“This has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. This has been life changing.”
Over 65 million people around the globe have been displaced – and yet, most of us know very little about the refugee experience. Kinsey, a volunteer for our Refugee and Immigrant Community Services program (RICS), was just like most of us in that regard. Growing up in a small town in Missouri and working across the US hadn’t provided Kinsey the chance to connect with people from diverse backgrounds. The very concept of the refugee experience rarely crossed her mind.
That is, until she and her boyfriend moved to Chicago last summer. A volunteer and helper at heart, Kinsey connects with the community through volunteering. Fortunately for her, a North-Side soccer program for refugees was looking for help.
“I fell in love with it. I connected with the people in the program and it was such a refreshing experience in this new city. I felt compelled to keep coming back.”
Though Kinsey’s seen much of the U.S., she’s never travelled outside of the country. The opportunity to connect with people from places like Burma, the DRC, and Ecuador – all while playing the sport that she loves – was a profound experience for her. She soon found herself joining the RICS team for educational events and other opportunities to serve.
“I’ve learned so much about the resettlement process, and the difficulties that displaced people face just so they can find safety and opportunity,” Kinsey said. “I come from a hard working family, but we didn’t have much. I’ve been blessed, so I feel compelled to give back to the best of my ability.”
As summer came and went, Kinsey’s passion remained. With a new community, new friends, and a newfound mission, Kinsey decided to continue working with RICS as a family mentor. When refugees come to the U.S., they are working from scratch – and it’s up to resettlement case managers to help rebuild in a completely foreign land. Imagine trying to find work, connect with resources and benefits, get your kids to school and find tutors to bring them up to speed, learn the public transportation system – all without speaking the language.
Kinsey’s new role as a mentor was to help add even more guidance. She was connected with a family of five from the Central African Republic. Though the family is multi-lingual, English is not a part of their repertoire. Kinsey knew the first step was to build trust, and to do that she’d need to help them communicate with her.
“I’m so new to this, so I wanted to the family take the lead on what they got out of our work together. First thing’s first, English is most important.”
For the first few weeks, Kinsey and the family communicated through Google translate. She developed a list of free English apps, and came up with fun and exciting ways to learn the basics. They play games, work on homework, and spend time talking and learning about one another. Every week, Kinsey would visit the family’s apartment and spend a few hours with them, building the community that she and they had been looking for.
And then came the Pandemic.
“All I could think about was that schools are closed and there are so many more resources they’ll need,” Kinsey said. “Think about it: three kids, that’s now two more meal times each at home. That’s six additional meals per day. It was my greatest concern when this started.”
So just before the shelter-in-place order came through, Kinsey went and got her family boxes of food. Now over a month into the new normal, she still checks in every week. The language barriers without regular face to face interaction can be difficult, but they all take it step by step.
“We’re FaceTiming now. The kids read to me over the phone, and I’m making sure that mom and dad have access to everything they need to stay safe.”
Kinsey’s hopeful and enthusiastic demeanor is a welcome sentiment in these times of uncertainty. She sees the current crisis as a moment to test her own dedication, and has continued to rise to the occasion. For Kinsey, the current state of affairs is only one part in a long and prosperous road – for both her and her newfound family in Chicago. She sees hope in the future and will do everything in her power to help the people she serves find that hope as well.
“I think about these kids all the time. I think about where they’ll be in 10 years. I’m imagining them learning to drive, graduating high school. This feels like family, and I’ll always be there for them.”
