Read the story of a refugee from Cameroon, in her own words.

I am a single mother of two; a native and citizen of Cameroon. I am an artist by education, training, and profession. In Cameroon, there was a war called the Anglophone Crisis. The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon started because people who speak English (called Anglophones) feel like they are not treated fairly by the government, which mostly speaks French. The Anglophone regions of Cameroon wanted to have more control over their schools, courts, and businesses, but the government didn’t listen. This led to protests, and some people became very upset, even fighting with the army. Many families have been hurt, and people have had to leave their homes to be safe. It’s a sad situation where people just want to be treated equally and have their voices heard.

An example of what I experienced was in early 2018 when I received fellow artists from Finland, a group of finish film makers who came to Cameroon to do the second part of their documentary on migrants in Europe. They had been trailing three Africans amongst which there was a Cameroonian. So they needed images of this family and daughter in Cameroon.

These Finish film makers were just looking at the town when a military officer approached them and threatened them, claiming they are terrorists. I rushed to the scene to explain and ascertain their claims. Upon arrival the military officer asked me to identify myself ,which I did with my national ID card. The officer upon discovering that I am an Anglophone Cameroonian threatened that he would take me to prison if I didn’t give him money. He then accused me of bringing in spies and terrorists from the USA to sponsor terrorism in Cameroon. I told him they are from Finland and that is why they speak English. He extorted money from me and ensued with a series of threats upon my life, both verbal and via text messages.

I tried filing a complaint at the military base, but that did not help. He said I was a useless Anglophone and that he would ensure that my name is on their wanted list. In the mean time, my brothers were hunted down, sometimes taken away and released after money was paid. A cousin of mine was in custody for a very long period of time. My father, may his soul rest in peace, (he died in 2021 running away from the war) was interrogated simply because he went to collect money my brother sent to him from the USA.

I came to the US to attend a program called the LCT LAB.. The plan was to go back home, but while I was here the crisis degenerated to something else, and Anglophones living in the French regions like myself began to be kidnapped and killed. And their bodies would be found the next day. Bearing in mind that I had just had a case with a French speaking Cameroonian at the Ministry of Defense/Military Base, my siblings had been attacked threatened, my family felt the military man would hunt me down and attack me given that he had uttered death threats. So, I submitted the case proofs, to immigration.

After following the appropriate protocol for immigration upon my arrival in the USA, I was referred by DHSS and became a client of JFS Delaware. Jenevive Newman, who is now my Director, was my case manager. I was a part of the Émigré Program.

At first, I was very apprehensive. I come from a place where organizations don’t quickly help like that. It took some time for me to come to terms with the fact that JFS was genuinely there to help me. And then I began to appreciate the resources, information, and most importantly, the guidance.

JFS gave me the listening ear I needed to vent out the pain of losing my father, cousins, and family relations. JFS gave me Moral Support, financial support, educational resources, and housing resources. I started in school and currently at Delaware State University studying Social Work.

I started as a client at JFS, but later on in 2022, I got recruited to work at JFS. And that day I took the decision, everything JFS was for me, I wanted to become for others, and even more. I moved from a facilitator to a case manager, and am now a Program Manager in charge of Programs in the RISE Department. Jenevive remembered that I had mentioned to her that I speak, read, and write French well. The group of people in question were all from French speaking countries. So, she got me trained in the curriculum and I began to do the trainings. This is one of the reasons we saw a huge increase in ÉMIGRÉ with the Haitian population because French is their second language and I have a basic comprehension of Haitian-Creole.

From the day I was a client until now, I have seen that JFS has had an array of individuals dedicated to becoming the bridge for immigrants and refugees through resettlement, adaptation, and integration.

Read the story of an Afghan refugee, in her own words.

I grew up in a home filled with love, warmth, and a sense of purpose. My mother, a woman of strength and wisdom, always believed in the power of education. She had a dream for her children—to see them succeed, to see them chase their dreams, and to create a future where they could be proud of themselves. I was blessed to have a mother who believed that education could open any door, no matter how difficult the journey.

I followed that dream with all my heart. I started school at a young age, and my passion for learning grew stronger with each passing year. When I graduated as the top student, I felt unstoppable and proud to make my mother proud. I thought nothing could stand in my way. But life, as we know, can sometimes throw unexpected challenges at us.

