Building a strong relationship with clients is one of the most gratifying components of a nonprofit immersion program. Whenever people come in for produce days, I am able to write their name down from memory, and give them their typical weekly items. What was initially hesitant conversation and small talk has transformed into twenty minute conversations about weekend trips and life stories.

Every day, when I come into MFS, I am most excited to see one client. This lady is an Iraqi refugee whose story nearly brought me to tears during my first week at the office. I saw her bustling around the office, bringing people their paperwork and sorting through clothes, and believed that she was a coworker. I soon learned how she learned English on her own when she came to the states; she brought in her job manual and stated that she needed it translated into Arabic so that she could work. She inspired our ESL program and she now inspires my new project; the development of a database for Muslim mental health resources in Ohio. Each day during lunch, we bring each other different Iraqi and Indian foods and discuss our day and our plans. This week we had tabouleh and chicken korma.

At MFS it is very common that a client asks for a referral to a psychiatrist or counselor. Due to the language and cultural gap, more times than not the compatibility between the professional and client is not a match. I am currently developing a way for clients or companies like MFS to sift through the abundance of licensed professionals and find one who understands the nuances of treating a patient with a diverse background.

When I think about my future career plans, I hope to foster relationships with my clients like the ones I have built at MFS. Additionally, I want to find artful ways to tell the stories I have learned so that more people are inspired to contribute to Muslim Family Services’ mission.