Stories
From Mentee to Mentor: Alphonse
When Alphonse stepped off the plane in Memphis nearly five years ago, he thought he would be alone. He had his sister by his side, but his mother was still in the Democratic Republic of Congo along with his other siblings. Yet to his surprise, he was greeted at the airport by his name—one that…
Read MoreThe Other Side of the Storm
At 10-years-old, Alliance already understands the responsibilities that only an adult should. As she gets ready for school, she glances at her three siblings, worrying about what she will prepare for them for lunch that day. As she steps out of the door of their home in the Gihembe refugee camp in Rwanda, she sees the storm clouds rolling in over…
Read MoreSenior Spotlight: Mary Makuta gives back first
When Mary Makuta came to the U.S. in 2016 with her mother and four siblings, she hadn’t been to school in four years. Five years later, she’s preparing to graduate from Central High School, the first in her family to do so. “My mom didn’t graduate high school. My dad didn’t graduate,” Mary said as a…
Read MoreA Mother’s Love: Mother’s Day 2021
This Mother’s Day, we want to wish all of our mothers, in all stages of life, a Happy Mother’s Day. We know that motherhood is a blessing, but it’s not without its trials. For many of our families, mothers have made immense sacrifices for their children. Today, we honor and thank you for all that…
Read MoreA Mother’s Love
This Mother’s Day, we want to wish all of our mothers, in all stages of life, a Happy Mother’s Day. We know that motherhood is a blessing, but it’s not without its trials. For many of our families, mothers have made immense sacrifices for their children. Today, we honor and thank you for all that…
Read MoreSenior Spotlight: Gabriel Lenge is chasing the goal
This year, we have a number of students graduating from high school, many of them being the first ones to do so in their family. We wanted to take a moment to focus on some of our seniors as they prepare to enter into a new phase of their life. First up is future soccer pro Gabriel. As a…
Read MoreA Mother’s Guidance Makes an Impact
Because of her mother, Anna Triska knew what she wanted to do with her life from the time she was in second grade. Triska’s mother is a preschool teacher, and ever since she was little she would help her mom with projects and setting up her classroom. From then on, she knew she wanted to…
Read MoreAppreciating Those Who Sacrifice it All
Being a mother is a big job, let alone being a mother of four kids in a new country where you don’t speak the language. But for many families and mothers of families that World Relief serves, this is a reality. Students from Augustana College have been spending time with client families via google meets…
Read MoreA Good Neighbor
To close out Volunteer Appreciation Month, we spoke to one of our Good Neighbor Teams about their experience welcoming a family into the U.S. and walking alongside them as they start to rebuild their lives stateside. These teams of 6-8 people are often the first friends our newest neighbors will have when they arrive, and they…
Read MoreComing full circle: how sewing tied one volunteer back to her family roots
In 1949, a young Yugoslavian man left war-torn Europe with all that he had in the search of a better life. Rather than packing multiple suitcases like we would today, however, he had to build his own out of nails and wood. A Nazi prison camp survivor, he had spent the past five years of his life in a displaced persons…
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