Burma Refugee Family Network

burma refugee families & NEWCOMERS

Empowering refugees and asylees to self-sufficiency and civic engagment in the larger community fabric
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Burma Refugee Families & Newcomers, formerly known as Burma Refugee Family Network (BRFN) is a 501(c)(3) community-based nonprofit organization established to support and empower refugees of all ethnic groups from Burma and other countries resettling in the wider San Francisco Bay Area. BRFN provides and advocates for culturally and linguistically appropriate social support services, such as language training, social welfare, education, physical and mental healthcare, employment, housing, and cultural bridging and preservation. BRFN works in collaboration and partnership with other community organizations in order for the refugees and asylees to achieve self-sufficiency and civic engagement in the community.  

News and Updates


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Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2016 for BRFN Released
Burma Refugee Family Network Annual Report 2016​
BRFN released our Annual Report for the previous year 2016 today. It describes the new changes and transitions BRFN has encountered in 2016, with the rapid growth of BRFN's programs, budgets, and organization. As a result, some new challenges and needs are recognized and plans to address such needs are addressed in the report. Year 2017 will be a time for BRFN to adjust and accommodate for the transitions, while building a foundation for further growth and sustainability of BRFN as a agency with best practices that continue to assist the most vulnerable communities of refugees and asylees as well as immigrants.

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​BRFN is awarded Ernst Pon Memorial Award by National Association for Ethnic Studies. and API Legal Outreach's Recognition Award for Community Impact
BRFN's efforts in empowering our communities and advocating for their rights have been recognized by two institutions recently. In October 2016, API Legal Outreach, one of our community partners, together with California Legislature Assembly, has awarded BRFN with the Community Impact Award for our devotion to advocating for our clients' needs and assisting them with addressing such needs. Executive Director Su Su Maung and Vice Chair Zarni Maung attended the API Legal Outreach 40th anniversary celebration at SF Design Center to receive the award. In addition, in April 7th 2017, BRFN was once again recognized by National Association for Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University and awarded the Ernst Pon Memorial Award for Contribution to Ethnic Studies through our advocacy and social service efforts. Vice Chair Zarni Maung attended the ceremony luncheon to receive the award on behalf of BRFN. Receiving these awards not only validate the commitment BRFN has to our client communities and our mission, but it also recognizes the special place that refugees and asylees have in the history of and making of our society in the United States. We are pleased that our communities are recognized in such ways as well, and appreciate our partners in advancing the integration of our communities into the larger American societal fabric.


​BRFN Releases a Needs and Assets Assessment Report with SFSU 

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From Crisis to Community Development: Needs and Assets of Oakland's Refugees from Burma
BRFN released a  new report today highlighting the hardships refugees from Burma face in Oakland.  The report, "From Crisis to Community Development: Needs and Assets of Oakland's Refugees from Burma", clearly describes challenges refugees from Burma face adjusting to life in the United States during a recession. The report's recommendations include an extension of the federal Refugee Cash Assistance Program, which currently only provides support to refugees for eight months after their arrival in the U.S. It also calls for direct support for refugee community organizations helping their own communities, the funding and training of interpreters in ethnic languages, and increased provision of adult ESL classes, particularly classes appropriate for learners with low levels of formal schooling. Read the full report.


Visit our News and Publications section for more!

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Photo used under Creative Commons from Andrea Balzano
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission
    • History
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Staff
    • Contact Us
  • Refugees From Burma
  • Programs
    • Social Adjustment and Cultural Orientation >
      • Cultural Bridging Workshops
      • Language Assistance
    • Bridging Health Access
    • Advocacy
  • Get Involved
    • Jobs & Internships
  • Calendar
  • News and Publications
  • Links
    • Community Resources
  • Donate