Chicagoland
What Is It Like to Intern with World Relief?
Real Responsibilities, Meaningful Experience
Are you looking for an internship where you can gain practical experience? Do you have a passion for justice or a desire to learn about issues faced by refugee and immigrants?
From the start, as a World Relief Chicagoland intern, you have real responsibilities. With that comes the opportunity to engage directly with the immigrants and refugees that the organization serves. Alongside World Relief’s full-time staff, interns get to build relationships and play an active role in meaningful work. We think that makes World Relief internships pretty special.
World Relief’s interns play an important role in executing tasks and facilitating activities throughout each department. Some interns support a program area like Education or Immigration Legal Services. Others learn about community engagement and marketing or use their data and research skills.
And when the internship is over, interns move forward with valuable skills and practical knowledge about immigrant and refugee services.
To help you imagine what your experience interning with World Relief could be like, we talked to Kaitlin Liebling. Kaitlin is a senior at Wheaton College who talked with us about what she learned through her internship with the Employment Services team and why she recommends that other students apply to intern with World Relief.
Meet Kaitlin, Former Intern
Hi Kaitlin! Could you start by telling me a little about yourself?
I’m currently a student at Wheaton College and I’m a double major in International Relations and Spanish. I’m currently in my fourth year and from West Chicago, Illinois originally.
When I came into Wheaton, I was unsure about what I wanted to study. I had no idea what International Relations was, but then I took one intro class in International Relations, and I loved it. I had always read the news a lot, been interested in what was going on outside of the U.S., so I landed on International Relations very quickly.
How did you get connected to World Relief and what interested you about interning with us?
I have known about World Relief my whole life from growing up in the area, but didn’t know much aside from that the organization helps refugees. Initially, I got an email that World Relief was looking for interns for the fall, and I needed an internship for my International Relations major requirements. I read over the intern responsibilities online, and I thought, “It sounds like a really cool opportunity, I need an internship, I like the mission of World Relief, it sounds really interesting to help refugees.” I applied and got the internship!
How did you end up on the Employment Services team?
On the application, you can put your top two department choices. I believe I put Employment Services and Immigration Legal Services, and Courtney [Internship coordinator at World Relief Chicagoland] and I talked in the interview [about the requirements for each team]. I thought, “Let’s do Employment Services. It sounds interesting. I’m not quite sure what that means, but let’s try that.” Then Courtney had me interview with Dan, my supervisor on the Employment team.
How would you describe the work of Employment Services?
The job of Employment Services is to get newly arrived refugees a job within their first three months in the country. It’s super important that they get a “survival” job right away. Luckily, the department has a lot of connections with employers in the area. We help them with preparing for their interview and for the American workplace, which often has different standards for everything from hygiene to preparing a resume. And then, in the future, Employment Services helps people who have been here for six months or a year to start down a career path with the ultimate goal that they make even more money beyond their “survival” job.
What are a few things you learned in your internship?
I have a better understanding of what it means to be a refugee now than I had before. I honestly don’t know if I had met a refugee before my internship. Obviously, I’m not a refugee and I haven’t experienced that for myself, but I have now talked with dozens of people from Afghanistan, Sudan, Myanmar, and all these other countries. I have gotten to know a lot of them on driving trips to the doctor, the food pantry, to get a permit at the DMV…
I feel like I understand better now how difficult a decision it was to leave their home country, and how much they miss their old lives. While they’re grateful to be in America, they also really miss their home countries. It wasn’t necessarily their choice to come to America, it was really for safety reasons a lot of the time. I understand now how difficult it is to adapt to a country that is so different from your home country. There are so many different customs and cultural things.
I really think it increased my understanding of their situation, my empathy for refugees, and my support for them… from having the one-on-one interaction.
What were your favorite things about interning? Why should other students consider joining World Relief as an intern?
The variety of the intern work I did was really cool and engaging. I did a lot of different things during my internship. I did office work, I helped manage and compile documents, and I created new documents for Career Pathways, but I also drove people places and helped with the job club as well. Every day, I came in for my internship not knowing what the day was going to look like and what I was going to do. I liked that!
