Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 21, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Miry’s List, a nonprofit organization serving over 350 families who have recently resettled in America as refugees from countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, is pleased to announce that Chef Roy Choi will be awarded the 2019 Gratitude Award at the 2019 Miry's List Gratitude Gala on November 18, 2019.
Over 68 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes due to violence or persecution. Each November, Miry's List recognizes leaders who have been impactful in making Los Angeles a more welcoming city for immigrants. Chef Roy Choi will be honored for his work that has transcended cultural barriers and brought Angelenos together around shared food experiences. The city’s immigrants are better off as a result of Roy's vision to challenge the status quo and advance social justice. The 2019 Gratitude Award will be presented to Roy by Evan Kleiman, host of Good Food on KCRW and Miry’s List Ambassador.
Actor Jenna Fischer will host the 2019 Gratitude Gala. Best known for her role on NBC’s The Office, Jenna became involved in Miry’s List in 2017 when she volunteered to help resettling children get new shoes and supplies for school. Jenna currently serves on Miry’s List Board of Directors and works to unite her community and fans to follow her lead in supporting resettling families. Most recently, Jenna appeared on The Today Show announcing her podcast Office Ladies with her co-star and best friend and Angela Kinsey.
“The time is now. The New York Times just reported that the Trump administration plans to further downsize the U.S. federal refugee program in 2020 to allow a maximum of just 18,000 refugees to be awarded resettlement here,” explained Miry’s List Founder & Executive Director Miry Whitehill, “Angelenos like Roy and Jenna are creating change in their communities in unique and impactful ways. Alongside our generous community of donors, partners, and volunteers, Miry's List is able to continuously support families resettling in America as refugees. We are grateful to our gala sponsors like Participant Media who enable us to thank those that are making a difference. We’ll enjoy a Californian-Syrian Thanksgiving dinner, share life experiences, and learn and grow as a community and organization. Ultimately, we’re planning to empower a room of 200 people to join us in our mission to help 150 more resettling refugee families in 2020. The time is now.”
The November 18, 2019 Gratitude Gala will be held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica. The money raised at the event will support 150 more new arrival families in 2020, representing 10% of all families projected to be awarded resettlement as refugees by the U.S. State Department next year. Every dollar raised goes toward scalable, direct and impactful programming to help families resettling in America. To purchase tickets please visit here.
About Miry’s List
Miry’s List is a nonprofit organization founded in July 2016 serving families resettling in America as refugees. Our mission is to make America a more welcoming place for refugees and immigrants by providing mechanisms for people to directly impact their resettling neighbors. Our 5 programs are designed to address challenges that resettling families face starting from the day the plane lands. Our programming is customized to each family’s needs, divided into three chronological tiers that align with the resettlement experience: Survive, Hive, and Thrive. So far, 350 new arrival refugee families have been helped and over 75,000 American people have gotten involved through Miry’s List to make America more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable for families resettling here.