activities · 13
what they do
direct service · 11
- Cultural and Artistic Workshops Youth Multidisciplinary Arts EducationHosts an Afro-Caribbean drum circle monthly and a Body Mind Art Storytelling Workshop monthly, integrating physical training, body expression, improv theatre, and meditation, as part of its broader programming.
- Food Preservation Workshops Nutrition and Food Preservation EducationHosts monthly food preservation workshops to educate the public on transforming local food, reduce food waste, and teach canning and food preservation techniques.
- Food Preservation Workshops Nutrition and Food Preservation EducationHosts monthly Food Preservation Workshops to teach canning and food preservation techniques, as well as knowledge about local food and its uses.
- Fruit Harvesting Activities Citrus and Fruit Gleaning ProgramsConducts fruit harvesting activities 2-3 days per week throughout the year to address food insecurity by collecting fruit that would otherwise go to waste.
- Fruit Harvesting and Distribution Citrus and Fruit Gleaning ProgramsConducts fruit harvesting activities 2-3 days per week throughout the year in Tucson, collecting fruit that would otherwise go to waste to address food insecurity.
- Production and Sale of Food ProductsProduces food products from harvested and donated food during monthly workshops, which are then sold in the organization's online shop.
- Refugee Advancement Scholarships Targeted Educational ScholarshipsOffers scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers through the Susan Marie Troutman Refugee Advancement Fund.
- Refugee Garden Art Program Community Garden Programming with EducationOperates a weekly program at the Iskashitaa garden in Tucson that combines gardening, language practice, art creation, and cultural exchange for volunteers and U.N. refugees.
- Refugee Garden Art Program Community Garden Programming with EducationOperates the Refugee Garden Art Program weekly, combining gardening, language practice, art creation, and cultural exchange for volunteers and U.N. refugees.
- Scholarships for Refugees and Asylum Seekers Targeted Educational ScholarshipsOffers scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers through the Susan Marie Troutman Refugee Advancement Fund to support their educational advancement.
- Tucson Organic Gardener Spring Fair Community Garden Programming with EducationOrganizes the Tucson Organic Gardener Spring Fair featuring plants, gardening supplies, crafts, and educational resources on organic desert gardening.
capacity building · 2
- Volunteer Recruitment Volunteer Mobilization & ManagementSeeks new volunteers to join its network through an application process to support various organizational activities.
- Volunteer Recruitment and Management Volunteer Mobilization & ManagementSeeks new volunteers through an application process and automatically tracks volunteer hours during weekly harvests.
strategies · 12
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Community collaboration for refugee integration and food sustainability community collaborationBuilds partnerships with community organizations, agencies, and faith-based groups to co-develop programs that support refugee integration and promote awareness of local food systems and sustainability.
- Community collaboration for refugee integration and food system awareness community collaborationPartners with community organizations, agencies, and faith-based groups to co-develop programs that support refugee integration and promote awareness of local food systems and sustainability.
- Desert-adapted organic gardening education organic desert gardening educationTeaches organic gardening techniques specifically suited to the Sonoran Desert environment through educational events, promoting sustainable local food production.
- Food preservation and waste reduction through education food preservation educationReduces food waste and promotes food security by educating the public through hands-on food preservation workshops and advocacy, transforming surplus local food into usable products.
- Food preservation education to reduce waste and build community knowledge food preservation educationHosts monthly hands-on food preservation workshops to reduce food waste and educate the public on utilizing local food resources, strengthening community capacity around sustainable food practices.
- Food waste reduction through harvesting and redistribution food waste reduction and redistributionReduces food waste by harvesting surplus fruit that would otherwise go uncollected and redistributing the majority to refugees and food-insecure populations, improving access to nutritious food.
- Integrated community engagement model integrated_community_engagementFosters connection between refugees and local volunteers through multi-activity programming that combines gardening, language practice, art-making, and cultural exchange as a pathway to integration and mutual learning.
- Integrated community engagement through shared activities integrated_community_engagementUses a holistic, community-based model that combines gardening, language practice, art-making, and cultural exchange to build connections between refugees and local volunteers, supporting integration and mutual learning.
- Skills-based volunteer matching skills-based volunteer matchingMatches volunteers with roles based on their skills and interests to increase engagement and effectiveness in programming.
- Social enterprise model to sustain programming social enterprise for program fundingOperates IskaShop, an online social enterprise selling artisanal goods made from harvested fruit, with proceeds directly funding the harvesting program to support food security and system sustainability.
- Social enterprise to fund food recovery programs social enterprise for program fundingOperates a social enterprise (IskaShop) that sells artisanal goods made from rescued fruit, using proceeds to sustain and expand food harvesting and distribution efforts.
- Strategic fruit harvesting for food redistribution food waste reduction and redistributionReduces food waste and increases access to fresh produce by strategically harvesting surplus fruit based on logistical and biological factors, prioritizing efficiency and redistribution to refugees and food-insecure populations.
named programs · 4
what they call their work
Food Preservation Workshop
Monthly workshop teaching canning and food preservation techniques using harvested local fruit; products made are sold in the IskaShop
Harvest Program
Year-round fruit harvesting from private and public trees in Tucson to prevent food waste; harvested fruit distributed to refugees and food-insecure individuals or used in IskaShop products
IskaShop
Social enterprise selling small-batch, artisanal food products made from surplus fruit harvested by refugees and volunteers; supports food waste reduction and funds harvesting operations
Refugee Garden Art Program (RGAP)
Weekly gathering for refugees and volunteers to garden, create art, practice language, and share culture; includes monthly drum circle and Body Mind Art Storytelling Workshop
relationships · 4
who they work with
- KGUN9 Partner — Local media partner that featured the Iskashitaa Food Preservation Workshop.
- St. Marks Presbyterian Church Partner — Hosts the Iskashitaa garden on its property at 3736 E. 2nd St in Tucson.
- University of Arizona Partner — Faculty member from the University of Arizona leads the monthly Body Mind Art Storytelling Workshop at the Refugee Garden Art Program.
- Zero Waste Tucson Partner — Iskashitaa Refugee Network is participating in a "Zero Waste Spring Collection Event" organized by Zero Waste Tucson.