I loved working with the Employment Services team. Everyone there was so nice and so supportive. I felt like I could ask anyone any question and they would be happy to help me out. We were really a team. It’s a good group of people that you would want to work with.
Where there any ways that you came to understand your faith and role in the world as a Christian differently as a result of this internship?
It put into practice the call from Christ and the Gospels to love the foreigner and welcome the stranger. You can see that throughout the Old Testament. That God exhibits special care for the foreigner because they can often be forgotten or left behind. And they often need extra resources to help them in their new country. World Relief does this practically. I think it’s been very rewarding work. And a way for me to see my faith lived out in practical ways to help people and welcome them to my country.
And through practical means! On the Employment Services team, I did lots of resume reviews. I got resumes that were 7, 8, 9 pages long from refugees. That’s what’s normal in their countries, but a way of loving them and welcoming them to America is to say, “This needs to be one page and one page only for most jobs.” That’s a way to serve them where I could see my faith lived out through my work.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would encourage students who are interested in World Relief or need an internship to really consider doing it with World Relief. It’s very rewarding work. You learn a lot about other cultures. You meet a wide variety of people. And I think especially with all of the Afghan refugees coming in, more help from other interns would be appreciated. If you have a heart for refugees, I hope that you would consider an internship with World Relief.
Apply to Intern Today
Find out how you can contribute your knowledge, talent, and passion for creating welcoming communities. Apply to be a World Relief intern today!
Not looking for more than an internship? Consider one of our open positions!
New Opportunity in the U.S.: Jenny’s Story
“Life in the Congo…was just good. It’s one of the most friendly places and a community of togetherness.”
This is how Jenny began her story. Describing what life looked like before. Before she was forced to flee. Before members of her family died. And before she left the home that she loved.
“It became a different place,” Jenny told us. And at the age of 13 years old, Jenny left the Democratic Republic of Congo to become a refugee, living in a Namibia refugee settlement for seven years before coming to the United States.
And though there were bright spots, like the chance of a quality education, Jenny and her family faced immense challenges too. She saw people acting out of desperation. Doing terrible things simply to put food on the table.
“I had all these hopes and dreams that I keep talking about. I think I was nineteen years old…so all of my dreams are just shattered.”
Jenny, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo
How did Jenny’s story change from that of a young woman questing for education and a better life to someone seizing that brighter future? Watch the video below to see Jenny share her story of taking a chance and receiving new opportunity.
Refugee Resettlement
For more than 40 years, World Relief has welcomed refugees like Jenny into community across Chicagoland. You can help young women like Jenny achieve their biggest dreams by joining our mission to welcome. Become a volunteer with World Relief Chicagoland. Whether by offering friendship, serving as an English language tutor, or helping set up homes for new refugee arrivals, you can make a life-changing impact for someone like Jenny. Someone who has risked at all at the chance of a better life.
Learn about World Relief Chicagoland’s work resettling refugees here and watch other videos of hope on our YouTube channel!
More like this:
Volunteer Impact Video: Abdul and Yao
An Update on How the H.O.M.E. Program Is Serving Asylum Seekers Throughout Chicagoland
The following update is from Hannah Thompson, World Relief Chicagoland’s Immigrant Family Services Volunteer Coordinator who works with staff and community volunteers in the H.O.M.E. program for asylum seekers.
What is H.O.M.E.?
World Relief Chicagoland created the H.O.M.E. program with the knowledge that asylum seekers are among the most vulnerable immigrants. Like refugees, asylum seekers have left their homes because of threats to their safety and well-being. And yet they do not have financial support that refugees have, and must wait for the U.S. to make a legal decision about their request for asylum. Without a way to support themselves during that months- or years-long waiting process, asylum seekers are socially, financially, and legally vulnerable.
Thanks to generous partners and volunteers, the H.O.M.E. program provides Housing, Opportunity, Mutuality (Transformative relationships), and Empowerment for asylum seekers throughout the Chicago area. By providing rental assistance and social support, World Relief Chicagoland helps asylum-seeking families rebuild their lives during the long, stressful asylum process.
