Volunteers are essential to helping our programs flourish at Refugee Hope Partners. For one volunteer, Anne, her desire to serve began within the walls of Holy Trinity Church. Over time, she felt God nudging her toward something more — a call to love and serve others beyond her congregation.
“I’d always done a lot of volunteering at my church,” Anne said, “but I felt like I needed to go beyond that.”
That desire led her to RHP, one of Holy Trinity’s ministry partners. During her volunteer orientation she learned about the ESL Kids program, where staff and volunteers care for young children while their parents attend English classes.
“That was my background… working in early childhood education,” she said. “I thought to myself, that’s a nice fit.”
Since then, she’s become a consistent presence on Tuesday mornings, greeting little ones with a warm smile. “Children need consistency,” she said. “When they see a familiar face each week, it helps them feel safe and comfortable. They remember you.”
Anne remembers meeting a shy young girl who barely spoke at first. “I was able to spend one on one time with her… sitting and letting her lead the play helped me get to know her,” she said.
The young girl slowly opened up over the semester, gaining confidence, playing with others and understanding more English. “It was really fun to see,” she continued. “I looked forward to it every week… seeing how she would grow and become more comfortable.”
Through play, Anne sees children learn to share, take turns and express themselves — valuable skills that prepare them for preschool and beyond.
“This isn’t just babysitting,” she said. “The children are nurtured, loved and encouraged. The staff really know the parents and the families as well as the values of all the different cultures [represented].”
Anne’s experience granted her a new perspective. “I’ve spent lots of time with preschoolers, but not with children who came from other countries,” she said. “It really opened my eyes to what it must be like to leave your country and try to make your way in a new place. I feel like that’s what Jesus wants us to do: to welcome people and love them.”
Anne recognizes the incredible strength and resilience refugee families show as they build new lives here. “Especially young kids… I can only imagine how much change they’ve been through in their life when they’re only a child and how important it is that this space feels comforting to them,” she said. “And for the parents to be able to learn English, knowing that their kids are taken care of … that means a lot.”
Through her time with ESL Kids, Anne found a place where her skills, faith and compassion come together to serve refugees in Raleigh. Her story is just one example of how volunteers make our programs thrive. At RHP, we believe that when people answer the call to love their neighbors, transformation happens in both the lives of refugees and in the hearts of those who serve alongside them.