“One thing I’ve learned is refugees are self-sufficient and resilient. ”
Our vision is to see refugees and our community model thriving together. Together. That means one of our most important values is to cultivate reciprocal relationships: living, learning, and thriving together. But to do this, we depend heavily on the support of our amazing community to embrace these families as neighbors and friends. Often at the forefront of this mission is our wonderful volunteers.
One such volunteer is a native Arkansan, through and through: Jacob Hudson. Jacob has lived in Arkansas all of his life. He grew up in the sprawling metropolis of Mt. Judea, AR, went to college at the University of Arkansas, and has lived in NWA since the fall of 2006.
We asked Jacob a few questions about his experience with Canopy.
How did you first hear about Canopy? The death of the 3 year old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, in 2015, made me aware of the refugee crisis in Syria. This caused me to start doing some reading & I started watching documentaries about the refugee crisis. Through this, my eyes were opened to the scale and scope of the refugee situation, not just in Syria, but worldwide. This moved me very deeply to find ways to help. I got online, googled “refugees northwest Arkansas” and found Canopy.
What drew you to support Canopy and partner with Canopy’s mission? I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that Jesus said when we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, show hospitality, clothe the naked, and care for the sick, we are doing it for Jesus. We’re doing His work. I am about the business of using my time & resources to bless the lives of people who are less fortunate. Canopy’s mission is to bring hope and opportunity into the lives of people who have seen the worst of what this life has to offer. It was a great opportunity for me to serve and live out the values I so deeply believe in.
What are a few of your favorite stories as a volunteer/supporter of Canopy? I love seeing our refugee friends experience new things. There is one Congolese family in particular that my family and I have gotten to know well and we’ve made a lot of memories together already.
Some of my favorites are taking the 2 teenage boys to a Razorback football game for the first time. I took one of the boys fishing on Richland Creek this past summer. He had never fished with a rod and reel. He had only used a cane pole with a string, so when he got a fish on his line he threw the rod down, grabbed the line and yanked the fish out of the river with such force that the poor fish went airborne & landed 15 feet on the shore! When I showed him how to reel a fish in without having to yank the line out of the water, he thought that was amazing. Recently, we took this family, a mom and her 8 kids, with us to my in-laws for their first ever celebration of Thanksgiving.
Has volunteering with Canopy impacted your life? It certainly has. More than anything, I am just inspired by the difficulties refugees overcome. Things that, growing up in the USA, we never think about. None of us have seen war in our backyard. Most of us don’t know what its like to go without food, adequate medicine, or suitable shelter. I can’t fathom having to flee my home in an instant never to see siblings, spouses, cousins, or parents again. To hear their stories of survival, their hope for the future & their determination to make a better life helps me to realize that most of my problems really are “1st world problems” which aren’t worth fretting over. Volunteering with Canopy has given me much needed perspective in life.
What would you tell someone who is interested in volunteering with Canopy? Pace yourself. The circumstances that refugees come from is so foreign to us and their need for help is great. It is overwhelming when you first meet a family and think through all of the things they need to do just to get the ball rolling: learn English, secure housing, get a job, and learn to drive, grocery shop, budget money, how to pay bills, & how to use appliances. Canopy does a great job of providing support and a road map. As much as you want to, you cannot teach everything at once.
So, my advice is to jump in, do what you can today and enjoy the ride. Don’t neglect your own family and relationships but do good as you have the opportunity. One thing I’ve learned is refugees are self sufficient and resilient.
For instance, one lady is at a point where she needs to learn to drive. There’s been a car donated for her, she’s passed her driver’s test. She just needs to learn how to drive. With 3 kids of my own and a busy professional life, I have only had time to give her a couple of driving lessons…and I was stressing out about it! At that pace, she will never learn to drive! To my surprise, a few days later I saw her and she told me and my wife that she had driven herself to work 3 days that week. The person that normally picks her up and takes her to work each day let her drive his car and he was the passenger! So while I was fretting over how to teach her how to drive, she was figuring it out herself. Necessity is the mother of invention and refugees are very familiar with necessity.
Jacob and his family are wonderful examples of what Canopy strives to do: build meaningful, deep friendships, learn from one another, and thrive together, as a community.
If you would like to know more about getting involved with Canopy NWA, please contact us. We would love to talk more about ways you can get involved! There are so many ways that you can be a part of the Canopy community. Contact us at: hannah.lee@canopynwa.org.
Disclaimer: This interview represents the personal story, experience and views of a Canopy volunteer. Any views or opinions represented do not necessarily represent the views held by Canopy NWA, its staff, volunteers, interns, or supporters.
Responses