Deb’s Refugee Volunteer Work: Sorting What Matters Most

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On the kitchen table, a stack of unopened mail had begun to build. 

For this refugee family, each envelope carried pages of detailed instructions and looming deadlines that can be overwhelming for anyone adjusting to a new place, especially a new country. But soon, bills were missed and school notes went unread. 

Like many families rebuilding their lives in the United States, they weren’t lacking resilience. They were navigating language, culture and unfamiliar systems — often with support, but still facing everyday complexities along the way.  

That’s where volunteers like Deb Martin come in — walking alongside families as part of a broader network of support, including World Relief staff and local churches, helping reinforce care and navigate everyday challenges together.

As part of her church’s Good Neighbor Team with World Relief, Deb walks alongside families as they begin rebuilding their lives. She helps them navigate systems, understand what’s in front of them and take their next step forward.

“Deb is such a blessing to have on our team of volunteers! She is so passionate about caring for others in the community and her energy spreads to those she interacts with,” said Kalina Davis, a World Relief church and community engagement manager in Wisconsin.

“We are incredibly grateful to have a whole village of dedicated and compassionate volunteers who commit to building relationships with our newcomer neighbors. These mutually transformative relationships create opportunities for us all to learn and grow together.”

Sometimes, walking alongside a family means helping them sort through a stack of unopened mail — each letter holding an important next step.

Prompted by what she describes as a nudge from God, Deb asked if they could go through the mail together. As they spread the letters across the table, a World Relief staff member — someone Deb had never met — arrived at just the right time. Together, they began sorting.

Soon clarity replaced confusion; the path ahead became more clear.

“These are smart, resilient people,” she said. “They’ve survived so much to get here. I just want to make the transition a little easier.”

Organizing for Impact

Whether she’s setting up apartments, shopping for culturally appropriate groceries or helping new arrivals practice driving, Deb meets each task with curiosity and care.

“I’ve helped some people practice their driving skills,” she said. “And I’ve gone to pick people up from a place — people who’ve never seen me before, who don’t speak my language. And they just get in the car with me. It’s so humbling.”

Deb’s support for refugee families is often practical and systems-minded.

She’s helped stock apartments, driven families to appointments and supported ESL learning. She’s always looking for ways to remove logistical barriers. When she noticed food pantry clients riding the bus couldn’t carry enough groceries home, she bought and tested rolling carts on the city buses herself to make sure they fit — then got them into the hands of those who needed them.

Beyond logistics, Deb lends her voice to issues of justice and policy. She’s spoken at city council and school board meetings, especially around housing access and equity for immigrant and refugee families. Through advocacy organizations, she’s worked for years to address hunger, transportation and structural barriers in her community.

“I have been organizing people my whole life,” she said.

And that instinct shows up in how she volunteers.

Deb sees volunteering as an opportunity for human connections. And she learns as much as she gives. “I realized there’s a lot of food I didn’t know about,” she laughed. “The first time I did the grocery shopping, I had to go to three different stores in town to find the right items.”

Each small interaction has opened her eyes to the everyday challenges newcomers face — things most Americans might not think twice about.

Her faith remains central.

Micah 6:8 — “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God” — serves as her daily compass.

And a verse given to her in school still shapes how she sees what’s possible: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“I can’t do everything,” Deb said. “But I can do a lot more than I ever thought I could.”

Not able to serve right now?
You can still walk alongside families rebuilding their lives by joining The Path — our community of monthly givers committed to long-term transformation.

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