Every day at MFS is strikingly different than the last.

Monday:

I arrive at the office and meet my new co-worker Siema. She tells me about the history of her name – it means a certain ‘quality’ on a person’s face – and we laugh about how she shares this name with my mom.

Siema is our new bilingual social-worker here at MFS. We are currently creating citizenship test courses for our immigrant and refugee clients. Having an Arabic speaking co-worker has been a huge asset for MFS. Many of the families I have spoken with have only recently moved to the states and so their English proficiency is minimal. This language gap becomes more pronounced when these clients navigate their jobs, legal paperwork, and in MFS’s most recent case – working with the police.

I have also spent the day crafting a new color-palette for MFS and designing our digital media posts.

Wednesday:

In the short two weeks that I have been here, I am quickly learning that my manager Nicol wears many hats. Today she is a detective. Due to a cultural and language barrier, the police have misunderstood pertinent details for a missing person case. Nicol is working with the family in order to uncover the correct information and bring the investigation back on track.

My role in this case is to scour different social media sources and bring any of the details I find to Nicol and the detective. I have already made progress in pursuit of this goal.

In addition to this case, I have assisted with intake forms for families seeking rent assistance. I have also helped tidy the office and create new shelves!

Friday:

A common thread amongst many of the people MFS serves is the need for mental health resources. After helping a client fill out a job application, I spoke with her about her background. She explained how her playful demeanor was often a cover for the struggles she faces daily. Nicol, Christy, and the other workers at the office attempt to connect clients like these with mental health resources, however there are very few who speak Arabic or are Muslim. In an effort to help bridge this gap I have been emailing and calling different offices in the Columbus area to expand our database on Muslim mental health professionals.

My week at MFS has been filled with new insights and experiences around the roles non-profits play in the Columbus community. I am excited to continue this process of growth and see where this work will take me by the end of the summer.