News from the H.O.M.E. Front
As we closed out the year in December 2021, there were so many exciting developments with families in the H.O.M.E. program! And this is in large part thanks to the faithful partnership of churches and H.O.M.E. volunteer teams. By providing rent assistance, these partners ensure that families seeking asylum have a safe place to live.
One story that stands out focuses on a pivotal moment in the asylum process.
One asylum seeker recently received his Employment Authorization Documents (EADs). This is after months of waiting! Finally, this husband and father could open his first bank account and start a new job. This was such a joyous moment! Not long after receiving the EADs, World Relief volunteers helped him open a bank account. He is working hard in a new job while actively looking for a better position that will allow him to support his family.
You Can Welcome Families H.O.M.E.
It is all thanks to volunteer teams and financial supporters that asylum seeking families can reach important milestones like these. And that they can achieve these goals without worrying about how to pay rent or being at risk of homelessness.
World Relief Chicagoland needs more partners like this who can help us reach more asylum seekers. Whether by volunteering, giving rent assistance, or both, you can make the difference and help welcome families “home.”
Learn More
If you’re interested in learning more about the H.O.M.E. Program and how you can get involved, contact Hannah Thompson, at hthompson@wr.org. Together, we can support the well-being of asylum seekers as they seek safety.
Afghan Resettlement Q&A with Executive Director Susan Sperry
As you likely saw in the news, US troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan, leaving many questions as to what happens next. We want to share with you how World Relief Chicagoland is responding and how you can help. To help answer some of these questions, we sat down with Susan Sperry, Executive Director of World Relief Chicagoland in a Q&A to explain what’s happening.
Q&A About Afghan Evacuation
What happens now that U.S. troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan?
Even though the US military is no longer present in Afghanistan, World Relief Chicagoland will continue to advocate for the evacuation of Afghan allies and their families. Just as any of us would flee an unsafe environment, we anticipate that those at risk will seek every available opportunity to leave Afghanistan.
We know that thousands of Afghans were evacuated so far. And they are arriving in one of two ways. For those who have yet to complete a full security screening, they are initially going to an external location like Qatar, before arriving in the United States in order to complete the security requirements of the United States.  For those that already have been screened and approved as a refugee or received a Special Immigrant Visa (see footnotes), they are coming directly to the United States. As they arrive, many families receive initial orientation at US military bases prior to being connected to resettlement organizations like World Relief Chicagoland.Â
How many Afghans do you expect to arrive in Chicagoland?
Currently, we are preparing to welcome 150 Afghans in the weeks and months ahead. Some Afghans will have refugee status, others with Special Immigrant Visas, and others under humanitarian parole (see footnotes). These new neighbors would be in addition to the 700+ refugees from all over the world we are preparing to welcome this coming fiscal year (October 1, 2021, to September 31, 2022.) Â
Can you share more about refugees, Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs), and humanitarian parolees? How does each status impact an Afghan’s access to resettlement support? Â
It is important to remember that all the Afghan people coming are fleeing for the same reasons; they fear retaliation for their support of the US Military, their religious affiliation, gender, or human rights activity. They also need the same support when they arrive in the United States; housing, food, connections with a job, English language support, school connections, healthcare, and other vital services. At World Relief, we plan to assist all Afghans we resettle with these vital services. We expect this group in particular to need additional support.
How can I make the biggest impact?  
The biggest impact you can have is through engaging for the long term. We are at the beginning of a large-scale emergency response with long-term realities. We know it takes many years for refugees to rebuild their lives. And we expect that this will be no different for those arriving from Afghanistan. They have experienced such recent trauma and loss! Because of that, they will need our community’s support, both now and in the years to come.Â
What are the volunteer opportunities?
We expect the need for volunteers will grow in the months and years ahead. That is because we expect to resettle refugees from Afghanistan as well as other countries. Volunteers can support as English tutors, friendship partners, helping with transportation, and more. We believe that everyone has a part to play in building a welcoming community. Our website is the best place to start the volunteer journey.
Because we are working to connect everyone with a way to serve, we ask for your patience if it takes a little longer than usual due to the abundant responses we’re receiving. And we are so grateful for that! As arrivals of Afghans and other refugees increase over the weeks and months ahead, we expect these opportunities to serve will also increase.