My country went through difficult times, and it felt like all the dreams I had worked so hard for were slipping away. It was a time when hope was scarce, and the future seemed darker than ever. My mother’s dreams for me, my own dreams, felt impossible. But I knew I couldn’t give up. I had to keep going. So, I made the hardest decision of my life: I chose to leave my family, my home, and everything I had ever known to seek a new future in a land far from home.

When I arrived in Delaware, I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even know how to pronounce its name properly, and the city felt like a world away from everything I had ever known. It was a small, quiet place, and I felt even smaller. I arrived at night, and as I walked through the streets of Newark, everything seemed dark and empty. The weight of loneliness pressed down on my chest, and all I wanted was to find someone who could understand me, someone who could speak my language, someone who could make me feel like I wasn’t completely lost in this unfamiliar world.

But then came a light, a glimmer of hope. A lady from the University of Delaware arrived to pick us up. Though I couldn’t understand much of what she said, her kindness was clear. She took me to my new home, but all I could think about was how much I longed to be surrounded by familiar faces, to find comfort in something I knew. But when I met my case manager from JFS, everything changed.

She wasn’t just a case manager; she was an angel in disguise. The moment I saw her, I felt a warmth that I hadn’t felt in a long time. She smiled at me, and at that moment, it was as if the sun had broken through the clouds, warming my heart. It was a smile that reached deep inside me, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe again.

I remember hugging her tightly, the weight of my fears and anxieties melting away with every second. I whispered “Salam” (peace) into her ear, and at that moment, I knew that I was no longer alone. She was there for me—not just as a case manager, but as a friend, as someone who genuinely cared. She listened to me, understood my fears, and gave me the courage to face the unknown.

The support she gave me wasn’t just practical; it was emotional. She helped me believe in myself again, and she gave me the strength to keep going when everything seemed too hard. I realized that it wasn’t just about surviving in this new country—it was about thriving, about turning my dreams into reality, no matter how impossible it seemed at times.

And now, here I stand as a case manager at JFS, the very organization that gave me the lifeline I needed when I felt like I had nowhere to turn. I’m not just helping others navigate their new lives; I’m giving back the same love, care, and support that saved me. I’m showing others that, even when it feels like the world is against you, there is always hope. There is always someone who cares, someone who will fight for you, just as JFS fought for me.

I will forever be grateful for the hands that reached out to me when I was lost. I will never forget the day I met my case manager, the woman who became my hope, my friend, my guiding light. Thanks to JFS, I found my place in this world. I found my strength. And now, I am proud to say that I am part of a team that helps others find their way, just as I was helped.

I may have started as a client, but today, I stand before you as a case manager, someone who has been given the chance to change lives to give others the hope I once needed. And every day, I remember that smile, that hug, and the place that made me believe again that anything is possible.

By: Larry Nagengast, freelance writer

“When you call asking for mental health assistance, the last thing you want to hear is that you can’t be seen right now,” says Wendell Covell, deputy director of programs at Jewish Family Services of Delaware.

A shortage of providers has created a national “mental health crisis,” according to a 2023 report by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. Nationwide, the report found, nearly six in 10 psychologists in private practice are not accepting new patients.

Even in private mental health practices that are accepting new patients, Covell says the wait can be 12 weeks or longer.

The JFS Mental Health Fellowship program, funded by a $3.5 million Congressional grant in 2022, has helped reduce waiting times but putting 20 new mental health professionals into the field while accelerating their track to certification as licensed clinical social workers. The licensing allows therapists to make diagnoses and provide therapy without supervision.

By the time funding ran out in September, nine of the 20 fellows had received their licensure and the group had provided therapy to more than 1,300 individuals, according to Becca McAdams, JFS Delaware’s clinical supervisor for community-based programs.

Much of that therapy was directed toward individuals in high-need groups through 30 community partnerships and provided at no cost to the clients. In Wilmington alone, examples include single women and families in emergency shelter and transitional housing at YWCA Delaware, youths aging out of foster care in the LifeLines program at the West End Neighborhood House and sexual abuse survivors at Friendship House.

Fellows put in 40-hour weeks, either at JFS Delaware or at one of the partnering agencies treating issues like anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and a range of food, personality and behavioral disorders, Covell said.

Lisa Forever, chief housing officer at YWCA Delaware, said many of the YWCA clients who met with the JFS fellows reported reduced anxiety, improved self-care and a better understanding of the traumas they were experiencing. In addition, she said, the fellows led group therapy sessions s and their suggestions led the YWCA to set up programs in gardening, yoga, arts and crafts and crocheting that have enabled the women to enrich their lives.

