Los Angeles is Home: Empowering Refugee Families and Building Stronger Communities

Immigrant and refugee support

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Tiyya is addressing the urgent and ongoing challenges faced by refugees and displaced families resettling in Los Angeles. These individuals arrive often facing systemic barriers to employment, housing stability, and social inclusion. We address the lack of culturally responsive support systems that empower these families to plant roots, build community, and achieve long-term, stable, self-sufficiency. Without access to tailored resources and economic opportunities, many remain marginalized and unable to fully participate in or contribute productively to their new home city. Tiyya’s free programs such as the culinary training program, respond directly to this need, providing holistic support, from workforce training to youth support and community connection, ensuring displaced families are set up to thrive in LA. In 2024, we served 716 individuals, including 372 children. As recent policy shifts increasingly affect displaced families, the demand for our support continues to rise.

This grant will support the expansion of Tiyya Foundation’s culinary training and cultural dining programs under Flavors from Afar, an award-winning initiative that empowers refugees and immigrants through food. Our model enrolls individuals from displaced backgrounds to share their cuisines, while receiving paid, hands-on training in catering, running a restaurant, event production, and entrepreneurship.
With this funding, we will provide stipends and culinary education to 20 new participants, helping them build skills and income. We will grow Flavors’ catering and private event services, launch a daily lunch program at our East Hollywood kitchen, and collaborate with Airbnb Experiences and local brands to host cooking classes with our chefs and community dinners
that foster cultural exchange. Additionally, we will support job placement for program graduates and offer youth and family cooking workshops that deepen community ties.
In Los Angeles, where displaced families often face systemic barriers to employment and belonging, our initiative offers both immediate economic opportunity and long-term empowerment. What sets Flavors from Afar apart is its dual focus: workforce development and public education. By inviting Angelenos to “taste the world,” we build understanding while creating pathways to stability. This program transforms isolation into income and cultural identity into economic power—helping refugee communities thrive AND survive.

This grant will support the expansion of Tiyya’s Flavors from Afar initiative, which empowers refugees and immigrants through paid culinary training and job placement. By supporting displaced families on their path to self-sufficiency, we help make LA more inclusive, connected, and culturally vibrant—while the city benefits from their talents and entrepreneurial drive. Tiyya’s Economic Advancement program—including Flavors—has generated millions in wages and helped participants re-enter fields like medicine and law, creating a measurable impact on the local economy. Over the next year, we will train and employ 20 refugee and immigrant chefs, expand catering, launch daily lunch service, and serve 1,000+ guests. These efforts are projected to boost participant wages by 30%, reducing food insecurity. Long-term, we aim to replicate this model across Southern California. As graduates return as staff and leaders, our impact will remain rooted in community and built to last.