What can be done now?
Building Welcome Kits, financial partnership, and advocacy are significant ways that you can help now.  Gather a group from you church, family, or community to host a donation drive. Encourage friends and family to give. And join advocacy efforts. You can learn more about this here.Â
Where do I go to learn more, give, or get involved? 
The best way for you to engage with World Relief is to visit worldrelief.org/chicagoland/afghan-allies.
This page shares opportunities for churches, volunteers, financial partnership, and more, and has links to helpful resources. It’s the best place for you to learn more about World Relief’s response! And to learn ways you can make the biggest impact. Â
Helpful Definitions
A refugee: someone forced to flee because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal, and religious violence are leading reasons why refugees flee. In the United States, UNHCR, the U.S. Government, and organizations like World Relief work together to ensure refugees receive access to benefits and other resources as they rebuild their lives. Â
Humanitarian Parole: a status granted to someone who is eligible to come to the United States on a temporary basis due to an emergency. This allows the individual time to pursue Permanent Legal Resident status in the United States. Â
What does SIV mean/what is an SIV? The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program was established under the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009. The intention of the program is to facilitate the expedited visa processing of Afghans whose lives were threatened as a result of their service alongside the US military. There are currently about 18,000 Afghan SIV applicants waiting to be processed and 53,000 family members in need of protection.
Thanks for reading this Q&A with Susan Sperry! Learn more about Afghan resettlement and how you can get involved here.
World Relief Grieves the Loss of Life at Kabul Airport and Urges Biden Administration to Ensure Continued Safe Evacuation of Vulnerable Afghans, U.S. Citizens and Green Card Holders
August 26, 2021
CONTACT:
Lauren Carl
lauren.carl@pinkston.co
703-388-6734
BALTIMORE — Today, August 26, a series of terrorist attacks near Kabul’s airport took the lives of over 60 Afghans and 12 U.S. troops. These attacks were carried out at the site of an ongoing evacuation of vulnerable U.S. citizens, green card holders, and vulnerable Afghans, efforts led by the United States with support from the global community. The U.S. military is engaged in a heroic effort on the front lines of the evacuation. World Relief grieves the loss of so many innocent lives and laments the risk and vulnerability to which both Afghans and U.S. personnel are exposed in Afghanistan.
“We are heartbroken by the bloodshed at the Kabul airport,” said Myal Greene, president and CEO of World Relief. “We commend the valiant efforts of the U.S. military to lead this critical evacuation and know that in doing so, they put themselves in harm’s way. This act of violence highlights the evil those who don’t make it out will be subject to while living in Afghanistan as well as our humanitarian duty to leave no one behind who is at risk. Far too many of our service members, allies and vulnerable Afghans remain trapped in Afghanistan at risk of death without any means of getting out.”
The Biden administration has pledged to continue evacuations until August 31. But as that date quickly approaches, and as violence disrupts official U.S. evacuation efforts, World Relief also calls on the Biden administration to continue evacuations past August 31 if that’s what it takes to save lives and keep our nation’s commitment to our allies.
“We honor the lives lost today of those in the U.S. military and Afghan community. We know the constant dangers our U.S. military face providing security and support as well as the dangers that those who seek safety often face. We continue to urge President Biden to remain firm in our commitment to help vulnerable Afghans and evacuate those whose lives are in jeopardy,” said Jenny Yang, senior vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief. “We cannot turn our backs on those who have risked their lives and their families’ lives for our country.”
World Relief asks that our partners and church community join us in praying for those who lost their lives today, and for the grieving families of victims. World Relief also asks for prayer for a compassionate and effective response by the international community to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. And World Relief is actively welcoming Afghans who have been evacuated and cleared for resettlement to the United States, in partnership with local churches and communities.
To learn more about World Relief, visit https://worldrelief.org/.
To find out how you can help welcome those who have fled Afghanistan, visit https://worldrelief.org/respond/#afghan.
To download a PDF version of this press release, click here.
