As my year of voluntary service comes to an end, I reflect on my time with NewBridges and the moments and lessons that I will take with me. My name is Ali Zuercher. I am a recent graduate from Eastern Mennonite University with an interest in Global Health, and I have dedicated this past year to serving the Harrisonburg Community with NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center and the Healthcare for the Homeless Suitcase Clinic.

After graduation from EMU, I decided to remain in my new home of Harrisonburg for another year to help those who could no longer be in their own homes.

Whether they were born in Virginia or Guatemala, the people that I have had the privilege of working with this year have shown me a deep sense of humanity, humility, and gratitude.

The places that I have spent my 40 hours a week and the people that I have spent them with have offered me invaluable lessons in the heavy leg work required to successfully organize and sustain a program that serves those forgotten or abandoned by public services.

NewBridges Immigrant Resource Center is a staple organization in this community whose reputation as a hospitable and compassionate group of community workers preceded it. I knew the work was going to be challenging, having an insecure grasp of Spanish and little knowledge about the legal systems of immigration. Nevertheless, NewBridges made me feel welcome, included, and found work for me that felt beneficial and complementary to my passions and skills.

I would say that everything that I have done and learned in this past year with NewBridges can be summed up in two major lessons: (1) Every task, no matter how small, offers something to learn from; and (2) Food brings people together.

One of my very first projects this year was to create Recertification Guides for refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants who held professional degrees and/or careers, such as dentistry, nursing, or architecture, in their home countries. The recertification process for any of these professions is extensive and expensive. Most people will have to start their education again because their schools were not accredited by U.S. Educational Associations and are therefore not recognized as valid. I couldn’t begin to count the barriers that people face when fleeing their homes to come to the U.S. for refuge, safety, and a better life. They not only have to leave behind their homes, their family, and their lives, but also their part of their identity. For many professionals, their career is their identity as they have poured time, money, and resources into their education and work. To have that all discredited and have to start from scratch would be extremely frustrating and heartbreaking. What started as a simple “How-To” Guide turned into a lesson in empathy and compassion. The strength and humility it takes to give your life up for your and your family’s well-being is beautiful and honorable.

One of the biggest lessons that I learned was that food brings people together.

From monthly meals with staff and volunteers to large community events bringing together restaurants and locally-owned businesses, food was the common denominator.

The first time I was introduced to this lesson was at the International Festival in downtown Harrisonburg in October, 2018. Sure, we had a colorful booth, sidewalk chalk, and salsa dancing in the streets, but no one could resist a chance to win a cookie. I was able to meet friends of NewBridges from all over the world as we chatted over the global array of goodies presented at the booth and provided by even more friends from the community.

Of course I can’t talk about NewBridges and food if I didn’t bring up Taste of the World. This year, I was fortunate enough to work alongside the wonderful staff at NewBridges, specifically Abby Bush-Wilder, in making our visions for this event come to fruition. Taste of the World is an annual event that showcases a different culture through food, decorations, and music. It features a banquet pieced together by dishes from local restaurants and a Silent Auction supplied by donations from local businesses.

Because I aspire to eventually work alongside global non-profits, this experience of mailing out requests for large donors, venturing out to local restaurants and businesses to ask for donations and volunteers, and keeping track of the logistics of getting everything to the venue in a timely manner was invaluable.

The development side of non-profit work isn’t just social media posts and cocktail networking; it takes vulnerability to approach multiple businesses in a day to ask for help.

And it all paid off. The enthusiastic response that I received from local community members thrilled to participate in our event and support our mission was encouraging. Restaurants got creative and donated delicious, Guatemalan-themed dishes. Businesses were very generous in providing incredible items and experiences to be auctioned.

This leads me to a third lesson: Harrisonburg is a community of extraordinary people who come together to do extraordinary things. The participation of community members in this event tells me that Harrisonburg supports NewBridges and Harrisonburg supports immigrants.

In a city of residents from around the globe, speaking over 50 languages, differences are celebrated. Harrisonburg isn’t perfect, and there are still hundreds more barriers to be dismantled, but NewBridges is a testament to hope that when a few people come together to help others, lives can be changed.

My time at NewBridges has been extremely influential, from the relationships that I have built, the realities of immigration that I have learned, and the experiences in non-profit management that I have had. Dedicating a year to volunteering after graduation is a humbling and informative experience that I would recommend to all recent grads. It has taught me to look for the value in my work and to be self-motivated to offer my best to those who need it most. After the end of this service term, I plan to attend the University of North Carolina to earn my Master’s of Public Health in Health Equity, Social Justice, and Human Rights.

I will miss my NewBridges family, and I will continue to carry the lessons that I have learned from them with me on my next journey.

About the Author:
Ali Zuercher is a recent graduate of Eastern Mennonite University with a focus in Public Health. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Ali decided to stay in Harrisonburg for a year of service with both NewBridges and The Suitcase Clinic. In her free time, she enjoys exploring gluten-free baking and cooking anything with sweet potatoes.