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The Welcome to America Project (WTAP.org), is an organization you may be familiar with through my blogs as one of my pro-bono clients.
I like what they do. It dovetails nicely with some the overseas work that I am involved in from time-to-time and so I chose to contribute the best way I can, through professional my services.
I like what they do. It dovetails nicely with some the overseas work that I am involved in from time-to-time and so I chose to contribute the best way I can, through professional my services.
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After much organizing among the families within my family, we caravaned to the apartment of our Somali family to lend a hand and help them feel more welcome in their new home.
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One of the boys immediately took the the new soccer ball while another was elated with an eight-inch tall Buzz Lightyear figure.
Several side conversations developed as one sister chatted with the eldest daughter about how she was settling in and about her traditional clothing, and a nephew demonstrated the working parts of Buzz and Dad explained, to a wide-eyed daughter, how many pieced made up her new puzzle.
After perhaps half of the gifts of fun and of necessity were distributed, as if by telepathic agreement, we realized that their dad, who had work that day, was missing out on the moment. I think as a group we became concerned that the family might feel obligated to open all that we had delivered. One of my sisters spoke up, "do you want to wait for your dad to get home to finish?"
Their mom said she thought that was a good idea.
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In the days that followed the feedback from family was about the same, the warmth of the Somali family, the friendliness of the children and the beauty the interaction of the two cultures and the confirmation that perhaps this rich experience needed to become an annual event for our family.
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