About World Relief
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to empower the local church to serve the most vulnerable. We aim to tackle the world’s greatest problems with holistic, locally-driven solutions that lead to lasting change — whether in response to disasters, extreme poverty, violence, oppression or mass displacement and immigration. World Relief’s work in the United States, specifically, focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country.
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I helped U.S. troops in Afghanistan. I’m safe now, but I worry for friends I left behind.
Program participant Seeta Habib and her family were resettled through World Relief Memphis in October 2020 through the special immigrant visa program. She and her husband had served as interpreters and journalists for U.S. forces in their home country, and they were consequently targeted by the Taliban. This is her story.
When the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 1996, millions of Afghan girls were shut out of school. I was one of them.
It wasn’t until the eventual defeat of the Taliban government in 2001, when I was 13 years old, that I entered a school for the first time in five years.
It was one of the happiest days of my life, but it was still a dangerous time to be a girl in Afghanistan, seeking an education. I learned English secretly, in a private class outside of school, and when I graduated, I knew I wanted to be a part of Afghanistan’s reconstruction. I became a print journalist for a magazine operated by NATO’s security mission in Afghanistan, the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force in Farah, in the western part of Afghanistan. There, I covered ISAF activities having a positive impact in the community.
Staff Stories: Ordinary Moments & the Power of Thank You
There are many tasks that face us each new day. And how often do we pause to appreciate the ordinary moments. Or to say “thank you”?
For example, maybe you are someone who makes a weekly to-do list to keep everything organized. When you take time to go over your calendar and prepare for the week, what does your schedule look like?
Those of us who are immigrants and who are native-born often have the same everyday, ordinary tasks– a meeting with our child’s school, a doctor’s appointment, bills to pay, going on a walk with a friend, or running to the grocery store.
Catherine Norquist (World Relief Chicagoland Regional Immigration Legal Services Director) reflects on how our priorities (or even tasks) shape us and the power of two simple words – “thank you.”
An Everyday Email
I got the email from a former client inquiring if she could come to see me. I immediately thought she wanted help with another immigration matter, so I quickly referred her to our front desk Admin person to schedule a consultation with another practitioner.
She replied to my email to clarify that she wanted to come and see me. She wanted to thank me in person.
I looked up her name because I had to remember what process we worked on together. I realized she was a citizenship client from almost a year earlier. We met on Zoom and went through the 20-minute legal screening process to determine her eligibility and then took the remaining 30 minutes to fill out the forms she needed to apply for her U.S. citizenship. I noted that she had previously gotten her green card through being a victim of domestic violence. We didn’t discuss her past because it wasn’t relevant to what we were doing, and I remember her being very kind. All I spent with her was one hour.
A few weeks later, she came to sign the documents and bring her money order for $725 since she didn’t qualify for a fee waiver. That was it.
I didn’t talk to her again as our Citizenship Coordinator followed up with her until she received her oath date. But she came back.
Returning to Say Two Words
She came back to say thank you in person at the end of a pandemic. She took the time and effort to come. I’m sure her life is filled with many things to do, and yet she stopped and took the time; time in the midst of a busy culture where I often hear in my head or I verbally say, “I don’t have time!”
Yet she still came, she still took the time. It left me asking myself how I do or do not show gratitude to those who have impacted my life? Have I taken the time? Will I take the time?
She inspired me. I want to be like her in the courageous act of taking time to stop and pause in a moment of gratitude, possibly get a card and maybe a small gift, and actually go see someone in person (if possible) to say two simple words –“thank you.”
Thankfulness & To-Do Lists
Like most people, this woman likely had a long list of tasks to complete, places to be, and people to see. Yet she chose to prioritize visiting World Relief so that she could share her gratitude because being thankful is a value she has.
It is often in these ordinary moments that transformation takes place but we often miss them. What would it take to shift our perspective throughout the day to take notice of these small moments? How could we grow as a community if we lean into this challenge?
Next time you go over your calendar or tasks list, ask yourself “How I can prioritize showing gratitude to someone in my life?” or “What are some ordinary ways that I can make a difference today?”.
It is in the everyday moments that we build a more welcoming community, a community where immigrants and native-born grow and thrive together. When you volunteer with World Relief Chicagoland, you get to be a part of these ordinary, life-changing moments.
