The Welcome to America Project

Submitted by Max Thomas

My name is Max Thomas, I am 13 years old, and I am part of Boy Scout Troop 6. The highest rank in Boy Scouts is Eagle Scout; to be an Eagle, you need to complete a community service project. Last summer, I was working on finding an Eagle Project at the same time I was volunteering with WTAP. After spending time looking for projects, I decided that I should ask WTAP if I could do anything for them. Megan (the executive director of WTAP) gladly accepted my offer and told me about their Clothing Closet at the Serrano Village apartments.

The Clothing Closet is an apartment filled with clothes that refugees can take. These refugees usually only have the clothes on their backs. WTAP kindly worked with me through the planning of my project. For my project, I worked alongside other Troop 6 volunteers, and we built shelving and storage units for the Clothing Closet, and we reorganized the closet space. We even had enough money left over from my fundraising efforts to build 15 tables for refugee families! Working with WTAP has genuinely been one of the best experiences of my life.

Volunteering with WTAP, not only for my project but for weekly deliveries too, has been very rewarding. The refugees we help couldn’t be more thankful. I’ve also found that when doing weekly deliveries, I really connect with other cultures. The staff and volunteers at WTAP have been more than nice, always working as a team, with smiles on their faces. My family and I are looking forward to volunteering for deliveries again on January 7. I can’t wait to help!

Submitted by Anne Bosch

As a native French speaker, I was recently asked by Megan O’Connor to attend a delivery as a translator. We helped a family from the Central African Republic, and I soon realized that our common language helped us build a special relationship that would help a father support and feed his family of 11.

Meeting the Family

When I first arrived on this delivery day, several children greeted us in French and shared their heartwarming stories. They explained how they had to walk for weeks on end around their village in the hope that the rebels would finally give up and leave, but when they realized these rebels were tenacious in their pursuit, they decided they would walk north to a refugee camp in the southern tip of Chad. It was difficult to fathom the extent of their suffering — they lost a brother and were forced to flee their homes with nothing more than a small bag and a few seeds and plants as nourishment.

Even as they explained their arduous journey, these boys smiled and I got the sense they were ready to put their past behind them and embrace their new lives in America. I soon learned that these children were a part of a family of 11: their father, Damien, his wife, seven children, and two nephews (who came to America with this family after their mother passed away).

Helping Damien Learn English

The delivery itself was a success, and about a week later, Damien called WTAP and asked if we could donate diapers to his family since they recently ran out. I used this opportunity to see how his English classes were going. He explained that he was on a waiting list until December, so I started making phone calls and learned there were actually several spots still available. The teacher warmly welcomed Damien and someone even offered to drive him home after class so he wouldn’t have to take the bus. He was extremely thankful, and while we spoke, I realized how difficult it must be to support this large family.

Putting Food on the Table

As a way to help Damien support his family, I called the owner of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. The owner, Stella, recently mentioned that her farm had grown so much she needed help to keep up with the demand of the season. I used this opportunity to suggest Damien, and before I knew it, he had his first interview. Right away, Stella and Damien connected (with the help of our translation) and they agreed that he would start the following week. She handed him a bag of fresh vegetables and said he would receive this produce in addition to his hourly wages, a huge benefit for someone who has 11 mouths to feed.

In the end, this story reflects the vision of The Welcome to America Project. People from all different cultural backgrounds came together to discover ways that would make each other’s lives a little easier. Damien now has the ability to learn English and put food on his family’s table thanks to the heartwarming support of his new community.

Ed. Note: Thank you Anne for helping make a difference for this family in need. You went above and beyond to ensure this family’s transition to America was as smooth as possible.

Names changed to protect identity.

Community. That is the word that comes to mind when reflecting on my first experience with The Welcome to America Project over two years ago. I was not expecting to be so impacted by simply bringing household items to a Rwandan refugee family. We did not even bring much – some furniture, pictures, and dishes but the joy that was expressed on their faces showed what a blessing those items were to them. This is because their family came to the United States with almost nothing. They had each other and that was it.

I soon found out their apartment complex was also home to many other Rwandan families. That explained why this family of five had an additional twenty people in their apartment. These neighbors had instantly become family. Then it hit me – this was what true community looks like.

Here were refugees, thousands of miles from their familiar home and yet they had already found a new “home” because they had made connections with fellow Rwandans. This small community isn’t unique in its kind; there are Guatemalan communities, Indian communities, Somali communities and others all across this country. I realized that as human beings, we long to feel as though we belong, to feel a connection to people or places.

What I witnessed that day was an interaction between two cultures – my own typical American suburbia and the Rwandan way of life. The result was something special that I will never forget. It is these types of interactions between different cultures that break down the barriers between us. And when global citizens from different communities come together, we create a global community.

I knew very little about refugees prior to this experience, but I now understand what a beautiful piece they are in the puzzle of the United States.

Submitted By Agung Barata

I’m Agung Barata, an international student from Indonesia studying at Scottsdale Community College on a scholarship from the U.S. State Department. I was really impressed volunteering with WTAP as it gave me unprecedented insight on refugees. It also made me appreciate my life at home. I have a great family and we live in a secure area without war, conflict or other hardships that are commonplace to refugees.

Because of my life free of hardship, I don’t often think of refugees’ lives abroad. The majority of my experiences with refugees have been after they arrive in the United States. However, I learned about the refugee camps and their extremely dreadful conditions with the lack of food, water, and sanitation. Luckily, by joining a great non-profit organization (WTAP), I was able to make a small difference for them. Additionally, volunteering helped educate me on the very real situations happening worldwide and helped me understand a world with human trafficking, starvation and political conflict.

I was really impressed with this experience, and I was really glad for being able to volunteer; it was a magnificent blessing being able to see people live peacefully after years of conflict and sadness.

Truly all people have the equal right to live, work, and study in a proper way. WTAP helps refugees settle into a very unsettled life. This project definitely encourages and inspires me and being able to help has increased my self-respect. I would love to volunteer again. Thank you WTAP.

Submitted by Juan José Rodríguez

I did not have any idea about how much the United States cares about refugees until two months ago. I am an international student from Costa Rica and currently enrolled in Scottsdale Community College as part of a scholarship from the State Department. I knew about WTAP through my project coordinator, and I am very grateful to her.

I have participated several times as a volunteer, delivering furniture to refugees in Arizona. It is always hard for me to explain my overwhelming feelings of happiness and empathy every time I volunteer with WTAP. This organization does a magnificent job helping refugees by providing both emotional support and different types of practical assistance.

As an international student, I understand how it feels to arrive in a different country, but I did not have any idea about all of the difficulties that refugees have gone through. Can you imagine what it’s like to leave your country or your family and all that you know, to travel to a completely different country and try to start a new life? It is definitely hard, but organizations like WTAP make it easier.

In my country, one of the most important matters is human rights, and The Welcome to America Project promotes equality and compassion for others. It does not matter what language you speak, where are you from or how you look, we all are human beings, and WTAP is concerned about helping people in need. Being a volunteer for this organization represents so much for me. I definitely encourage people to volunteer with this organization; WTAP has many kinds of opportunities for people who would like to give back to the community and take part in quite a rewarding activity.