“It’s awesome. JFS provided services at no cost to our clients, and the fellows do more than the hours that they’re here for,” Forever said.

Fellow Laura Dickol, who received her LCSW certification in October, said she “meandered” into social work after working in the federal government and law enforcement on programs related to missing and exploited children and also spending time as an emergency medical technician. She was drawn to social work by a desire to support individuals in the groups she served in her earlier careers.

During the fellowship, “I did a little bit of everything,” she said, mentioning outpatient behavioral health and meeting with teens being held at the Ferris School. She also learned techniques for working with individuals, groups, couples, families and children. Most of her work has been with the JFS COMPASS program. (COMPASS stands for Caring for Older adults with Memory Problems And their Support Systems.) In this role, she meets not only with individuals with dementia but also with the caregivers, including spouses, siblings and adult children.

JFS Delaware not only provided fellows with the clinical supervision needed for licensure, but also training, both on-site and in conference settings, and paid for the texts and supplies needed to prepare for the LCSW exam.

“It’s almost unheard of to receive such training and supervision,” Dickol said, and being part of a 20-person peer group was another benefit.

Through the fellowship program, JFS Delaware has pretty much wiped out its waiting list for mental health services while creating a pipeline for new treatment professionals in the state, Covell said.

With the expiration of the grant, it will be harder for JFS Delaware to offer as much no-cost care and its outreach into the community will be somewhat limited, he said. The organization is encouraging prospective clients to learn whether their insurance plans include mental health coverage and it is continually seeking grant opportunities to keep its costs low, he added.

In addition, Covell said, some of the community partners in the fellowship program are including requests for mental health counseling through JFS Delaware in the proposals they write for workforce development grants.

Click here for more information on the JFS Delaware Fellowship program. To listen to the JFS Delaware Podcast episode about the fellowship program, click here.

By Rachel Harad, Co-Chair of the JFS Holiday Helpers Program

When the leaves start changing colors, and the weather starts to get colder, my thoughts turn to Jewish Family Services of Delaware’s (JFS)Holiday Helpers program. I start to get excited about helping to create the bags that will be delivered to JFS clients and their families. Many of these clients don’t have the resources that I was lucky enough to have growing up in a comfortable, middle-class family in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Their counselors recommend them to our program, and we reach out to our community and ask for donations so that we can give them something that will help make their holiday season a little brighter.

Many years ago, I reached out to JFS because someone in my family was struggling and my family needed help. The care we received made me a loyal, lifetime fan of JFS. I asked how I could give back to the agency and I learned a lot about volunteering at JFS. It was at this time I discovered the adopt-a-family program that JFS ran. For a few years, I adopted a family who created a wish list of things they wanted for the holidays. I spent weeks running all over Delaware trying to find the perfect gifts for my adopted family. It was so much fun! It was a wonderful, engaging program, and the adopted families were so grateful and appreciative to receive a windfall of presents for the holidays. The downside was that only a very few families were showered with an abundance of gifts and many families—who were also in need— received nothing.

The program was revamped so that more families could participate. The community was asked to donate toys, books, clothing, and miscellaneous gift items. We set up a holiday shop at JFS and clients would walk through and select gifts for their families. The shop allowed more families to have something for the holidays.

Each year the program grew. We started making ‘no sew’ blankets for the families. We invited the community to come to blanket making events. Families at the ECC, youth groups, young leaders, friends of JFS, and friends of ours came to blanket making parties. We made hundreds of blankets over the years!

Then, COVID shut us down. We could no longer gather but we were unwilling to give up the program; so we pivoted. We decided to make large bags filled with goodies to deliver to the families. We asked the community to donate blankets, hats, gloves, warm socks, toys, puzzles, coloring books, and lots of other stuff . Our community did not disappoint! They sent in enough donations to fill all of our bags. An amazingly generous, anonymous donor contributed money to buy gift cards for all of the families. We call them our angel donor. They have continued to give us a donation every year.

Last year we made 80 bags. This year, we have been asked to make 124.The need in our community is growing. While we cannot fix the problems, we can help the JFS clients who are struggling to have a more cheerful holiday season.

