Katherine's Perspective
In the summer of 2012, I came to ERICA through the Community Impact Internship Program sponsored by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Concern. The program is designed to get Hopkins students out into the community and help us be more involved in our new home city. When I started at ERICA, I thought that the community I would be most involved with would be the refugee and asylee community of Baltimore. I had done tutoring of refugee students at Moravia Park Elementary School, and I was excited to get to know the population and their needs better. I have certainly learned a lot about people who recently settled in Baltimore and gotten to hear some incredible stories of strength and compassion, but the communities that I have learned the most about and been the most involved with have been the communities here at the Cathedral, in ERICA, and in our amazing partner organizations, such as the International Rescue Committee, Lutheran Social Services, the Murphy Initiative for Justice and Peace, and many others.
I have been involved in a lot of organizations throughout my life, from Girl Scouts to Fabric of Life (a non-profit in my hometown area focused on microfinance that sells fair trade goods to support a school for women in Mali) yet none of them have been very good at forming partnerships. What I love about ERICA is that it is not trying to change anyone; rather it is serving their needs and allowing them to be who they are and believe what they believe. This mindset allows it to build connections with other organizations working to achieve a common goal. When I first met with Betty Symington and Hadley Mellin, they described a project between ERICA and members of the Bhutanese community recently resettled from refugee camps in Nepal. After talking to leadership in the community at one of our workshops, ERICA realized the crucial need for a community center/worship space for the Bhutanese Hindu population living in the Moravia-Sinclair area because of problems with depression and fear. ERICA and the Cathedral first built a relationship with the Bhutanese, listening to what they wanted and earning trust. Then they searched the surrounding neighborhoods for a church or community center that the Bhutanese could use. Currently, a partnership is developing between the Hindu Bhutanese community, the Cathedral, and the Most Precious Blood Catholic church. Logistics are still being worked out, but it has been so inspiring to see the process in action. Each group has been positive and assertive, and MPB even suggested that the Bhutanese join them for BINGO night to help them become more integrated into the neighborhood. I was able to attend some meetings with the Bhutanese leadership and watch the project take shape as I planned ERICA’s workshop curriculum, which will serve a similar population. I appreciate that the focus has been on helping the Bhutanese community find a safe space that makes them comfortable, without any other challenges or differences getting in the way. In my hometown, collaborations between groups of different faiths would never have happened, and I am so happy that I have seen it in action.
ERICA is a reminder of how things should be. It is committed to its mission, it is open to all, and it is supportive of everyone, regardless of their background. Though I have only been here a short time, I am looking forward to volunteering with ERICA in the future. My time here has left me bursting with ideas about groups that should be involved with ERICA and programs we should do, as well as an overwhelming desire to learn more about the refugees, immigrants, aslyees, and asylum seekers in Baltimore, and the incredible network of non-profits, churches, and government organizations across Baltimore that whole-heartedly support them.
I have been involved in a lot of organizations throughout my life, from Girl Scouts to Fabric of Life (a non-profit in my hometown area focused on microfinance that sells fair trade goods to support a school for women in Mali) yet none of them have been very good at forming partnerships. What I love about ERICA is that it is not trying to change anyone; rather it is serving their needs and allowing them to be who they are and believe what they believe. This mindset allows it to build connections with other organizations working to achieve a common goal. When I first met with Betty Symington and Hadley Mellin, they described a project between ERICA and members of the Bhutanese community recently resettled from refugee camps in Nepal. After talking to leadership in the community at one of our workshops, ERICA realized the crucial need for a community center/worship space for the Bhutanese Hindu population living in the Moravia-Sinclair area because of problems with depression and fear. ERICA and the Cathedral first built a relationship with the Bhutanese, listening to what they wanted and earning trust. Then they searched the surrounding neighborhoods for a church or community center that the Bhutanese could use. Currently, a partnership is developing between the Hindu Bhutanese community, the Cathedral, and the Most Precious Blood Catholic church. Logistics are still being worked out, but it has been so inspiring to see the process in action. Each group has been positive and assertive, and MPB even suggested that the Bhutanese join them for BINGO night to help them become more integrated into the neighborhood. I was able to attend some meetings with the Bhutanese leadership and watch the project take shape as I planned ERICA’s workshop curriculum, which will serve a similar population. I appreciate that the focus has been on helping the Bhutanese community find a safe space that makes them comfortable, without any other challenges or differences getting in the way. In my hometown, collaborations between groups of different faiths would never have happened, and I am so happy that I have seen it in action.
ERICA is a reminder of how things should be. It is committed to its mission, it is open to all, and it is supportive of everyone, regardless of their background. Though I have only been here a short time, I am looking forward to volunteering with ERICA in the future. My time here has left me bursting with ideas about groups that should be involved with ERICA and programs we should do, as well as an overwhelming desire to learn more about the refugees, immigrants, aslyees, and asylum seekers in Baltimore, and the incredible network of non-profits, churches, and government organizations across Baltimore that whole-heartedly support them.