Bridges to safety: Two years on, still inspiring sponsorship

Photo credit: Pfizer

Pfizer champions role of the private sector in sponsorship

At Welcome.US, our efforts to support Americans from all across the country as they took the ultimate act of welcome—volunteering to sponsor refugee newcomers and provide them with a bridge to safety—expanded virtually overnight when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The destructive war has created the most significant refugee crisis in Europe since the World Wars. Now, two years later, 6.5 million Ukrainians are still living in limbo as refugees around the world while millions more have been displaced internally. But the Ukrainian people remain steadfast in their brave fight for freedom and self determination.

To commemorate this moment in February, Welcome.US and CEO Council partner Pfizer hosted a screening of the documentary film "One Good Reason" at Pfizer’s New York City headquarters. Following the screening, Nazanin Ash, Welcome.US’s CEO, joined Payal Sahni-Becher, Pfizer’s Chief People Experience Officer and Executive Vice President, for a panel discussion moderated by Ramcess Jean-Louis, Pfizer’s Global Chief DEI Officer. It was a day of hope, meaningful connections, and championing solutions to rethink the modern resettlement system—and the role the private sector can play in the process.

"One Good Reason" chronicles the raw and vulnerable journey of the Hnatiuk family as they flee Lviv, Ukraine, and begin a new life in Unity, Wisc. Their sponsors Bryce and Maxine “Max” Luchterhand have helped them find connection and community in their small rural town.

The film, produced in partnership with ServiceNow and Tribeca Studios, shares the difficult decisions Olesia and Mykolia Hnatiuk must make for the safety of their family, leaving loved ones and a lovingly built life behind. A year later, the bond between the Luchterhands and Hnatiuks remains strong and the Hnatiuk family is thriving in their new community (read the update here).

“It was an incredible moment to bring the story of sponsorship to life to Pfizer employees, in both a very real and tangible way,” said Vicky Bhogal, Associate Director of Employee Engagement from Welcome.US. “To see the rich engagement and raw emotion from the attendees, we can see the power of a purpose-led company come to life.”

At the screening, the audience—which included members of Accenture’s Pfizer client-management team—was incredibly moved by the documentary, and the panel discussion illuminated the impact that welcoming newcomers like the Hnatiuks is having in communities across the country. Pfizer has a special connection to the Welcome Connect platform—Sheila Rice, U.S. Record to Report Specialist at Pfizer, used it to connect with and sponsor a Ukrainian family over 18 months ago.

With Sheila and the Ukrainian newcomers she and her husband sponsored joining the event remotely from Memphis, Tenn., attendees had the opportunity to learn firsthand about Sheila’s own “one good reason” for becoming a Welcomer, taking the leap to do something that would forever change their lives and the lives of Natalia and her children. Natalia and her daughter Ruslana spoke about their painful choice to leave Ukraine and their loved ones (including Natalia’s eldest son and their family dog, both of whom the family is hoping will be able to join them soon). To close out the event, Jean-Louis surprised Natalia and Ruslana with a moment of connection—a Pfizer employee who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine 25 years ago stood up to welcome and share words of support with Natalia and Ruslana in their native language, leaving them overcome with joy.

"Citizens like Bryce, Max, and Sheila, and partners like Pfizer can achieve much more than what the government or any one actor can do alone, and it’s been remarkable, especially as we consider what our Welcome.US CEO Council has been able to accomplish,” Ash said.

Pfizer has been a leader in welcoming newcomers and setting the bar high on hiring refugees, with Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s Chairman and CEO, committed to the Welcome.US CEO Council. Pfizer’s Refugee Leadership Initiative, launched in 2021 in response to the refugee crises in Afghanistan and Haiti, supports the economic inclusion of refugees and other displaced people through hiring, mentoring, and advocating. Driven by a deeply held belief that every person deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for, Pfizer continuously looks for opportunities to advance equity and inclusion.

“At Pfizer, we recognize as a corporate social citizen we have a responsibility to provide equitable opportunities for all,” Jean-Louis said. “Equity is one of our core values at Pfizer. And it’s intentional that we chose equity, and not equality, as our value. Equality strives to place all people on an even playing field by providing them with the same support and resources. Equity recognizes that each person comes from different circumstances, and therefore each of us needs different and customized resources in order to reach an equal outcome. It's with this spirit of equity that Pfizer started the Refugee Leadership Initiative, recognizing that refugees need specialized support and resources in order to overcome the adversity they’ve left behind and find success in their new circumstances. It is organizations like Welcome.US that help close this gap.”

Jean-Louis talked about his own impactful experiences as a Haitian immigrant growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y.—from the support and guidance from mentors to now leading a diversity, equity, and inclusion division at a major company. With over 400 virtual global Pfizer attendees plus 50 attendees in the room, Pfizer employees heard the call to action loud and clear: Be a Welcomer.

To learn more about how you can host a “One Good Reason” screening for your employees, please email us at [email protected].

Welcome.US CEO Council members, ServiceNow and Goldman Sachs, built the Welcome Connect platform, designed to safely match people seeking refuge in the United States with American sponsors.