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̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ in San Diego: Our Impact this Month

Meet Gabriel: 7-Eleven’s newest cashier and ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Early Employment client

Gabriel, who was resettled by the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, was hired within the first few months after arrival to San Diego and was eager to be able to support himself and his family back in the Congo. He is now the owner of his own vehicle, thanks to an ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ car donation, and is employed by a local 7-11 store.

Photo: Lida Dianti

Gabriel, originally from the Congo, started his first job in the U.S. as a cashier at 7-Eleven and received a car donation from the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, which he says will provide him with reliable transportation as well as a way to get to and from work. Thanks to our employment team, we have matched many of our refugee and immigrant clients like Gabriel with job opportunities in an effort to get them on the path to economic self-sufficiency and financial independence.

Youth Programs inspire young leaders through Mentorship Program

In addition to the social and emotional learning aspect, mentors also provide academic and vocational support through job and college application assistance.

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Youth Programs has successfully launched the Refugee Youth Mentoring Program, aimed to support refugee youth from ages 15 to 20. Enrolled youth receive one-on-one mentoring and trauma-informed support from successful professionals in fields of their interest. The program also provides Individualized Success Plans to help youth plan and work towards important social and academic goals as well as cultural immersion field trips such as camping and visits to college campuses. We are currently recruiting mentors for our Youth Programs; for more information, see our volunteer page here.

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s Safety and Wellness Unit and Vocational ESL program partner to help clients feel safe

Thanks to the work of the S&W and VESL programs, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients were able to meet with the Sheriff Department and El Cajon Police Department to learn about safety.

In partnership with the ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡â€™s Safety and Wellness Unit (S&W), the Vocational ESL program presented a class focused on safety and security for refugee women. Thanks to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the El Cajon Police Department, ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ clients were able to receive more insight about the roles of their departments, learn about the rights and responsibilities of community members, and ask questions about emergency preparedness.