My name is Mamata (Mamta), and I’m one of the AmeriCorps Employment Specialists serving at World Relief Seattle through the Washington Service Corps helping individuals that come from around the world with only one hope: peace and protection. These individuals go through what we know as culture shock, from food, a place to stay, education, to employment. 

 

Each of the participants that we serve here at World Relief Seattle goes through a lot more than we can imagine, [often] seen as weak, forgotten or pushed back. As part of the World Relief Seattle employment team, we provide support by helping them complete a resume, job search, interview, paperwork, go work clothes shopping [with them], and so on. Through these different services, we help our participants be self-sufficient. 

 

One of the participants I serve opened up about feeling comfortable when I’m helping him do a job search, teaching a class, or even when I helped him create a resume. He stated, “Coming to the office and getting support from you, I have always felt like I have someone that listens to me and even tries to speak the language that I know.” Coming from a similar background as most of the participants, I feel connected with them. Being here in this organization has [improved] my listening skills and taught me to be open-minded, to acknowledge where each individual is coming from and listen to their stories or share one of my own. Helping each participant learn to be self-sufficient is an achievement that will never be forgotten.