Celebrating 10 Years
Each year, The Gathering supports Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas and the New Roots for Refugees program.
Event information is available in your invitation. Please contact lsmither@catholiccharitiesks.org with any questions.
Share in the Harvest
Ten years ago, a group of friends gathered to learn more about the New Roots for Refugees training program at Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. A decade later, The Gathering continues to spread a welcoming message of hope. It is amazing to witness the impact one small seed has made in the lives of refugee farmers and their families.
Through a generous matching grant in honor of this special anniversary year, all funds raised for this year’s Gathering will be matched 4 times. Quadruple your impact with each gift and multiply your support for New Roots for Refugees!!
Biak Par's Story
This fall, Biak Par will proudly graduate from the New Roots for Refugees training program. Her journey to this point has not been easy, but it has been one filled with determination and hope.
Born in Hmah Phial, a small village in the forest of Burma, Biak Par is from the Chin ethnic group. She grew up in Myanmar, where she specialized in making peanut oil. After living in a refugee camp for years, she, her husband and two children were resettled by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas in August 2013. Six years later, she joined the New Root for Refugees training program after learning about it from relatives who were also participants.
Through the New Roots program, Biak Par has strengthened her farming skills. She has received support in setting up and selling her homegrown produce at Church of the Nativity in Leawood, and at local farmers markets. She is also a farmer participant in the New Roots Farm Share program, which provides subscribers seasonal vegetables and herbs.
“It has helped our family with daily income, and we can help out our family back in Burma,” said Biak Par. “Even if it’s not much, we can provide them with what they need.”
Since resettling to Kansas, Biak Par and her husband have expanded their family to include two more children. In 2020, the couple became U.S. citizens. Her dream is to someday purchase land near her home that she can farm.
Support Refugee Farmers like Biak Par
The New Roots for Refugees program empowers families to start farm businesses growing produce according to organic standards. For the past decade New Roots for Refugees has supported families from the refugee community in establishing their own farm businesses primarily selling through farmers markets, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and wholesale to local restaurants.