While serving as the Vice President of a small NonProfit that supported the efforts of the International Rescue Committee, I spent much of my time dedicated to helping resettle refugee families in New Jersey from Syria, Afghanistan, DR Congo, Iraq, etc. My time was originally split between helping to establish the internal structure of the organization, and being on the ground setting up apartments for new arrivals, gathering and distributing donations, and spending time with the families.

After getting close with dozens of resettled families, I was inspired to start a program to satisfy a few needs. The first was to try to close the gap between where the children were academically, and where they needed to be. This also applies to their parents’ English. Second, while the families were very grateful to be living in a safe country, they still struggled to get by: it was still pure survival mode. I felt that, after everything they had been through, that they deserved this second chance to not only survive, but to thrive. To have enriching, joyful, and fulfilling lives. With that motivation, I started a weekly program. Every week, the families were met by a room full of volunteers, waiting to help with homework tutoring, ESL classes, and emotional support. The second half of the evening was dedicated purely to enriching their lives. We rotated weekly through art projects, dance class, music class, yoga, and anything else we could think of that would simply spark joy and deepen bonds within families and their community. The program was life-changing and saw a palpable transformation week after week. By the time summer came around, the kids had made so much progress in school, the parents were conversing in English more confidently, and the room bursted with love and friendship. I’m happy to say that the program continues on, and while I’ve turned in my position at the helm, the families I met through this program remain close friends to this day.