I love Holiday Helpers for many reasons: I get to participate in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping experience; I get to work closely with my co-chairs, Lisa Driban and Eileen Sarter, on a meaningful project that is so much fun; I get to work with some of the counselors and staff at JFS; I get to feel I am part of the organization and stay connected and give back; I get to immerse myself in something outside my everyday life; I get to watch the program grow and expand from year to year; I get to give my friends and community the opportunity to participate in a wonderful program that helps so many families and they get to feel good doing it; I get to witness our community come together to give for the greater good; I get to see my donations go directly to helping neighbors in my community in a very tangible and immediate way; I get to hear how appreciative those families are to receive gifts from complete strangers. How lucky am I?

The lead-up to Holiday Helpers is always filled with a lot of stress. First there is the distribution of the forms to the counselors and the worry that they won’t get filled out efficiently enough. When they start to come in, we worry that there won’t be enough families and then we worry that there will be too many. We spend a lot of time sifting through and processing the information—counting numbers of things, sorting ages of children to decide what types of games and puzzles will be appropriate, checking the sizes of pajamas, putting the information into a format that makes sense and is easy for our donors to access. We write letters and make social media posts, and we nudge our community and pray we will receive enough donations.

When the deadline arrives, we spend a day or two opening the boxes and sorting all of the wonderful donations. We count to make sure that we have everything we are supposed to have and run out to shop for anything we are missing. We then spend three days filling the bags. When the bags are all filled and ready to hand over to the counselors for delivery, we celebrate another successful year and then we collapse, asking ourselves why we do it and then promptly signing up to do it again next year!

Usually within the first few days of delivery we start to get some feedback from the counselors who are lucky enough to deliver the bags to the clients. We hear how one client stood in the doorway and cried because she didn’t think her family would have a Christmas this year because she had no extra money to make one. We hear about a client who said this is the only gift her family will receive this year. We hear about a client who feels forgotten but realizes she is not. We hear about a client who feels loved and special upon receiving a bag. All the stress and worry and tiredness melt away and I remember why we do this and how lucky we are.

To learn more about Holiday Helpers at Jewish Family Services of Delaware, please contact Vlad Cerbov at vcerbov@jfsdelaware.org.

By Stacy Wintjen, JFS Development Manager

Growing up, Chanukah always brought excitement and anticipation. For us kids, it felt like it was all about the presents!

I remember the thrill of that first night of Chanukah at my grandparents’ home, where the reality of gifts often turned out to be new clothes rather than toys. That was not very exciting until I reached Bat-Mitzvah age and wanted all things from THE LIMITED (especially that Forenza cropped stonewashed jean jacket and Under the Sea Black Coral Swatch watch). As I got older, I began to appreciate those moments more—particularly the family gatherings, the big turkey dinner with latkes, and the warmth of seeing everyone around the table.

One vivid memory is of us lighting the electric menorah together and our family saying the prayers by my grandparents’ sliding glass window. My brother and I would play dreidel, gambling with the gelt Pop-Pop gave us, and eating all of our winnings afterward. There’s even a funny family story of Pop-Pop diving into the trash after accidentally throwing out a gift certificate along with the wrapping paper.

Growing up in Dover, Delaware, there weren’t many Jewish kids at school. But every December, my mom encouraged me to teach my classmates about Chanukah. I’d bring in the menorah and explain the story behind the Festival of Lights. My friends were fascinated, always asking, “Do you really get presents for eight days in a row?” It wasn’t easy explaining that Chanukah is actually a minor holiday compared to others in the Jewish calendar. Even so, it took me a while to fully grasp the deeper meaning of the holiday.

A dear friend of mine reminded me that in college I introduced her and our friends to Chanukah by lighting the menorah in my dorm room. Unfortunately, the candles kept falling over, which freaked everyone out!  I had to blow them out to avoid a fire hazard, which felt a little sacrilegious at the time. At least we didn’t burn down the dorm. The next night, we used an electric menorah (courtesy of my grandmother). We had a good laugh as we heard the squeak of each bulb being “lit”.  In those years, Chanukah became more about sharing traditions and creating memories with friends.

Once I had children, Chanukah took on a new meaning.  I loved teaching them about the holiday through fun things like Nickelodeon’s “A Rugrats Chanukah” and Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song” (all four versions), which we had to catch on the radio because we didn’t have his CD, let alone an iPod!  As my children grew older, we had fun watching Adam Sander’s movie “Eight Crazy Nights” together (once they were old enough for its PG-13 humor).

For me, Chanukah is about family, tradition, and creating new memories. I treasure the joy we’ve shared over the years, and hope that my children will continue to pass down these traditions in the future.

