When national events overwhelm us, sometimes all we can do is act locally to try to change things in a small way. Nine years ago, I met with several people from my local Jewish community who were dismayed by state and national leaders demonizing immigrants. We wanted to find a way to respond.
Shoshana Hoose is a resident of Portland. We came up with a simple idea: Match local volunteers with recently arrived asylum seekers. The volunteers would serve as mentors, helping them find resources and navigate challenges.
We decided to focus on asylum seekers because they are the most vulnerable immigrants; they are totally dependent on public assistance until they get work permits, and there is no guarantee they will be allowed to stay here in the long term. We called our effort Welcoming the Stranger. From the outset, we were an informal and non-sectarian program, run by volunteers.
The program grew exponentially after President Trump was elected. Many people were then searching for a way to make a difference. Our program provided that.
My own mentoring experience began in 2016, at our program’s first Thanksgiving dinner. I met a single mother who I will call Gloria. Gloria is the same age as my younger daughter, and they share a flair for fashion.
Gloria fled an abusive partner in her home country in central Africa. She and her two young children were living in a Portland shelter at that time. Gloria spoke only a little English, and my junior-high French was barely useful.
We re.
