Welcome to REACT DC Radio, a podcast about refugee resettlement.
This podcast is an exciting new venture for us and we’re looking forward to bringing you episodes to help you learn more about REACT DC, a veteran and military spouse-led 501c3 providing resettlement assistance for recently arrived refugees in the DC metro area and throughout the United States
To stay updated on this channel, You can listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!
👍 Like and 🔔 Subscribe to stay up to date on each episode.
Thank you for your interest and support!
Episode 1: (Re)Introducing REACT DC
In this first official podcast broadcast we'll introduce you to our Founder and CEO Amy Marden and our COO Molly Sepulvado. They'll take us back to the beginning and walk us through REACT DC's first year and what lies ahead. They’ll discuss why they felt drawn to the mission, go over the highs and lows of their positions and responsibilities within the organization, discuss the ONE (or three!) thing(s) they wish people knew about refugee resettlement and then end with a favorite memory and what they’re most excited about in the year to come.
Episode 2: REACTsurge
In this episode we'll introduce you to a very special guest, our REACTsurge Program Director, Abdul Sami Ahmadi. Sami will talk about the REACTsurge program and how it is helping deepen partnerships with northern Virginia resettlement agencies by providing quality case aides for temporary staff augmentation. We’ll also discuss his experience over the last year to include resettlement and REACT DC, how he’s contributed to the success of and why he's so drawn to REACT DC’s mission, go over the highs and lows of his position and responsibilities within the organization, discuss the ONE thing he wishes people knew about resettlement and then end with a favorite memory and what he’s most excited about in the year to come.
Episode 3: REACTsponsors I
In Part I of this week's 2-episode arc, we'll introduce you to our REACTsponsors Program Director, Erin Howe. Erin is here to talk about the REACTsponsors program and how it provides nationwide end-to-end support as a Sponsor Circle Umbrella and a Private Sponsorship Organization for Americans who want to enrich their communities and themselves through sponsorship of Afghan and Ukrainian newcomers. We’ll also discuss her experience over the last year developing a flagship sponsor program, delving into how sponsoring works and what to do to get started. She'll go over the highs and lows of sponsorship, discuss the ONE thing she wishes people knew about sponsoring and then end with a favorite memory and what she’s most excited about in the year to come.
Episode 4: REACTsponsors II
In Part II of this week's 2-episode arc we'll welcome back Erin Howe, our REACTsponsors Program Director, and introduce you to Cynthia Rapp Sandhu, one our REACTsponsors. Erin and Cynthia talk about Sponsorship, and Cynthia’s experience preparing for the Sponsor Circle Program for Afghans and ultimately participating in Uniting for Ukraine program. They’ll go over the highs and lows of sponsoring, discuss the ONE thing they wish people knew about sponsorship and then end with a favorite memory.
Episode 5: REACTwomen
In this episode we'll introduce you to Allison Agoglia, our REACTwomen Program Manager and welcome back Molly Sepulvado, REACT DC’s COO. They are here to talk about REACT DC’s new Women’s Program that launched in September 2022. They’ll discuss why they felt drawn to the create this program and why there’s a need to focus on our female beneficiaries, go over the highs and lows of the process of implementing this program, discuss the ONE thing they wish people knew about our Women’s Program and then end with a favorite memory and what they’re most excited about in the year to come.
Episode 6: REACTcore
In this episode we'll welcome back our former Family Services Director and current COO, Molly Sepulvado and introduce you to our REACTcore Program Manager Ally Brown, and two of our incredible beneficiaries turned Case Aides, Hameed and Mohammad. They are here to talk about the REACTcore program and how it is helping provide essential social services support for unsupported DC metro area newcomers including benefits enrollment, material goods distribution, and community resource and referral. We’ll discuss how our Family Services department evolved into REACTcore, Molly and Ally’s roles from the early days to now, Hameed and Mohammad’s experience over the last year to include resettlement and their working relationship with REACT DC, go over the highs and lows of their positions and responsibilities within and without the organization, discuss the ONE thing they wish people knew about resettlement.
Episode 7: REACTsponsors Roundtable
In this episode we’re going back in the archives to listen in on our REACTsponsors Program Director, Erin Howe, sitting down with REACT DC’s CEO, Amy Marden, and 4 of our past and present Sponsors, Kim and Steve Schaffer, Domi Long, and Brooke Cutler during their Roundtable Discussion back in September about all things sponsorship. If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to sponsor an Afghan or Ukrainian refugee or family, what steps it takes, and what it looks like in real life for real people like YOU, you cannot miss this conversation! The unedited roundtable discussion is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel. Interested in joining the Welcome Movement & becoming a Sponsor? If you, your family, church, club, team or organization are interested in learning more about Uniting for Ukraine, contact our REACTsponsors Program Director at reactsponsors@reactdc.org or go to the REACTsponsors above.