We all need friends!

Would you like to be a friend to a new, beautiful refugee woman?

Do you like making friends?  Do you like learning about different cultures? Do you have a heart for vulnerable people? Then a Peace of Thread mentorship may be the perfect opportunity for you!

  Peace of Thread is looking to pair committed, compassionate women with refugee women living in both the Clarkston and Grayson areas where we serve.  The idea is that each refugee will have a “mentor”-a trusted friend and advocate who can teach her the cultural and social skills she needs to thrive in the United States.

Becoming a mentor will give you the opportunity to be a part of a refugee woman’s journey towards independence and self-confidence.

Each mentorship looks as different as the women involved, but general mentor responsibilities include the following:

·       At least two visits a month to a refugee woman’s home plus a weekly phone call/text

·       Explaining American culture

·       Helping the mentee learn and practice English

·       Helping the mentee learn life skills (grocery shopping, transportation, opening a bank account)

·       Getting to know a mentee’s family

·       Emotional support and genuine friendship

You might think that you lack the skills or the knowledge to become a mentor.  But as Olivia Ruckriegel-Peace of Thread’s former Relational Director- said, “‘I don’t know’ is powerful.”   Mentorship is not about having the right answers or solving every problem.  It’s about building an authentic relationship.  A good mentor learns more than she teaches.  Sometimes, a refugee woman just needs someone who is willing to be by her side during a difficult time.

Jesus of Nazareth told his followers, “Whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did it for me.”  Mentorship is an opportunity to journey with some of the people Jesus cares about the most and be changed in the process.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, contact Denise Smith.  denise@peaceofthread.com

Required reading for mentors:

Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton

Miniskirts, Mothers, and Muslims by Christina Mallouhi (for mentors working with Arab women)