In a nondescript house, in the Northside neighborhood of Syracuse, a little bit of magic happens each week. It is here that a group of women from the city’s refugee community gather for an evening of food, lessons covering an aspect of American culture or history and several hours of community with others who have and continue to experience a similar journey. 
It is common for mothers to feel a sense of isolation in their children’s younger years, but this all the more exasperated when mothers are not near to many others who speak their language or share their cultural traditions. Hanifa, originally from Congo, attends the weekly gatherings; on this evening the women were learning about traditinoal holidays and making paper Christmas trees.