About

Founded in 2003 by Barbara Eiswerth, PhD, Iskashitaa Refugee Network is dedicated to improving the lives of refugees and the broader community through sustainable food initiatives, hands-on educational programs, and community partnerships. We create opportunities for refugees to share, learn, work and build meaningful connections while fostering a more resilient and inclusive local food system and community integration. 

Iskashitaa's harvesting programs provide refugees with an important immersion experience into American culture which is vital to their successfully becoming citizens. Refugees receive fresh, nutritious foods, gain experience navigating Tucson, meet other volunteers, practice English, and build skills for jobs in food service, retail, landscaping & maintenance, furthering their community integration. Iskashitaa's Refugee Garden Art Program empowers refugees by creating opportunities to use their knowledge of gardening and the sharing of their culture through food from their home countries at our weekly sessions, helping their families feel welcome in the Tucson community.  The language of food is the universal language! Other programs include a monthly Food Preservation Workshop and weekly sessions with Koru Multicultural Library resident artisan.

Harvesting local food to feed families, instead of landfills. Community volunteers & refugees work side by side on a weekly basis to annually harvest and redistribute more than 100,000 pounds of produce nuts from backyard trees, gardens, orchards, and farms. Harvested, grown and rescued produce is redistributed to refugee families, food banks, soup kitchens, shelters, and families throughout Southern Arizona. Nutritious food that may otherwise go into a landfill, instead goes to sustain families, reduce waste and support local sustainable food initiatives. 

No fruit left behind! 

Please visit our website for more information, volunteer opportunities, events and to shop our online https://www.iskashitaa.org/IskaShop, for unique small batch handmade marmalades, jams, and jellies made from our locally harvested fruit. 

Harvesting against hunger since 2003!