Sacramento Ukrainian Refugees | Sacramento Youth PopUp Programs | Sacramento Black Experience Project

Sacramento has become a hub for Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn country. Sierra Health Foundation announces the relaunching of youth “PopUp” programs for the month of August. The city of Sacramento is asking for the community’s help with their “Black Experience Project.”

Sacramento's Ukrainian refugees

Thousands of Ukrainians crossed the border from Mexico to California following the Russian invasion of their home country. Many have chosen to stay in the Sacramento area, which already has a large and tight-knit Ukrainian community. CapRadio Editor Pauline Bartolone has been following the migration of these refugees to our region over the past months and joined Insight with more conversations with refugees to find out why they’re coming here, how they’re faring, and where they’re finding support. She also learned that one of their biggest challenges was getting permission to work.   

Sacramento's youth PopUp programs

Four years ago, the City of Sacramento, in partnership with community organizations, created a free safe place for children and their families. Youth pop-ups, from bowling alleys to movies, ice skating rinks, BBQs at the park / the list of activities goes on and on. In that time, more than 2,000 youth pop-ups have taken place across the city’s eight neighborhoods, thanks to several dozen community-based organizations. To get a status check on the impact these events have had on communities, Insight spoke with Kaying Hang of Sierra Health Foundation and The Center, Pastor Les Simmons of the Simmons Community Center, and Mai Yang Thor of Hmong Youth and Parents United.

Sacramento's Black Experience Project

The City of Sacramento needs help filling in the gaps and painting a complete picture of African American history and the experience in the Capital City. In collaboration with Sacramento State University, the city is creating the African American Experience Project, an effort to cultivate the Black experience in Sacramento. The team behind the project is expanding the project so the whole African American community can contribute and highlight this either untold or neglected history by contributing family artifacts, newspaper clippings, family photos, and sharing their recordings of conversations with their elders. Sean De Courcy, Preservation Director for the City of Sacramento, joined Insight to share more about the project and how the community can participate.