“Through the darkness of these times…Let the light of I-House shine.”

“Thinking of all of you at this stressful time. We’ll all get through this.”

“Know that I-House love is global, and you are never far from your most distant colleague or friend!”

These are just some of the inspiring and hopeful messages that have been coming in to International House NY from the global I-House Alumni community. Like so many of its fellow institutions, I-House has been responding to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic as quickly as possible, and the response from its greater global community has been overwhelmingly inspiring.

Described in more detail through updates posted on this website, I-House activities included activating an Emergency Fund to support Residents in need of assistance for relocation and creating channels to continue fostering the community spirit that has characterized the I-House experience for almost a century. Messages received through a special portal for reaching Residents contain memories of past crises weathered by Alumni along with encouragement to persevere.

Says one Turkish Alum who lived at I-House in the 1950’s, “I believe that COVID-19 proved to mankind there is no border created by nations. Our world is a whole.”

Thanks to generous Alumni, Trustees and many friends, I-House has distributed $130,000 through the Emergency Fund. Gifts and good sentiments have been arriving from all parts of the world, a true testament to the global nature of the I-House Alumni community. Countries represented by participants in this effort to date include (in no particular order): South Africa, Lithuania, United Arab Emirates, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Afghanastan, Qatar, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, UK, USA, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Greece, France, Canada, Sweden, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, and Indonesia.

Alumni sentiments to Residents are being posted on the I-House Instagram page and shared internally. To send a message to Residents or a make gift to the Emergency Fund, click here.