While watching The Good Lie on a Delta flight last year (highly recommend that film by the way), I started thinking about my friend Pavi and some incredible work that he and a group of friends have commenced in one of the most crime-ridden and poor communities in Columbus, Ohio.
Pavi has always exemplified a passion for serving
international communities in the United States. While completing his PhD at
Ohio State University, he launched an international student ministry that had
hundreds of students participating. But what he started at The Bridge was very
different.
Columbus has an incredibly huge Somali, Iraqi, and Cambodian
refugee population. Refugee housing places these groups in one of the mostcrime ridden communities of Columbus, Hilltop. Most of these refugees do not
speak English, and they are trying hard to adjust to the American way of life
while working incredibly hard to maintain their traditional culture. They are
outsiders in the greater community and have been made to feel largely unwelcome
by many locals because they are so different. They have difficulty getting
jobs, and not many roll out the carpet to welcome them.
So Pavi decided to create a community center that is
specifically dedicated to helping these refugees develop critical skills to
adjust to life in America. They express an interest in classes and then the
classes are formed and taught by volunteers. The Bridge has a community garden
where people can learn about the soil and gardening, and it also has a soccer
field for the kids to play in. Some of the top classes requested by these
refugees are English classes and math classes. They want to know how to count
American currency and how to purchase groceries. They want to be able to
exercise and not get ridiculed for their traditional clothing, or lack of
understanding of American culture.
And the results have been incredible! Classes are full, and
people are feeling a sense of community as they gather from myriad points
around the globe to chart a new life in the United States. And Pavi and his
team are incredibly excited by what they are seeing.
If you live in or near Columbus OH and are looking for an
opportunity to serve neighbors from around the globe, I highly recommend you
check out The Bridge. And if you don’t live in or near Columbus, I encourage
you to make it a point to reach out to welcome our global neighbors who are
working hard to chart a path toward a better future here in the US. Or just
reach out to your neighbors in general—folks just don’t do that much anymore.
May we all grow in our commitment to serve and practice
hospitality to our neighbors, whether around the block, or around the globe.
