"Because He First Loved Us" Refugee Organization Volunteer Work
Introduction
As part of my Practicum, I volunteered with the organization, “Because He First Loved Us”. BHFLU is a non-government funded non-profit organization that assists Utah refugees. As a relational ministry, their mission is to assist refugee families to meet spiritual, educational, and practical needs through family mentoring and resource networking. Their goal is to educate, encourage and influence refugee families as they strive to succeed in their new life in the Utah. In addition to providing support and practical needs, members of the organization build personal relationships with the children and their families. With a variety of programs available, these refugees can partake in mentoring programs, sports programs and special events. In addition to the program, we work with the parents to help empower and educate them on how to navigate parenting, acquire jobs, learn the English language, and learn how to support their children in their education. Not only does BHFLU work directly with the refugees, but they strive to bring awareness to the community. They aim to inspire and motivate the local community into action.
As I have worked with this organization for more than 100 hours, I have not only learned lots about the people in which I serve, but I have also gained a greater understanding as to the life in which these refugees have come from. I have become a mentor to many of the youth and have built relationships that I intend to keep long after my educational experience.
Volunteer Experiences
Below are just a few of the experiences in which I have had with the organization and what I have learned from my experience.
Lagoon
One of my first experience with Because He First Loved Us was taking about 40 of our refugee children to Lagoon. We took our children ranging in ages of 8 to 16 years old. We split the group into smaller groups based on age. Myself and one other leader, Natalie, were assigned to the 8 year olds and I have to say, it was by far the best group ever!! Before starting our exciting day, we took the children to a pavilion where we had lunch and got more familiar with our groups.
Since my group of children were the youngest, I discovered that none of them had been to an amusement park before. Many were excited, but a little nervous as well. Deciding to not scare them, Natalie and I decided to start with the kid’s section of the park. The first ride the kids chose was the “Jumping Dragon”. As we all split up, the kids fought over who they got to ride with. We got them all in their seats and as the ride started you could hear them screaming! It was absolutely amazing! Watching the smiles on their faces and the joy radiating from them was an experience that I will never forget! As we got off the ride, all of the kids were jumping and screaming at how much fun they had. That began the day of fun! We rode as many rides as we could do. Most of the kids would ride all the rides that were picked, but occasionally we would have one or two who sat out. One of the leaders would sit out with them.
As the day had many highlights, there are definitely a few that have stuck out in my mind. My favorite ride experience was the “Cannibal”. All of the kids in my group were so excited to ride it and every single one of them rode it. Watching their reactions throughout the ride was amazing, but after the ride was even better! I hadn’t seen them so excited all day!
Another one of my favorite experiences was interacting with the kids and getting to know them. We would talk and joke around in line. Some of them would hold my hands as we walked from ride to ride. They were so eager to get to know me as well and wanted to know everything about me, from my favorite color to wanting to know if I had children of my own. At dinner time, some of the boys and I had a “Dance Off”. They were impress that I could actually keep up with them and I knew the music they were into. As we continued well into the evening, the kids began to tire, but wouldn’t let that stop them from enjoying the experience. One little girl got so tired even, that I ended up carrying her.
On the drive home, I reflected on how much fun this was to share an experience with these children. They asked so many questions, including wanting to know how a roller coaster works. As I don’t often get to go to amusement parks, it was amazing to see it from the eyes of someone who had never been to one. I also found it interesting that as we walked around the park, I didn’t see little Muslim kids, but I saw just normal kids. They were just like everyone else and the way they dressed didn’t faze me. We were also able to share with other guests of the park about the program and these children’s background. Many would ask us in line where they were from, asked why the girls wore head coverings and a few asked how they could get involved. It was a great experience and a great introduction to the organization.
Design Your Own T-Shirt Activities
As BHFLU strives to find a variety of activities in which we can educate and interact with our youth, I wanted to be able to contribute. I presented the idea of a “Design Your Own T-Shirt Day” to our founder and she immediately jumped on the idea. As BHFLU has a low budget, I took on a fundraising effort to sponsor the activity. I approached multiple companies about donating to our cause. I was able to receive donations from two Screen Printing Companies, donating together a total of 150 youth shirts. The company in which I worked with donated $100 to purchase items, in addition to $200 donated from other donors. I was able to purchase paint, iron-on transfers, bleach, stencils, and other items for the children to use in designing their shirts.
