Doris Wille, Volunteer!
/My name is Doris Wille. My family and I have been members at the Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens for 35 years. It has been an honor to participate in the CFNA Friend a Family ministry and to serve Afghan refugee families as they make their homes here in St Louis. Our Small Group at Webster Gardens was looking for a way to serve together, and I had recently retired from St Louis Public Schools, so I was open to leading a high-commitment volunteer activity.
Our group is working with a family of seven with five kids ages 6–16. They are from Afghanistan and had been in the US on a military base and in a hotel for 6+ months. They had been in their apartment for six weeks when we met them. The kids were not yet in school, and the family was still lacking many basic needs including a working phone. Our group dug in to provide basic household goods, get the kids in school, and help get the family a phone.
Click images to enlarge
To enable our family to take their first steps into a new culture and economy, many tasks required our almost immediate attention. For example, their documents had to be checked, and if not accurate, they needed to be brought up to date. Additionally, they needed to learn how to budget their money, and this can be difficult for a new arrival to understand!
Moreover, they needed help with job training and placement services, and they also needed bank accounts. Additionally, they needed driver’s licenses and eventually cars, which CFNA helps provide. Basically, they need what we would need if we were dropped into Afghanistan!
These families left Afghanistan in a huge panic and were separated from extended family members at the airport. They now fear for those left behind and mourn the loss of their homes and possessions. In other words, families like ours come with varying degrees of trauma. Our goal is to help them develop their independence, as well as an understanding of “how things work”! as we befriend and encourage them!
This program and the work that goes with it are critical for these Afghan families. However, they are strong people and sometimes appear demanding because persistence is all that has kept them alive up till now. Often the most literate person in the family is an 11-year-old child!
Although I do FEEL GOOD when I see the children’s eager faces as they finally go to school, or when I hear mom and dad express their appreciation. If you are looking for a “feel good” activity, this may not be it. Though it is a challenge worth considering, it is hard work! But if you are looking for an activity that will make a life-changing impact on a family, and an opportunity to witness to others in word and deed, I encourage you to consider the Friend a Family program!
By Doris Wille,
Webster Gardens Lutheran Church
