OSSINING FOR REFUGEES

Ossining for Refugees is now Open Arms for Refugees, in recognition that our scope and support extend well beyond Ossining. With help from a new 2:1 matching grant from the David Swope Fund, we continue to expand our work welcoming and resettling refugee families in the greater Westchester area... Open Arms for Refugees began in the summer of 2021 when Ossining resident Sofia Bator learned that her cousin, whom we call F to protect her identity, was trapped in Afghanistan and in danger of being imprisoned or killed by the Taliban. With the help of local and national leaders including Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, US Congressman Mondaire Jones and US Senator Chuck Schumer, F was rescued from Kabul by US Marines in late August. Inspired by Sofia's determination and F‘s rescue, Ossining Town Supervisor Dana Levenberg and community volunteer Ted Buerger invited local friends and neighbors to come together to assist F and others, welcoming them to our community. The community..