We Chose Our Mission. Now We Need Our Community.

AKRON, OH – July 21, 2026 –

For more than a year and a half, refugee resettlement agencies across the country have faced unprecedented challenges. Changes to federal policy have essentially eliminated refugee arrivals and, with them, the funding that has sustained organizations serving people seeking safety in the United States. As a result, many long-standing resettlement agencies have been forced to close their doors.

At the International Institute of Akron, we made a different choice.

Rather than stepping away from the communities who rely on us, we adapted our work to meet the changing needs of those who came as refugees and other immigrants already calling Akron home. We shifted our services, expanded support for individuals facing new barriers to safety and stability and remained committed to our mission of helping refugees and immigrants achieve empowered lives with dignity, connection, and belonging.

After 18 months of adapting and working tirelessly to keep our doors open, we were informed that our remaining federal funding would be eliminated unless we agreed to participate in resettlement efforts that conflict with our mission and values.

This was not a decision we made lightly.

For more than a century, the International Institute of Akron has earned the trust of our community by standing alongside refugees and immigrants through changing policies, evolving needs, and difficult moments. That trust, and our unwavering commitment to serving vulnerable individuals and families with dignity and compassion, guided our decision. We could not accept funding that required us to turn away from the very communities we exist to serve.

As a result, our organization now faces one of the most significant challenges in our 110-year history.

Today, we are asking our community to stand with us.

If you believe every person deserves the opportunity to build a safe and stable future, we invite you to support the International Institute of Akron. Whether through a financial contribution, hosting a fundraiser, sharing our story, or encouraging others to get involved, your support will help ensure that our doors remain open for the individuals and families who need us most.

Together, we can preserve this vital resource for Akron's refugee and immigrant communities while we work toward a future where humanitarian resettlement is fully restored.

If you’d like to donate, you can do so at www.iiakron.org/take-action.

For those who want to know more or if you’re considering hosting a fundraiser, please contact Kevin Walter at kevin.walter@iiakron.org or Liv Randall at liv.randall@iiakron.org.

Thank you for standing with us during this unprecedented time in our history.

May at IIA: Community Stories, Cultural Celebration, and Continued Advocacy

Thank you for staying connected with the International Institute of Akron. Your continued support helps ensure that immigrant and refugee families in our community have access to the resources, care, and opportunities they deserve.

This month, we’re sharing updates on our community impact, important news, cultural celebrations, and ways to stay engaged.

 

Finding Home, Then and Now

What does it mean to arrive in a new country and build a life that shapes generations?

Our latest blog shares the story of Jon Antalvari’s family, who arrived in Akron as Hungarian refugees in 1957 carrying only a few belongings and an uncertain future. Through resilience, hard work, and community support, they built a life rooted in hope and opportunity.

Their story reflects the experiences of many immigrant and refugee families, both past and present, and reminds us that welcoming communities can shape lives for generations to come.

Read the full story here: Finding Home, Then and Now: Jon Antalvari’s Story — IIA

Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of AAPI communities across the United States.

This month, we invite you to explore educational resources that highlight AAPI voices, experiences, and stories while encouraging deeper understanding and learning. You can find these resources below and on our resource page: Self-Education — IIA 

Educational Resources:

Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental health challenges in immigrant communities are often shaped by stigma, cultural barriers, limited access to care, and the lasting effects of displacement and isolation. Creating stronger, more informed, and more compassionate communities starts with education and open conversation.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, we've included resources, tools, and opportunities for self-education on our Resources Page. You can also find these resources below.

 

In the News

Recent immigration news continues to highlight the uncertainty many immigrant and refugee families are facing nationwide.

As policies continue to evolve, IIA remains committed to providing accurate information, legal guidance, and support to the individuals and families we serve.

How to Get Involved 

Support Our Work
Your support helps IIA continue providing immigration legal services, employment support, education programs, and family assistance during uncertain times.

Donate Here

Donate 
We are currently in need of the hygiene and household products listed below.

