Our Stories

Now at nearly 86, Barbara is a volunteer at Dorcas, work that carries on her lifelong philosophy of tikkun olam. In Judaism it’s the concept of repairing the world in pursuit of social justice. Barbara said she “feels obligated to make the world a better place.”

History tells us that in American politics, most members of the working-class rarely get a seat at the table. Even lesser represented are those who are foreign-born. But some were destined to shake up the natural order of things.

For Ada Uzia Boaz and Chance Boas living in Tanzania’s refugee camps meant surviving in very difficult conditions. A great deal of their time was spent waiting for food rations, clean drinking water – and especially – waiting decades for a permanent home.

After being forced to leave her home country, Ubah Kahiye resettled here in Rhode Island as a refugee from Somalia in 2016 with the help of Dorcas International. Over the last three years, she has had to acclimate to a new environment, learn a new language, and build a new life for herself.

Youssef came to the U.S. as a refugee after he and his family were forced to flee their home in Syria, leaving behind everything they’ve ever known. This included the “sweet shops” Youssef owned in Aleppo, where he sold handmade Baklava and Syrian treats – a craft he has been mastering since he was 16 years old.