Phimmasone Owens is fundraising
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A Lifeline for Refugees: Help RGI Continue Its Mission
A Lifeline for Refugees: Help RGI Continue Its Mission
RGI is a nonprofit created by a refugee for refugees. We provide:
✅ Culturally appropriate food so families can eat what nourishes them, not harms them.
✅ ESL education and literacy programs to ensure refugee children and adults have a fair start.
✅ Financial literacy and economic opportunities to break cycles of poverty.
✅ A platform for storytelling and advocacy so refugees’ voices are heard.
Due to uncertainty in federal funding, our programs are at risk. We need to raise $75,000 to keep our doors open. This work is too critical to let it stop now.
I know what it means to be a refugee—because I was one.
I fled Laos as a child due to The Vietnam War, or as we called it, The Secret War. Despite Laos declaring neutrality, the CIA waged war on my homeland, making it the most bombed country per capita in history. Like thousands of others, my family fled across the border to Thailand, escaping persecution and an unlivable future. But our nightmare didn’t end there.
I grew up in refugee camps, where starvation was constant, and the living conditions were unbearable. When I finally arrived in the U.S., I was introduced to the Standard American Diet—foods that were foreign to my body, causing health issues that still affect me today. I was lactose intolerant but given milk every day at school. I never felt full. I developed diabetes as an adult. I faced language barriers, extreme trauma, and a lack of resources that made every step toward stability a battle.
This is why I founded Refugee Garden Initiatives (RGI)—to ensure no other refugee has to suffer alone.
But we cannot do this without you.
This is more than just a fundraiser—it's an investment in our community and it’s about ensuring refugees don’t just survive, but thrive.
Please donate today. Share this with your network. Help us continue this work.
#SupportRefugees #FoodIsHealing #RefugeesDeserveBetter #RGI #DonateNow
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