Nonprofit Led by Eubank ’05, ’07MEd Wins $40,000 Grant from the Renewal Project

By Caitlin Burns | April 22, 2019

Welcoming the Stranger, led by Education alumna and executive director Meg Eubank ’05, ’07MEd, was awarded a $40,000 grant at the fourth annual Renewal Awards ceremony in New York City on March 28.

Eubank is executive director and the only full-time employee of Welcoming the Stranger, based out of Langhorne, Pa. Welcoming the Stranger provides free language-learning, citizenship prep, and computer courses to immigrants and refugees in the local area. The organization has enrolled over 4,000 participants from 104 countries since its creation.

“When people move to a new country, and they don’t speak the language, they’re trapped inside themselves,” said Eubank in an interview with WHYY. “It’s just so heartening to us that people are learning from our work and celebrating it.”

Hosted by Allstate Insurance and The Atlantic, this year’s Renewal Awards drew in 9,300 applications, which editors from The Atlantic narrowed to 15 candidates. The five grand prize winners were selected through a combination of public voting and evaluations from a panel of judges. The Renewal Project was launched by Allstate to support nonprofit organizations which aim to improve their communities.