A Refugee’s Journey to Belonging: Jerome’s Story
**UPDATE TO JEROME’S STORY.**
In May of 2022, Jerome graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work!!! We celebrate Jerome and his accomplishments!
“What’s going to happen to me? Who’s going to receive me? How am I going to live?” These were all questions asked by World Relief staff member, Jerome Bizimana, featured in the video below.
Jerome became a U.S. citizen after his struggle to escape hate and violence.
At times it felt like a hopeless quest for peace. How did he persevere? How did he rebuild his life in the United States and overcome challenges along the way? Watch this video interview with Jerome to find out. And listen to his words to become a witness of Jerome’s journey to belonging.
Refugee Resettlement
For more than 40 years, World Relief has worked to resettle refugees and create communities of welcome throughout Chicagoland. You can be part of this important work welcoming new neighbors like Jerome! Learn about World Relief Chicagoland’s work resettling refugees here and watch other videos of hope on our YouTube channel!
The journey is long. But together, we can create communities of belonging where everyone can thrive. Will you join this movement of peace alongside people like Jerome?
More like this:
Volunteer Impact Video: Abdul and Yao
Watch: Welcome Begins with You
4 Ways to Read, Watch, and Listen to Powerful Immigrant and Refugee Stories
Staff Perspective Video: Why We Got the COVID-19 Vaccine
Watch World Relief Chicagoland staff share their reasons for getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
If you or someone you know need help making an appointment to get your COVID-19 vaccine, email WRDAvaccine@gmail.com.
My Life Motto: Becoming a Wounded Healer
In March we introduced you to Jenny Park, who became a World Relief volunteer a couple months into COVID-19. Drawing on her own experience as an immigrant and her skills in language tutoring, Jenny provided education support to a young woman from East Africa named Medina. In this post, Jenny shares about how a time of separation from her mom from 6th grade to the start of high school inspired empathy and action later in life.
Jenny – One night, a few weeks after Easter toward the end of my 6th grade year, my mom came in and told me she was going back to Korea. I didn’t know she was being deported. She seemed really tired, I thought maybe it was just to check on her health or something. But after that day, for two and a half years my dad and me and my brother had to live without her. I still don’t know exactly what went on and why she was deported. But I have a lot to say about how that experience affected me as a person…
I knew I didn’t have time to whine and be sad. I knew somehow that I had to bear some of the responsibilities of the mother of the family. I knew I had to teach my brother – who was in 3rd grade – what was right and wrong, make sure he was doing well in school.
I had to be there for my dad too. He felt like he failed the family. He was struggling to get a job and lead us on a more secure path toward our green card. So I knew I had to be there for him…we’d have Bible studies and pray together, I’d clean the house, and leave him notes when he was going out on job interviews.
We went back to Korea maybe once or twice to see my mom during that two and a half years. I feel like we still needed that connection with her because we were so little. The thing that stands out to me from that time is when we had to separate in the airport. Like, when we had to go back to Indiana, but my mom had to stay in Korea. My mom would always cry and say like “Why are you guys always leaving me? Why do I have to stay here alone and you guys get to go?” My brother and I would just cry and say “Oh these aren’t tears. This is just some water coming out of my eyes.”
We didn’t want to admit that we were crying. But we were definitely really saddened. I would never want to go back to those years ever again. I think seeing her made it even more difficult because you had to separate from your mom again and again.
But looking back I can say that I’m thankful for this experience because it allows me to become a wounded healer. And that is actually a life motto that I’ve set for myself. It’s not a term that I coined, of course, it’s the title of a book I really enjoyed.
My mom’s deportation and the difficult circumstances that I had to face as a young person allow me to understand what other immigrants and refugees are going through. Of course, I can never fully understand, but it lets me relate with their story and offer encouragement that a better future lies ahead. World Relief has a very special place in my heart because volunteering was my first step in animating my life model of becoming a wounded healer.
Like Jenny, you can turn your empathy into action and help people rebuild their lives. Be it tutoring, transportation, medical support, office support, or simple friendship, you are needed to help create welcome.