Why I Give Back

By Marla Friedman, JFS Delaware volunteer

I grew up in a multi-generational immigrant home. My Bubbe of blessed memory, Rae Karsh, was heartbroken that she wasn’t able to bring her family from the USSR to live with her in Pittsburgh. She sent letters of love and devotion to her mother and half-siblings and any extra cash to help them. When Bubbe’s half-brother, Shmuel, was sent to prison on bogus charges, she sold soup nuts door-to-door (her friend had a factory that made them) to help bribe the authorities to release him.

She felt so lucky to be in America for so many reasons. She left her little village in Ukraine to join her brother in the U.S. (one month before World War 1 began) and avoid marrying an older rabbi! She was able to learn English, choose her own husband, and create a life that brought her joy and 10 grandchildren who adored her. I can’t imagine not giving back to those who are able to immigrate to America as my grandmother did. If not for her courage, I wouldn’t be here.

In the 1990’s I helped acclimate some of our Russian refugees that JFS sponsored here in Delaware. I felt privileged to assist these families and they became a part of our family. Since I was in high school, I have volunteered in rehabilitative settings and school classrooms. I love working with seniors and young children and have taught yoga to these age groups for many decades. JFS gives me the opportunity to share my skills to teach gentle exercise and breathing techniques at the Tuesday Memory Cafe. In this setting, participants improve their physical and emotional health in their daily life.

Volunteering at JFS Delaware has had a positive impact on me and allows me to honor the memory of my Bubbe, a person who benefitted from the support of the Jewish community.

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The work we do with refugees and older adults would not be possible without the support of volunteers and donors like YOU! To volunteer with JFS Delaware, click here. To donate to our Annual Appeal and help us reach our $100,000 goal, click here.

Why I Give Back

By Marti Yates, JFS Delaware volunteer

The plight of refugees became real to me back in 2001. My friend’s brother-in-law perished in the World Trade Center on September 11 of that year. In his memory she created The Welcome to America Project, an effort to aid the refugee resettlement agencies in Phoenix by furnishing the new homes of refugees with household goods collected by the community. I joined her in this effort at a time when the number of people coming to this country from refugee camps seemed massive.

Through WTAP I was fortunate to meet people from all over the world – Afghans, Cubans, Congolese, Burmese, Burundians, Iranians, and Sudanese. My world was enriched and enlightened by hearing their stories about their homelands, my admiration for them increased by knowing how they endured in camps waiting to receive their papers to come to this country, and my affection for them magnified by their profuse gratitude for the meager help we could provide for them. In particular, I was enthralled by the stories the Afghan families told of the tribulations and changes their country underwent from the open freedom and growth of the 70’s to the conflict, deprivations, and trials of the present time. The constant refrain of everyone was gratitude to be able to provide a good education for their children and a life without violence. It was always about providing a better future for their children. Some of those Afghan friends I made 23 years ago remain friends to this day.

When I heard about the need from JFS Delaware for volunteer support with Afghan refugee resettlement in Wilmington, I saw it as another opportunity to help a nationality that I admire. This time, though, it wasn’t just a matter of furnishing their apartment but rather helping them establish their new lives and, to be honest, it has been a challenge. The family I helped was a very young father, a younger wife, and two (soon-to-be three) little children. They needed to learn everything about this country to get ahead: from getting a job, to paying bills, to signing up for phone service and household utilities, to getting drivers’ licenses, enrolling a child in school, applying for asylum, learning to shop in a grocery store, finding medical and dental care- the list goes on and on. In the three years since they arrived, they have shown kindness, initiative, patience, determination, resilience, persistence, warmth, graciousness, gentleness, and hospitality as they work to establish themselves in America.

For my part, I have been privileged to see their development and growth as they work to become Americans while still preserving and sharing the best of their culture. I feel so grateful to be invited to share a meal with them, especially knowing how carefully they must manage their groceries. It’s such a wonderful treat to laugh with them, join in birthday celebrations, witness the children learn,  and go to parent-teacher conferences. It was important to me that they knew, as soon as they arrived, that there was someone who cared about them, that they weren’t anonymous, as they faced the enormous task of assimilation. When their children become adults, I hope they will remember that they weren’t alone when they first arrived on US soil and, hopefully, they will pay the favor forward.

For me, though, I have received so much more than I have given. I already have six children and 12 grandchildren, but now my family has grown to include my Afghan children and grandchildren.

How lucky am I?

