President's Report

Dear Members:

As Summer quickly approaches, I write to you in celebration of an incredibly exciting, rewarding, and growth-filled year of International Neighbors. As I complete my second term as President, I continue to be truly inspired by our Members and the countless voluntary and social contributions you have made to strengthen and enrich our community.

Before summarizing the state of our organization and what lies ahead, I would like to recognize the hard work and support of the Board (past, present, and in-coming) as well as countless Members, group leaders and partner organizations who make International Neighbors even stronger 67 years after its founding. Thank you for volunteering your time, pitching in, or simply offering an extra set of hands when I’ve needed it most. I appreciate you!

This year, we are on our way to achieving two really important goals I set out to achieve - organizational digitization and membership growth. Our digital shift is streamlining processes, improving communication, and saving volunteer time. Even more exciting—we have more than doubled new Member sign-ups and seen a surge in participation at our monthly IN Days and events. This incredible growth is thanks to your passion, outreach, and dedication!

Achieving all of this against a backdrop of global and political uncertainty makes our collective efforts more important than ever. I am proud that International Neighbors has maintained a positive and inclusive culture during these challenging and often divisive times and we continue to provide friendship and assistance to women from countries around the world. We have so much to celebrate! 

2024-2025 Highlights

One of the most significant achievements this year has been the herculean effort to digitize International Neighbors. While this may not have the glamour of some more high profile initiatives, this massive undertaking has required countless hours of dedication from numerous Board Members, and it's set to bring lasting benefits for years to come:

• Lianne H. led the charge by mastering Wix and updating our website with real-time information, including details about group openings, photo galleries, and upcoming events

• The Neighbor's Follow-Up Committee—Carole W., Nitya K., Janine C., and Melissa T.—took on the crucial task of reviewing and updating our Neighbor mailing list. This effort, which has spanned two years, is now nearing completion 

• Adriana R. and Nitya K., assisted by the Member Data Subcommittee—Lianne H., Jooyeon L., Carole W., Melissa T., and Janine C.—have worked tirelessly to transfer the list to our new platform, creating a single digital membership roster for International Neighbors. This enormous task will save countless volunteer hours starting next year and will help us better understand and engage our membership

• Additionally, we've digitized International Neighbors' job descriptions and tasks, including how to run key events such as the Fall Open House, Winter Welcome, and the Annual Membership Meeting. This effort will streamline the onboarding process for new leaders and volunteers by creating step-by-step processes that can be followed, amended, and adapted as needed - this will help ensure both continuity and flexibility

In addition, our outreach efforts have more than doubled our recruitment of new Members, from 63 last year to 130 this year! This growth is exciting and a true testament to the dedication of so many:

• To our Board, ‘what can I say?’ Every time I think we cannot ask these women to do more, they step up and go above and beyond! In addition to planning the Fall Open House and Winter Welcome, these ladies helped distribute posters, reached out to organizations to drive community awareness, as well as attended outreach events to spread the word about International Neighbors

• To the Group Leaders who remain the backbone of International Neighbors participation — they set up tables and warmly welcome Members at both the Fall Open House and Winter Welcome events, ensuring that newcomers feel at home and actively recruiting new Members to join their groups

• To the tireless efforts of our Members from India and Japan, who created unforgettable cultural events such as Incredible India and the Cherry Blossom Festival — these events resulted in the highest attendance numbers this year and showcased the beautiful diversity of our community

• To the continued dedication of our International Day Committee, who greet us each month with grace and joy, making every event feel special — this year we were thrilled to gain new IN Day Members who help with setup and cleanup

• And finally, to my own Reading Group, as well as Lianne H. and Dilek K., who organized PopUp events to extend our IN Day community to Members who can't always join us during the daytime events

Ladies, I am so proud to be one of you!

Membership Health

Membership continues to thrive with over 637 active Members representing 88 countries. This year:

• 130 new Members from 31 countries joined our community 

• 66 Members reached Neighbor status, marking 3+ years of continuous participation

• We hosted 9 fun-filled all-Member events, including:

  • Membership Events: Fall Open House, Winter Welcome, Annual Membership Meeting

  • International Day Events: Thanksgiving Harvest, Holiday Sing Along & Treats, Exercise & Healthy Eating, Crafts from Around the World — which featured two vibrant international cultural showcases: Incredible India and the Cherry Blossom Festival

These events helped foster connections, celebrate the richness of our Members’ cultures, and keep our community engaged and thriving!

Financial Overview

International Neighbors remains financially strong and sustainably managed.

• Received $4,387 in donations from 72 Members

• In addition, we received a heartfelt $5,000 donation from Scott Simonds in memory of his late wife. This donation has helped establish the Frankie Simonds Fund to support events and programs to welcome international women to Ann Arbor

• Awarded a $1,000 grant from the Japanese Business Society of Detroit

Special Acknowledgments

A heartfelt thank-you to the many individuals who contributed to this year’s success:

• Member Recognition Award recipients: Carmen C., Diane P., Melissa T. and Carole W. for their unwavering dedication to sustain and enrich our organization

• Board Members: Janine C., Gretchen F., Lianne H., Nitya K., Jooyeon L., Dale M., Mojgan M., Adriana R., Adrienne S., Melissa T., Carole W.

• Departing Board Members: Stephanie B., Shirley M. and Phyllis S.

• Incoming Board Members: Joanna C-S., Rose Y.

• Dedicated Volunteers: All Group Leaders, IN Day Committee Members, and everyone who contributed their time and skill to our organization 

• Special Shout-Out: A huge thank you to Nadia N., who stepped in at the last minute to lead the exercise portion of our Exercise and Healthy Eating IN Day when a cancellation left us without a leader. Your generosity and willingness to help at a moment’s notice were deeply appreciated!

Looking Ahead to Next Year

As we look to 2025-2026, I want to focus on three key areas. First, please help us complete the transition to our new digital platform. If you haven’t already done so, please visit our website to register or update your profile. Accurate information ensures you stay connected and helps us save time and resources. Going forward, all communication will be sent through this new platform, so it’s important to be registered!

Second, I’m reissuing the challenge I gave last year: share International Neighbors with those around you! Let us focus on outreach—not just for the sake of growing our organization, but to ensure that every woman arriving in Ann Arbor is welcomed with warmth, engaging activities, and the support of a strong community. We all know the experience of being a newcomer in a new place, and by extending the invitation to others, we can help make their transition smoother and more fulfilling.

Third, consider volunteering! For 67 years, volunteers have shaped International Neighbors into the warm, vibrant community we enjoy today. Whether you have a little time or a lot, there’s a way to get involved—become a Group Leader, join the IN Day or Zero Waste Committees, help plan a PopUp event, or support our Outreach efforts through schools, neighborhoods, or platforms like Facebook, Line, and WhatsApp. Every contribution, big or small, makes a real difference. If you're interested, reach out—I’d love to hear from you!

Thank you once again for your enthusiasm and support this year. It has been an absolute pleasure serving as your President, and I am excited for what we can accomplish together in the year ahead!

Warmest regards,

Veronica H.

President, International Neighbor

president@international-neighbors.org