Good Neighbors

In 2015, Kari Anderson Miller stood at a crossroads in her career as an educator. After nearly two decades of teaching primarily in Charlottesville, her role as an ESL teacher at Greenbrier Elementary exposed her to a stark reality: the widening gap between refugee students and their peers. “These kids were navigating a whole new world—different languages, unfamiliar systems—and they were doing it largely on their own,” she recalls. That experience, combined with her years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, inspired Miller to found International Neighbors, a nonprofit that has since become a lifeline for thousands of refugees in Charlottesville, offering them mentorship, guidance, and essential resources.
Miller says that her time in the Peace Corps was profoundly formative. “I was the only American in a small village, and I remember how isolating it was. But my neighbors welcomed me—they taught me how to live there. That empathy stayed with me and shaped my approach to helping others.”
With International Neighbors, she set out to replicate that sense of support. “Our mission is simple: connect refugee and immigrant families with the resources and support of the local Charlottesville community,” she says. “Refugees bring resilience and courage, but the challenges here—language barriers, housing costs, cultural isolation—are staggering. The solution is often people power.”
Nearly a decade later, Miller remains as committed as ever. “What gives me hope is that these obstacles are solvable. These families come here with the dream of thriving, not just surviving. And every small connection—a soccer game, a shared meal—moves us closer to a community where everyone belongs and feels valued.”