As a permanent volunteer, I have the ability to drive children for their activities. For this event I drove 9 children for the event. I had the opportunity to go to their homes and meet their families. This was one of the most humbling experiences, as I learned the areas in which these family lived in were not necessarily the best areas in Utah. It was then that I knew how important our program was to these children, as we were providing a positive community outlet for many of them. As part of driving the kids, you have a chance to interact a little bit more one-on-one with them. Conversations can become more personal and you get to see their personalities shine.
Once we arrived to the event, I explained to the children the event proceedings. We had various “Design” stations in which the children could choose from, each being manned by various volunteers. We had stations for painting, iron-on transfers, and bleaching. Each child received two t-shirts in the color of their choosing. After receiving their instructions and picking out their shirts, the kids were free to design. It was fun to see the kids pick out their designs and watch how they created their shirts. I manned the “Bleaching” station and it was so fun to talk to the kids about their likes and dislikes. I helped them come up with ideas and watched how creative they could become. We even had snacks available.
As this was my first event that I hosted, it was fun to watch the gratitude of the child. Many of the children came up and gave me hug, thanking me and telling me how much fun they had. Many of the kids asked if we could do it again and with the amount of shirts we had left over, Danielle and I decided that we would do this activity again. Not only was this a fun activity for the kids to participate in, but it gave the kids something that they could wear. Many of them have been so proud of their t-shirts. Since our first t-shirt activity I have seen many of the children wearing the shirts that they have created.
Due to popular demand and many requests, we were able to repeat this activity a year later. This time, the children designed t-shirts to wear for the performance at our Valentine’s Fundraiser Dinner. This time we did not have as many stations for the children to participate in, however they still had fun. Again, it was fun to watch them create not only t-shirts for themselves, but also shirts for gifts to our volunteers.
Being in charge of this event was so rewarding. I was able to fully appreciate not only the work that goes into planning an activity, but to see the outcome from it. I believe it was through this activity that I started to see that I wasn’t serving these children near as much as they were serving me. My eyes have truly been opened as I have learned more about a culture that I was so unfamiliar with for most of my life. I have learned traditions and customs. I have learned the struggles in which some families have had during their lives and their journey to the United States. I have learned what is acceptable behaviors and actions for each gender and what is not acceptable. I have also learned how important it is to connect with others who are different from yourself. It is through these many events, that the children have helped me change my perspective on life and culture.
Girl’s Nights
Being a mentor has been one of my most favorite parts of my service work. I have worked with our young women of all ages. As I grew up in the LDS community, I have always felt that having youth activities in which taught us values were important. I have attributed this to my own character building and am grateful for those experiences. With these in mind, I decided that I wanted to focus a few events on just our female youth. In the Muslim community, the women are typically the quite ones, where the male is the leader in the home. Therefore, I wanted an event that would focus on the females and would provide an opportunity to learn a new skill or enhance one they already had.
For our older/teen girls, I organized and planned a “craft night”. At this event, I taught the girls how to make Candle Warmers, Bath Bombs, Chocolate Covered Popcorn, and Chocolate Covered Treats. The girls each had a chance to decorate their own warmer and learned how to make their own candle melts. As the Bath Bombs needed to dry overnight, I showed the girls how to make them. I had pre-made over 100 bath bombs for them, in which they put in gift bags and took home with them. We had a Chocolate Fountain, in which I showed the girls how they could make cute tasty treats. Every item the girls made they were able to take home. They were also encouraged to make a “goodie” bag out of chocolate dipped treats, write a note to a friend or family member to give with the goodies. This was to teach them how to show appreciate to others. All of the materials for the event I was able to get donated or I raised through a “Go Fund Me” Campaign.
I enjoyed teaching the girls simple homemaking skills that they could use today. It was fun to hear they ask questions and express interest in other skills that they would like to learn. Many of the girls were so proud in their creations and could not wait to share them with their families. As I have worked with the teen girls, I have realized that they just want to fit in with all of the other girls their age.
