The phone rang again and again. Faiza kept stopping mid-stitch to answer. I overheard the worried tones and the grief that was apparent even though I couldn’t understand the language being spoken. “There was a bombing in my hometown today,” she told me. “People injured, scared, killed. I’m trying to find out if all of …
Finding Connection, Sharing Lives: ESL + Sewing Update
“My father’s name was Paul*,” shared a leader in the ESL conversation class.”Paul Thomas.” With surprise, the woman sitting next to her exclaimed, “That was my father’s name too! Except turned around: Thomas Paul*.” These two women, one born in the United States and one born in southern Africa, had found a connection. This type …
Lessons I’ve Learned from Refugee Moms
I’d had a rough day. I was tired, kids had demanded much of my attention, and then to top it all off, a toilet overflowed, requiring me to cancel a meeting. When a friend messaged me, I told her some of the story, but the whining that I wanted to do just didn’t seem like …
Social Justice Reads: Holiday Roundup
It’s time for our semi-regular compilation of book reviews for the world-changer’s reading list! These books stand out on the bookshelf because of both the topics covered are important and the deeper insight the authors give into issues that are very relevant for those concerned with social justice. As a side note, while this list …
The Thing About Social Justice T-Shirts
Have you noticed that social justice t-shirts have become a frontline tool for making the world a better place? From non-profits to social enterprises, shirts that support a cause have become a thing. There’s probably good reason for that. Everyone (mostly) wears t-shirts. For organizations and businesses, this is a product that has low overhead to …
SocEnt Mom: How Privilege Changes Things
“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” the mom said, with a catch in her voice. I sat there, not sure how to respond. “She just keeps getting in to trouble.” I struggled to come up with words to respond to the desperation in my friend’s voice. Her daughter WAS struggling academically and socially. …
SocEnt Mom: More Goal Setting Advice
Photo by Hana Loftus So a little over a week ago, I wrote about my method for goal-setting and why it’s so important. Here’s some added advice which applies equally to mom life and to small business management. Simplify. Take all that complexity of your mom goals and/or business goals and turn it into bite-sized …
True Tales of a SocEnt Mom: Introduction
Let me introduce myself. I’m a stay at home mom with several kids, ranging from baby to middle school. I deal with all the normal mom stuff: trying to keep the house clean (never), trying to cook healthy meals (struggle), trying to save money (my purse is full of expired coupons), trying to raise well-behaved …
A New Perspective on Immigration: Review of Welcoming the Stranger
Welcoming The Stranger: Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate, by Matthew Soerens and Jenny Hwang Yang The current debate on immigration is a hot button issue in the United States right now. As I was trying to get my mind around the issues, I quickly became overwhelmed as I waded through the rhetoric …