  • Toothpaste

  • Toothbrushes

  • Shampoo

  • Hand soap

  • Bar soap

  • Deodorant (men’s and women’s)

  • Dish soap and sponges

  • Trash bags

get involved here

Advocate
Stay informed about legislation and policies impacting immigrant communities, including Ohio Senate Bill 172 and other immigration-related developments. Sharing accurate information and raising your voice can make a meaningful difference.

Learn more here

Thank you for staying connected with the International Institute of Akron and for supporting immigrant and refugee families in our community. Together, we continue building a more welcoming and informed Northeast Ohio.

Finding Home, Then and Now: Jon Antalvari’s Story

In 1957, a young family arrived in Akron by train, carrying two small bags and an uncertain future, beginning a journey that would shape generations.

Jon Antalvari was born in 1955 in a small town in western Hungary, where his family had lived for generations and where his father, Paul, worked demanding, dangerous jobs building scaffolding in coal mines to keep tunnels from collapsing. Years earlier, his father had been conscripted during World War II, captured by Soviet forces, and held as a prisoner of war before eventually escaping and making his way back, where he would marry his wife, Mary, and go on to have Jon and his older brother Art.  

In 1956, after Jon’s uncle joined the Hungarian Revolution, Soviet forces crushed the uprising and put the family at risk. Like many others involved in the resistance, Jon’s family fled Hungary to seek safety in a new country.

Their journey took them through Austria and Germany before they boarded a ship bound for the United States. They eventually arrived in New York and processed at Camp Kilmer in New Jersey. From there, everything depended on whether someone would help them start over. Thankfully, a relative in Akron sponsored them, giving them a destination and an opportunity for a new home.

When they arrived, they had very little beyond a couple of bags and clothing provided by the Red Cross, and like so many families, they had to build everything from scratch. Jon’s father found work as a butcher, while his mother took jobs as a housekeeper and as a floor cleaner in downtown Akron. With the help of the International Institute of Akron, they began the slow, often difficult process of learning English, finding stable housing, and adjusting to a new life. It wasn’t without challenges; Jon even remembers the prejudice they faced, but over time, through long hours and careful persistence, things began to take shape. They moved from uncertainty to stability, eventually renting an apartment and later purchasing a small home.

Antalvari family at their U.S. citizenship oath ceremony on January 24, 1963.
Pictured left to right: Mary Antalvari, Art Antalvari, Paul Antalvari, and Jon Antalvari.

Jon grew up in Akron, attending local schools and later the University of Akron, where he worked his way through college with jobs at Akron General before building a career in sales and eventually retiring as a project manager. Today, he lives with his wife and three donkeys on a small farm, a life that reflects the kind of stability his parents once could only hope for.

Jon with International Institute of Akron Executive Director Madhu Sharma, alongside one of Jon’s beloved donkeys.

Still, what stands out most about Jon’s story is not only what his family built, but how he has chosen to carry it forward. For more than twenty years, he has supported the International Institute of Akron, the same organization that helped his family find their footing when they arrived with almost nothing. Recently, when policy changes threatened food access for refugee families, Jon once again stepped in, providing groceries and gift cards to meet immediate needs and continuing a quiet but consistent commitment to giving back.

For Jon, that commitment isn’t abstract, but comes from lived experience, knowing what it means to arrive in a new place without certainty, and understanding how much early support can shape what comes next.

While his story began nearly seventy years ago, it is not just a reflection of the past. The details may look different today, but the experience remains familiar, as families continue to arrive seeking safety, work-demanding jobs, learn new languages, and slowly build lives that offer more stability for the next generation.

Jon’s story reminds us that resettlement doesn’t end when someone arrives in their new community; instead, it continues over time, built through steady support, small opportunities, and the consistency that can change a life’s course.

If you want to support Akron’s next generation of immigrants, please donate. Your help gives families like Jon’s a chance to build a true sense of home.

Support IIA Here