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Refugee youth volunteer at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, MD.

Photo: Mark Youmans

In February, refugee youth in the ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring’s After School Program learned the meaning and importance of civic engagement by participating in their first ever community service project at A Wider Circle in Silver Spring, MD. A Wider Circle is a local non-profit offering gently used clothing and household goods and job training opportunities to low-income families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Youth toured the organization’s facilities, learned about the services it provides and people it serves, and then spent the morning helping with different projects, such as sorting books, folding clothes and moving furniture. After a hard day of work, youth enjoyed a celebratory lunch, donated by MOD Pizza.

“While students started the morning a little confused by the piles of donated items,” says Lindsay Dusard, Out of School Specialist at the ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring, “they finished the day understanding that they had the potential to change lives.”

The After School Program is just one of many programs at the ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring working to support the integration and holistic wellbeing of middle and high school aged refugee and asylee students. In addition to the After School Program, young refugee clients can engage in Spring Break camps, community service projects, field trips, employment workshops, soccer leagues and summer programs, each designed to address the unique challenges identified by resettled youth.

Community service projects like the one at A Wider Circle offer multiple benefits to young refugees. “From the moment our students arrive in the U.S., most are dependent on others to navigate the new school system, language and culture,” says Lindsay Dusard. “We want our students to understand that they, too, no matter their circumstances, have the ability and duty to help those around them.”

“Volunteering at different organizations also helps educate our students and their families about the opportunities and resources available to them in their new community,” she added.

The ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring’s youth programs are made possible by the support from the local community and the time and efforts of committed volunteers. Community volunteers contribute to the efforts of the Youth Team by tutoring high school students or leading summer classes in English or Math, chaperoning or driving students to weekend field trips to DC and by organizing backpack, school supply or school uniform drives at their churches or places of employment.

The ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring’s Out of School Specialist Lindsay Dusard got her own start working in the resettlement field through a volunteer experience. “One random morning of volunteering to repair a playground at an apartment complex in Arizona connected me with a community of refugees that truly changed my life,” she says. “As I developed a relationship with the families, I learned that despite the differences in appearance, language and religion, each of these people were just like me, my family and my friends.”

“Four years later, I still wake up every day humbled and amazed that I get to know and hang out with our students and their families. They are true super heroes!”

Interested in volunteering with the ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring’s Youth Programs? Email Out of School Specialist Lindsay Dusard at [email protected].

Want to learn more about other volunteer opportunities at the ̽����ѡ in Silver Spring? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Mark Youmans at [email protected].