For the younger girls, 4-10 years, I organized a “Princess for a Day” activity. Many of our younger girls don’t get the opportunity to participate in many events, so I wanted to do something special for them. Seeing how typically little girls want to be a princess when they are young, I thought this would be a great activity. We had five various stations in which the girls could participate in. They could make wands, crowns, bracelets, necklaces, and get their nails painted. Watching them so excited to be doing “big girl” activities, it was so interesting to watch them. Originally when I planned this event, I didn’t think about painting nails as something that would be culturally unacceptable. However, it wasn’t until arriving at the event that the founder explained to me that many of the parents wouldn’t allow it. Instead of disappointing the girls, we were able to come to a compromise and the girls received clear nail polish, with nail decals. At first I was nervous to see the reactions of the youth, but they were so excited to even just get the clear nail polish.
This event was a huge learning experience for me, as I hadn’t thought that simply painting your finger nails would be something that would not be culturally accepted. As I learned the reasoning behind it, I was humbled and excited as well. I felt so happy to be learning more about the Muslim faith and culture! I have felt that I am breaking through much of the surface level knowledge and starting to learn more about the culture in a deeper medium.
Other Events
As there have been many activities in which I have been involved in, each has helped me gain greater insight to the various cultures in which I have interacted with. I have taken the children to a Utah Jazz game, in which I organized for 40 children. I watched as many of them were able to meet their favorite player and the joy that was on their faces when doing so. I have had the pleasure of taking some of the youth to cultural performances in which they were the performers. I have learned about their cultural dances and traditions through these events. I have worked alongside our refugee families as we plan and execute various fundraising events. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the families in which we work with, learning more about them and where they have come from.
Conclusion
I am so grateful for this opportunity I have had to work with the “Because He First Loved Us” refugee program here in Utah. As I have traveled all over the world and have interacted with many different cultures, I have found this interaction to be very fulfilling and educational. I do not plan to quit working with this organization, as it not only allowed me to impact the lives of others, but it has impacted mine.
As part of my Practicum, I volunteered with the organization, “Because He First Loved Us”. BHFLU is a non-government funded non-profit organization that assists Utah refugees. As a relational ministry, their mission is to assist refugee families to meet spiritual, educational, and practical needs through family mentoring and resource networking. Their goal is to educate, encourage and influence refugee families as they strive to succeed in their new life in the Utah. In addition to providing support and practical needs, members of the organization build personal relationships with the children and their families. With a variety of programs available, these refugees can partake in mentoring programs, sports programs and special events. In addition to the program, we work with the parents to help empower and educate them on how to navigate parenting, acquire jobs, learn the English language, and learn how to support their children in their education. Not only does BHFLU work directly with the refugees, but they strive to bring awareness to the community. They aim to inspire and motivate the local community into action.
As I have worked with this organization for more than 100 hours, I have not only learned lots about the people in which I serve, but I have also gained a greater understanding as to the life in which these refugees have come from. I have become a mentor to many of the youth and have built relationships that I intend to keep long after my educational experience.
Volunteer Experiences
Below are just a few of the experiences in which I have had with the organization and what I have learned from my experience.
Lagoon
One of my first experience with Because He First Loved Us was taking about 40 of our refugee children to Lagoon. We took our children ranging in ages of 8 to 16 years old. We split the group into smaller groups based on age. Myself and one other leader, Natalie, were assigned to the 8 year olds and I have to say, it was by far the best group ever!! Before starting our exciting day, we took the children to a pavilion where we had lunch and got more familiar with our groups.
Since my group of children were the youngest, I discovered that none of them had been to an amusement park before. Many were excited, but a little nervous as well. Deciding to not scare them, Natalie and I decided to start with the kid’s section of the park. The first ride the kids chose was the “Jumping Dragon”. As we all split up, the kids fought over who they got to ride with. We got them all in their seats and as the ride started you could hear them screaming! It was absolutely amazing! Watching the smiles on their faces and the joy radiating from them was an experience that I will never forget! As we got off the ride, all of the kids were jumping and screaming at how much fun they had. That began the day of fun! We rode as many rides as we could do. Most of the kids would ride all the rides that were picked, but occasionally we would have one or two who sat out. One of the leaders would sit out with them.