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The work we do with refugees would not be possible without the support of volunteers and donors like YOU! To volunteer with JFS Delaware, click here. To donate to our Annual Appeal and help us reach our $100,000 goal, click here.

Jewish Family Services offers maternal mental health care in Delaware

By Janet Teixeira, LCSW

At Cancer Care Connection, we often advise our callers – don’t hesitate to ask for help, don’t try to go it alone when you’re affected by cancer.

This is especially true of internet searches regarding the many forms of cancer. As my team of oncology social workers with Cancer Care Connection would tell you, Internet searches for cancer information can leave you stressed on top of the anxiety that is so common for anyone affected by cancer.

Have you heard people use the phrase “don’t go down that rabbit hole?” That’s our advice to people who mention Internet searches. And if you’re not familiar with that phrase, it refers to digging down deeper and deeper for information online, so much so that you feel like you’ll never come up.

There are lots of reasons to avoid this experience. First, although cancer affects many people, types of cancer are often different for each person. What’s your family history of cancer? Are you affected by other diseases? How early was your cancer detected? Are you experiencing cancer for the first time or are you experiencing a recurrence?

These are distinctions that Internet searches do not make.  Let’s say you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, that it was detected at a very early stage and you have no family history.  So you try an Internet search and get a whole pile of information from fatal to encouraging.

Now let’s say another person is searching for information on breast cancer but she has a family history going back two generations. And unfortunately, her case is considered advanced.

Both people are likely to find the same information, leading that first person to experience anxiety because her low risk factors aren’t taken into consideration.  And this is just one example.

How can you tell if the cancer information you find is legitimate? If there’s a price tag involved? Or if your discovery is a free service? Sites that end in .org normally represent non-profit organizations whose goals are to educate and support people affected by cancer.

By contrast, sites that end in .com, while they can be perfectly legitimate, are usually selling products or services. If you find something that interests you from a .com site, check with your medical team for their thoughts. You’ll want to have this second opinion from someone you know and trust.

So much about cancer can be stressful so we, as oncology social workers, encourage people affected by cancer to reach out for help. Maybe you’re hearing friends and loved ones say “let me know if there’s anything I can do to help…” Take them up on their offer.

When you have a relative or friend sit with you at your computer, s/he can offer perspective. In the example I mentioned earlier that person could point out low risk factors to the first breast cancer patient, potentially serving as a calming force.

We at Cancer Care Connection conduct Internet searches with or for our callers. Our role is to share information, perspectives and stress reducing practices. Visit cancercareconnection.org or call 302.266.8050 for more information.

Janet Teixeira is the Executive Director of Cancer Care Connection, a free telephone service that responds to cancer-related questions and concerns. In addition, Janet is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Cancer Care Connection is an affiliate of Jewish Family Services of Delaware.

Jenevive Newman, Director of the JFS RISE (Refugee Integration Support Effort), has been named to the Delaware Business Time’s 40 Under 40 List.

DBT’s 40 Under 40 pays tribute to outstanding young professionals who are making a name for themselves through innovative ideas, business excellence, and community involvement. Each year this program recognizes 40 leaders under 40 years old who are bringing Delaware’s business community to new heights.

Check out the DBT’s profile of Jenevive below:

Originally from Ghana in West Africa, Jenevive Newman now passionately supervises a team of 12 employees as the director of RISE, or Refugee Integration and Support Efforts, at the Jewish Family Services of Delaware. She serves vulnerable populations and, in many cases, ensures their safe arrival and transitions.

Together, she says her department serves more than 350 refugee clients every year with over 100 volunteers statewide and a budget of more than $1 million. Last year, Newman’s team served 644 clients from over 18 counties. RISE is currently the largest refugee resettlement program in the First State, helping refugees new to Delaware secure housing, medical services, employment, school enrollment, mental health support and other opportunities. The calls for help, she adds, can come at all hours of the day and night, calls that her team gladly handles to help another in need.

Along with her passionate leadership through RISE, Newman volunteers at her local church in various capacities, including its children’s ministry by teaching Sunday school classes. She also works with her church in her home Ghanaian community, providing a mentorship program for teenagers focusing on teenage girls. The program has successfully helped fund various vocational skills and trades for the young women they serve.

For fun, Newman loves to travel and is currently on her 13th country with hopes of increasing that number in the future as she experiences new adventures. Newman earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Ghana in 2012, a master of arts in development studies from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2017 and a master’s degree in social work from Delaware State University in 2021.