Kari Miller says, ‘Be a Great Neighbor!’

The bright red walls of the International Neighbors (IN) office invited me in. The pictures on the wall told me a story before I asked a single question. I met Kari Miller, founder and CEO of IN, who made sure I had a cold bottle of water before we sat down and a new IN umbrella before I left.

After attending Pepperdine University, teaching in LA county, serving in the Peace Corps in Thailand, and getting a Master’s from UVA, Miller has settled in the Charlottesville area. She taught English-Language Learners, a group of students learning English as a second language, at Greenbrier Elementary for 16 years before starting IN in 2015.

While Miller was teaching, a new kid had moved from Myanmar to a neighborhood in Charlottesville. After hearing he had been in a refugee camp in Thailand for a while, she visited, hoping he could understand her. Luckily, he spoke enough Thai to converse with her. She found that after a month in Charlottesville, the refugee was confused, a stranger is his own home, even without access to food.

Because the resettlement agency in Charlottesville wasn’t acting fast enough, she started “organically” filling any needs she could. If she knew someone with an extra TV, she would try to find a refugee that could use one. 

During her time in the classroom, she also saw the health needs of the refugees. “A kid in the Congo is not going to be flossing their teeth twice a day if they’re running from attackers,” she said. “Not only can we improve upon their home, but also their health.”

Ultimately, refugees just need someone to help them adjust to a new life. “I complained for 10 years, like, ‘someone should do something, somebody should really do something.’ And then, I found out that person was going to be me,” she said, “so I Googled ‘how to start a non-profit.’” 

Miller started IN to build networks. She wanted to connect families who were willing and able to help with refugees who needed it. She had donated to the International Rescue Committee for years, but now she preferred a more “grassroots” approach. “It’s more impactful on both sides if people help those around them,” she said. “I feel like that is the key to real change.”

When asked about the hardships she faces, she told me, “I get disappointed in humans.” During the summer of 2020, Greenbrier Elementary School was working out the logistics of the fall semester. One mother, Kristin Sancken, a friend of Miller’s, wanted to start learning pods to help kids with virtual learning. She also wanted to ensure that the pods were not all white kids. According to an article by Slate, Sancken read that the Vela Education Fund was offering grants to fund innovative solutions to remote learning problems. With the help of Miller and IN, she was able to secure a grant for $25,000. Unfortunately, the white families who had been on board until this point suddenly had plenty of reasons to exclude refugee students. Miller told the reporter back in 2020, “In typical fashion, no one wants a refugee in their house.” 

I asked, “So, you feel like people just want to be hands-off philanthropists?”

“If philanthropists at all,” she said.

However, she persists. One thing that keeps her going is the passion her volunteers have for serving refugees. She told me the story of George, an “eighty-some year old” man who, after witnessing a white man yell at some women wearing hijabs, decided he wanted to volunteer with IN.

Phillip Gilliam has also been a huge help to IN’s cause. He transports 14 refugee kids who attend four different schools every morning and evening on IN’s bus. He “never got a cent from the school system,” Miller said. “We’re just busting tail trying to get these kids to school.” However, his dedication to helping refugees has been inspiring for her. 

“What really keeps me going are stories like that,” she said.

If you want to learn about “the whole wide world in your own neighborhood,” you can reach out on the International Neighbors website. Under “Get Involved,” you can give money, sign up to volunteer, or refer someone who could use IN’s help.