SETTLING IN

My name is Shane Young and I am the new Jesuit Volunteer ( www.jvcnorthwest.org ) for the Refugee Resettlement program here at Catholic Charities. As the newness of this position starts to wear off and the full scale of my placement enters the horizon, I have paused to reflect on my experiences so far, as well as to introduce myself to you, our readers.

You’re From Where?

I come from the small, semi-rural town of Salem, Ohio and I currently call Gresham, Oregon my place of residence. This will be my second year as a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest (for more information see link above). My first year led me to inhabit the coastal wilderness of Juneau, Alaska. As a Jesuit Volunteer in Juneau, I worked for Juneau Youth Services at a Residential Treatment Facility for adolescents ages 12-18 years old. Many of these youth were dealing with a wide range of behavioral and mental troubles. While there I was a behavioral health associate and spent my days interacting with the youth in various situations ranging from school work to treatment activities.It was an amazing experience and I continue to miss it each day.

Prior to embarking on my adventure into the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest, I was a student at Wheeling Jesuit University, where I graduated in May of 2011 with a degree in International Studies. While studying and partaking in various service experiences, I was also a member of the Mens Soccer team, which is where my profound love of soccer has its roots. 

My passion for this job manifests itself from the many experiences I have had traveling internationally for school service trips and internships. I have had the opportunity to visit communities in El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Syria and Dubai to name a few and I continue to learn more about the abundance of culture in this world. 

I attribute my values and my ability to be where I am today to the many friends and mentors I have had throughout my college and high school years. I also want to acknowledge the impact my family has had on my travels and adventures, without all of you this wouldn’t be possible.

What Is It That You Do?

My job entails many day to day activities of Refugee Resettlement. As a Refugee Advocate I assist the wonderful Case Managers in the office with their multitude of work regarding our many new arrivals.

As of this moment I have been on the job for a hair over three weeks and I have been all over Portland and back. Here is a sneak peak of my experiences so far:

·         I was able to assist an Iraqi family of four in acquiring their Social Security Numbers, a valuable and mandatory step once they have arrived in the United States. I have also been able to help them with medical and transit training, by providing transport over the past two weeks. 

·         SHOPPING. I have had the absolute pleasure of accompanying eight different families over the past weeks to the Deseret thrift store, where we have been able to purchase much needed items including clothes, blankets and kitchenware. The thrill of helping a family provide for themselves is very hard to describe in words. 

·         Back 2 School. For the thousands of children in Portland, September 4^th was the first day of school. For those of us in the Refugee office, this meant the deadline was soon approaching. I have been busy helping our Child Advocate, Erin Carkner, schedule home visits to enroll children in our SAFRN program as well as to accompany families to the various local schools to complete the registrations. 

·         FOOD. Furthermore, I have been able to join an Iranian family for lunch (which was amazing) while also having the amazing opportunity to relax and enjoy hot tea and casual conversation with families in their own home.

Another part of my job is to be a helping hand for our volunteers who help with our refugee families. I will be a contact within the office in case our case managers are unable to attend to questions and I will also be lending a helping hand during our new volunteer orientations. Feel free to call my phone (503) 688-2684 or send me an e-mail with any questions, syoung@catholiccharitiesoregon.org.

As the year goes on, I am sure there will be many more stories and announcements coming your way. Thanks for taking a moment to learn a little about the “new JV”, a term frequently used in our office, and hopefully those of you reading won’t be strangers for long.