As the day had many highlights, there are definitely a few that have stuck out in my mind. My favorite ride experience was the “Cannibal”. All of the kids in my group were so excited to ride it and every single one of them rode it. Watching their reactions throughout the ride was amazing, but after the ride was even better! I hadn’t seen them so excited all day!
Another one of my favorite experiences was interacting with the kids and getting to know them. We would talk and joke around in line. Some of them would hold my hands as we walked from ride to ride. They were so eager to get to know me as well and wanted to know everything about me, from my favorite color to wanting to know if I had children of my own. At dinner time, some of the boys and I had a “Dance Off”. They were impress that I could actually keep up with them and I knew the music they were into. As we continued well into the evening, the kids began to tire, but wouldn’t let that stop them from enjoying the experience. One little girl got so tired even, that I ended up carrying her.
On the drive home, I reflected on how much fun this was to share an experience with these children. They asked so many questions, including wanting to know how a roller coaster works. As I don’t often get to go to amusement parks, it was amazing to see it from the eyes of someone who had never been to one. I also found it interesting that as we walked around the park, I didn’t see little Muslim kids, but I saw just normal kids. They were just like everyone else and the way they dressed didn’t faze me. We were also able to share with other guests of the park about the program and these children’s background. Many would ask us in line where they were from, asked why the girls wore head coverings and a few asked how they could get involved. It was a great experience and a great introduction to the organization.
Design Your Own T-Shirt Activities
As BHFLU strives to find a variety of activities in which we can educate and interact with our youth, I wanted to be able to contribute. I presented the idea of a “Design Your Own T-Shirt Day” to our founder and she immediately jumped on the idea. As BHFLU has a low budget, I took on a fundraising effort to sponsor the activity. I approached multiple companies about donating to our cause. I was able to receive donations from two Screen Printing Companies, donating together a total of 150 youth shirts. The company in which I worked with donated $100 to purchase items, in addition to $200 donated from other donors. I was able to purchase paint, iron-on transfers, bleach, stencils, and other items for the children to use in designing their shirts.
As a permanent volunteer, I have the ability to drive children for their activities. For this event I drove 9 children for the event. I had the opportunity to go to their homes and meet their families. This was one of the most humbling experiences, as I learned the areas in which these family lived in were not necessarily the best areas in Utah. It was then that I knew how important our program was to these children, as we were providing a positive community outlet for many of them. As part of driving the kids, you have a chance to interact a little bit more one-on-one with them. Conversations can become more personal and you get to see their personalities shine.
Once we arrived to the event, I explained to the children the event proceedings. We had various “Design” stations in which the children could choose from, each being manned by various volunteers. We had stations for painting, iron-on transfers, and bleaching. Each child received two t-shirts in the color of their choosing. After receiving their instructions and picking out their shirts, the kids were free to design. It was fun to see the kids pick out their designs and watch how they created their shirts. I manned the “Bleaching” station and it was so fun to talk to the kids about their likes and dislikes. I helped them come up with ideas and watched how creative they could become. We even had snacks available.
As this was my first event that I hosted, it was fun to watch the gratitude of the child. Many of the children came up and gave me hug, thanking me and telling me how much fun they had. Many of the kids asked if we could do it again and with the amount of shirts we had left over, Danielle and I decided that we would do this activity again. Not only was this a fun activity for the kids to participate in, but it gave the kids something that they could wear. Many of them have been so proud of their t-shirts. Since our first t-shirt activity I have seen many of the children wearing the shirts that they have created.
Due to popular demand and many requests, we were able to repeat this activity a year later. This time, the children designed t-shirts to wear for the performance at our Valentine’s Fundraiser Dinner. This time we did not have as many stations for the children to participate in, however they still had fun. Again, it was fun to watch them create not only t-shirts for themselves, but also shirts for gifts to our volunteers.
