I’ve had the privilege to be help three wonderful and brave women and their families navigate their new life in the US: Svitlana from Ukraine, Ingrid from Venezuela, and Marwa from Syria.

Over the past few years, I’ve done a wide range of things to help them, including securing furniture and housewares and setting up homes, collecting clothing for their families, finding and installing window air conditioners during a summer heat wave, driving to food pantries and doctor’s appointments, tutoring English, assisting with job searches, identifying summer programs and negotiating camperships so parents can work while children enjoy summer activities, and more.

But what I do for these women and their families pales in comparison to what they’ve done for me. The woman have become friends, giving me an opportunity to get to know and learn from women from other cultures that I never would never have had the chance to meet otherwise.

They have also provided me with perspective about my own life, causing me to pause and reflect when I start to worry or get down about something.

They have fostered my stronger feelings of connection to my grandparents who fled Russia and died when I was very young, and to my great grandparent immigrants from Europe I never knew. They remind me that we are all refugees and immigrants.

Supporting these women has enabled me to make new TBE friends on the refugee support team who share similar values.

And for anyone who knows my sweet tooth, I must mention how much I enjoy the Ukrainian chocolates Svitlana often gives me when we get together and the delicious Syrian desserts Marwa serves me each weekly tutoring session.