|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
When Claudine Mutoni, 25, arrives for her shift each morning at an industrial laundry facility in Appleton, Wisconsin, she brings the same strength and resilience that carried her through years of uncertainty in a Rwandan refugee camp.
Today, that same perseverance fuels her work at Vestis, a 75-year-old company with more than 340 service locations nationwide. At its Appleton site, Claudine is part of a growing team of refugees who are not just finding jobs but also building new lives.
For Claudine, this job is more than a paycheck. It’s stability. It’s dignity. It’s the reason she’s been able to pay rent, put food on the table and even purchase a car of her own.
From navigating resettlement to securing long-term employment, World Relief Wisconsin has walked alongside Claudine every step of the way — a reflection of our broader commitment to ensuring refugees have the support and opportunity they need to truly flourish.
In 2024, World Relief Wisconsin collaborated with employers to power diversity and economic growth in the state by placing refugees in 134 jobs at an average hourly wage of $18.02 for full-time work.
As we reflect on the meaning of Immanuel — God with us — we’re reminded that hope shows up in practical ways: in steady work, a welcoming team and a community that walks alongside.
This season, you can be part of the hope.
Your year-end gift helps create more opportunities for refugees like Claudine.
With support from World Relief Wisconsin employment specialist Chrisanna Barricklow, this is Claudine’s second job since arriving in the U.S.
“The first time I met Chrisanna she came to my house and welcomed me,” Claudine said. “She asked about my education and helped me get a job working at a hotel. Later, I asked if she could help me find a different job.”
That conversation led her to Vestis. In July, she celebrated her one-year anniversary with the company.
Claudine is Not Alone
At Vestis, 19 of the 63 current employees — nearly 30% of the Appleton workforce — have been referred through World Relief Wisconsin’s employment services. Like Claudine, they’ve experienced displacement, loss and uncertainty and are rebuilding their lives one shift at a time.
“Vestis is a great option for refugee parents who need steady daytime work and no weekends,” Barricklow. “They’ve even welcomed interpreters on-site to help with orientation and getting acclimated to the job. That level of flexibility and care makes a huge difference.”
For Ed Faccio, Vestis plant manager, the partnership began with a simple question.
“I think I just reached out one day because, like a lot of employers, we were struggling to find staff. I asked, ‘What does World Relief do —and how does this work?’ From there, it just evolved into a great partnership,” he said.
Those who work closely with Faccio see a deep compassion for the people World Relief serves.
“He has a heart for our program participants and the struggles they have faced,” Barricklow said. “He gets it. He really wants to see them succeed.”
That heart shows up not just in words, but in action — welcoming new employees like Claudine, creating space for interpreters and working with World Relief staff to find the right fit for the right roles.
Claudine’s story is still unfolding. But with steady work at Vestis, she’s doing more than making ends meet, she’s laying the foundation for her future.
Her goals are ambitious and full of promise: to go back to school, pursue a business career and one day open a restaurant that serves traditional African dishes. She dreams not only of stability, but of ownership, leadership and sharing her culture with others.
This job is a beginning. A place where hope clocks in alongside hard work. Thanks to a workplace that chose to walk alongside her, Claudine is not just surviving, she’s working toward something lasting.
Join Claudine
Claudine is working toward a future filled with stability, purpose and hope. With the support of a welcoming employer, World Relief Wisconsin, and people like you, she’s building something lasting.