Being in charge of this event was so rewarding. I was able to fully appreciate not only the work that goes into planning an activity, but to see the outcome from it. I believe it was through this activity that I started to see that I wasn’t serving these children near as much as they were serving me. My eyes have truly been opened as I have learned more about a culture that I was so unfamiliar with for most of my life. I have learned traditions and customs. I have learned the struggles in which some families have had during their lives and their journey to the United States. I have learned what is acceptable behaviors and actions for each gender and what is not acceptable. I have also learned how important it is to connect with others who are different from yourself. It is through these many events, that the children have helped me change my perspective on life and culture.
Girl’s Nights
Being a mentor has been one of my most favorite parts of my service work. I have worked with our young women of all ages. As I grew up in the LDS community, I have always felt that having youth activities in which taught us values were important. I have attributed this to my own character building and am grateful for those experiences. With these in mind, I decided that I wanted to focus a few events on just our female youth. In the Muslim community, the women are typically the quite ones, where the male is the leader in the home. Therefore, I wanted an event that would focus on the females and would provide an opportunity to learn a new skill or enhance one they already had.
For our older/teen girls, I organized and planned a “craft night”. At this event, I taught the girls how to make Candle Warmers, Bath Bombs, Chocolate Covered Popcorn, and Chocolate Covered Treats. The girls each had a chance to decorate their own warmer and learned how to make their own candle melts. As the Bath Bombs needed to dry overnight, I showed the girls how to make them. I had pre-made over 100 bath bombs for them, in which they put in gift bags and took home with them. We had a Chocolate Fountain, in which I showed the girls how they could make cute tasty treats. Every item the girls made they were able to take home. They were also encouraged to make a “goodie” bag out of chocolate dipped treats, write a note to a friend or family member to give with the goodies. This was to teach them how to show appreciate to others. All of the materials for the event I was able to get donated or I raised through a “Go Fund Me” Campaign.
I enjoyed teaching the girls simple homemaking skills that they could use today. It was fun to hear they ask questions and express interest in other skills that they would like to learn. Many of the girls were so proud in their creations and could not wait to share them with their families. As I have worked with the teen girls, I have realized that they just want to fit in with all of the other girls their age.
For the younger girls, 4-10 years, I organized a “Princess for a Day” activity. Many of our younger girls don’t get the opportunity to participate in many events, so I wanted to do something special for them. Seeing how typically little girls want to be a princess when they are young, I thought this would be a great activity. We had five various stations in which the girls could participate in. They could make wands, crowns, bracelets, necklaces, and get their nails painted. Watching them so excited to be doing “big girl” activities, it was so interesting to watch them. Originally when I planned this event, I didn’t think about painting nails as something that would be culturally unacceptable. However, it wasn’t until arriving at the event that the founder explained to me that many of the parents wouldn’t allow it. Instead of disappointing the girls, we were able to come to a compromise and the girls received clear nail polish, with nail decals. At first I was nervous to see the reactions of the youth, but they were so excited to even just get the clear nail polish.
This event was a huge learning experience for me, as I hadn’t thought that simply painting your finger nails would be something that would not be culturally accepted. As I learned the reasoning behind it, I was humbled and excited as well. I felt so happy to be learning more about the Muslim faith and culture! I have felt that I am breaking through much of the surface level knowledge and starting to learn more about the culture in a deeper medium.
Other Events
As there have been many activities in which I have been involved in, each has helped me gain greater insight to the various cultures in which I have interacted with. I have taken the children to a Utah Jazz game, in which I organized for 40 children. I watched as many of them were able to meet their favorite player and the joy that was on their faces when doing so. I have had the pleasure of taking some of the youth to cultural performances in which they were the performers. I have learned about their cultural dances and traditions through these events. I have worked alongside our refugee families as we plan and execute various fundraising events. I have also had the pleasure of meeting the families in which we work with, learning more about them and where they have come from.
Conclusion
I am so grateful for this opportunity I have had to work with the “Because He First Loved Us” refugee program here in Utah. As I have traveled all over the world and have interacted with many different cultures, I have found this interaction to be very fulfilling and educational. I do not plan to quit working with this organization, as it not only allowed me to impact the lives of others, but it has impacted mine.
