Here at Xavier University we have a great program called ‘Alternative Breaks’, which is also known as an ‘Alternative Spring break’. This is a program you apply for at the beginning of fall semester and if selected, spend every week leading up to spring break studying and meeting about it. As a freshman, I was fortunate enough to get selected on my first try. Our school has a big kick off party for it where you meet your group and the name of your trip is revealed. When I attended this event I met nine other really great people and learned that I would be on a project called “Refugee Resettlement in America.” In the later weeks, it would be revealed that we would be going to Atlanta, Georgia and would be working with an organization called the International Rescue Committee or IRC. This group is one that helps refugees once they get to America. They help them learn English, get jobs, provide housing, and ultimately, help them become self-sufficient.
When I was first assigned this topic I was excited but I didn’t know it would become such a hot topic. As most people know, in the past few months there has been a lot of talk about refugees and just recently the 120-day ban was put in place. This is something that I knew was going to be really hard to go into but, I still went in with a hopeful mind. We were staying in Tucker, Georgia about 30 minutes from downtown and about 10 minutes from the IRC’s office. After our 6 hour car ride and the evening spent on the floor of a church, we were ready for our first day of helping. That first day of going into the IRC for the first time was one of the scariest things. Leading up to the trip we hadn’t gotten much information about what we actually would be doing at the IRC. They had told us we could possibly be helping teach English, watching kids, moving families into homes and more. I was terrified of the idea of having to teach someone English. While I may be a native speaker of the language, the idea that I could completely affect the way someone speaks or possibly teach something incorrect was awful.
When we got into the building we met someone in charge named Dan and he showed us around. The building was complicated with long hallways, doors without labels, and I’m pretty sure it was actually just one big circle. However, I spent countless minutes wandering around until I got to be where I needed to go. After our tour, Dan began to split us into our jobs and wouldn’t you know, the first thing I was assigned to was teaching an all women’s English class. When I walked in there was a room of about 30 women and a bunch of volunteers. The women were separated into different groups based on their level of knowledge. I was put into the middle group and the women I was working with spoke little to no English; we taught them about families. The first class was pretty hard and I was feeling pretty disheartened by the whole thing. Next I was assigned to work in the shop. The shop was kinda like a thrift store in the sense thatit was all furnished and worked due to donations.
However, the really great thing is that the families could come in get anything they needed/wanted and it was at no cost to them. It was really nice to see these people get the supplies that are so vital that we never even think twice about. When I was talking to a fellow volunteer that week about the items that go quick in the shop, she told me, “When these people are fleeing from their countries, from their homes, they know to grab clothes, it’s toys and household goods they can’t bring on this journey.” After spending three separate days in the shop, that became a very true statement. Families would always run for the household goods like cups, plates, lamps, chairs, and anything else like that because those are items they couldn’t get any other way. I also noticed how vital bath and cleaning products were to these people. A little section in the front of the store was dedicated to soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, etc. Items that again, we never think twice about as being so vital. The other big activity we did was work with high school refugee children after school, on homework. These kids were one of the most amazing parts of this trip. Some of these kids have only been in America and learned English for about a year, and were doing the same homework as any other high school kid. We were working at a school called Clarkson High School which is made up of 98% ethnic minorities.
Seeing these high school kids take on such big tasks at school and succeeding in it was really great. A lot of these kids were applying for college or looking for jobs which was awesome to see. I could tell that a lot of these kids are going to go far in life. One of the highlights of my time at the IRC was actually in an English class the day before we left. It was called Civics and Literature and only had four people in it. What was so fun about the class was the four individuals I was working with. They were at a decently advanced level and they were proficient enough in English that they could joke with one another. Whenever one would mess up, they would all laugh and poke fun. These four individuals were from Burma, Somalia, Ethiopia and Mexico, four very different places. Yet, they were all there in the same room having a great time and learning together. Another really awesome thing that we were really lucky to experience was called the ‘New American Celebration’ which was a rally in the Georgia state capitol about refugees. The beginning was different people giving speeches about refugees and all things surrounding them. Then there were many performances by refugees of their home dances and music and finally, the whole thing ended with about 12 refugees being sworn in as United States citizens. It was really cool to see all the people who came out to show their support for refugees. We also got to be in a picture with the governor.
Us and the govenor
You would never think that Georgia had so many refugees and such a supportive community, but they do. By the end of our trip I was ready to go home because I was tired of sleeping on a church floor but more than anything, I was sad to say goodbye. I have come to the conclusion that some people are wrong about refugees. A lot of arguments against them are that they are trying to steal our jobs and take all our benefits. Yet, we met a girl who told us that all she really wanted to do was go back home and be with her friends. These people were amazingly strong and courageous to come to a place where they know that there are people out here that don’t like them without even meeting them. Getting to spend my spring break with them was something I’ll never forget. Not only did I really get to understand the refugee situation happening in our country, but I got to make a difference in these peoples’ lives. I got to show them that they’re welcomed here and that we do AND will care for them. I really think more people should find a way to meet and work with some of these refugees. They’re great people with stories like no other and I hope that I can do more work with them in the future.
Picture Source: 1