Volunteer Spotlight: Kathy Williams

UST Refugee Family with Faith Covenant Welcome Group

This month, we want to highlight Kathy Williams, one of our many dedicated volunteers. Kathy and her husband became interested in the refugee crisis after reading Seeking Refuge, a book that examined the refugee crisis through a biblical perspective. Soon after, she traveled to Jordan and put faces to facts where she volunteered to help refugees through a local church near a UN refugee camp. Upon her return to the United States, Kathy realized she wanted to support refugees in her hometown of Westerville. Through her church, Faith Covenant, Kathy formed a welcome group for local refugee families. She coordinated the logistics with our agency and was paired with a family that had just arrived in the United States. Kathy, with the help of her congregation, furnished the family’s home, took them grocery shopping, and coordinated summer activities for the kids. She even advocated on the family’s behalf when their  landlord refused to fix a plumbing issue in their apartment. Over the past year, her welcome group has developed a strong relationship with the family by inviting them into their community and helping them learn English.

Recently, Kathy reached out to our Volunteer Coordinator, Layla Banaie, to inform her that the family had decided to make Faith Covenant their church home.  "When they first arrived, we introduced them to an East African congregation so they could meet other  African immigrants, and have Christian fellowship in their native Swahili language.  After a short time, the family  decided to join us at Faith Covenant on Sunday mornings. It has been such a joy to worship alongside them."

Kathy and the Faith Covenant welcome group no longer see themselves as volunteers, but simply friends of the family. Faith Covenant is currently preparing to welcome their second refugee family in February 2020.