, training for their staff and volunteers, and basic business expenses. Many ECBOs first turn to grants provided by…