What is Iskashitaa?
Iskashitaa (pronounced: Isk-ah-shee-tah) is a non-profit organization established to harvest hope and empower the dreams of refugees living in Tucson.

Who is a Refugee?
A refugee is a person who leaves his or her country because of a fear of persecution. Refugees come from many backgrounds and countries. Refugees must have lived in another country or a refugee camp before their resettlement and must go through a complex process in order to be relocated. All refugees who resettle in the United States are invited by the United States government. Refugees are not immigrants who arrive for job or economic opportunities.

At Iskashitaa, refugees find cross cultural exchanges, sustainability, connections, collaboration, education, community engagement, services, opportunities, arts, traditions, environmental consciousness, new experiences, identity, local foods, diversity, and much more.

To see Tucson refugees visiting Tohono Chul Park, watch this short video from from Arizona Public Media.

Who does Iskashitaa serve?
Nearly 33 million people have been uprooted from their homes by persecution and armed conflict. Their losses are incalculable: they may lose their home, livelihood, safety, belonging, or family. Currently, less than one percent of these refugees are resettled to a permanent home. Upon arrival, the success of these lucky families depends on the welcome they receive from their new community.

You can learn more by attending a Refugee 101 Information Night on Thursday, Sept. 13, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM, at St. Francis in the Foothills, Rooms 30-31:

• Who is a United Nations Refugee?
• Where do they come from?
• What is their journey like?
• What does Iskashitaa do in Tucson?

To RSVP, call Lizbeth Gonzalez at 331-6585 or Barbara Eiswerth at 440-0100, or by email to: volunteer@iskashitaa.org.

Iskashitaa programs include: 

• Harvesting and Preparing Food
• Sewing and Crafts Circle
• Marketing and Fundraising, ESL, Advocacy
• Volunteer Your Time
• Donate Food to their Harvest Program
• Give Handmade Gifts From Their Catalog

Support Local Farms Who Donate to Iskashitaa:
Please support the local farmers, and save natural resources, who donate to Iskashitaa:

• Brown’s Orchard 
• Buckelew Farm
• Forever Yong Farms
• Native Seeds
• RichCrest Farms
• Tucson Community Supported Agriculture
• UA Arizona Cooperative Extension

Find Iskashitaa goods at stores across Tucson:

• Iskashitaa office at 1406 E. Grant, Tucson
• First Christian Church at 740 E. Speedway, Tucson
• Patchouli Blue at Historic Old Town Artisans, 186 N. Meyer, Tucson
• St. Francis in the Foothills at 4625 E. River Rd., Tucson
• CRIZMAC Art and Culture Education at 1642 N. Alvernon, Tucson
• Dirty Dawgs Self-Service Dog Wash at 3055 N. Campbell Ave. #133, Tucson
• Creative Juice at La Plaza Shops, 6530 E. Tanque Verde, Suite 160, Tucson
• Deco: Art for Living at 2612 E. Broadway, Tucson
• BorderLinks at 620 S. 6^th Avenue, Tucson
• Mi Casa Mexican Extravaganza at 3248 E. Grant, Tucson
• Desert Vintage & Costume at 636 N. 4^th Avenue, Tucson