Iskashitaa Refugee Network is a grass roots organization that helps rebuild refugee lives through our partnerships with volunteers and local organizations. Staff and volunteers unite refugees and the community through unique programs designed to empower the refugees. Programs emphasize community connections, sharing, and English language practice to build community of refugees and volunteers. Iskashitaa has also worked to build a networking community among Tucson area refugee volunteers and agencies. Barbara Eiswerth, the founder and director of Iskashitaa, recruited refugee students in 2003 to participate in a project identifying locations of produce that was going to waste in Tucson. The youth also worked to harvest and redistribute these locally grown foods. After organizing four youth mapping programs, Barbara received a grant from the United Way to begin regularly harvesting gleaning with refugees. Although Iskashitaa started out working with Somali Bantus, the organization has expanded to work with all refugee populations from around the world. Iskashitaa serves refugees from Afghanistan, Bhutan, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Russia, Rwanda, other groups from Somalia, and Sudan.