When WBEZ reporter Odette Yousef took a look at refugee relocation services in Chicago, she found that the task of helping new residents settling in from other countries falls mostly on a handful of nonprofit agencies.
Dominican University has had a longstanding volunteer relationship with Exodus World Service, a group that helps set up homes of refugee families by providing a supply of food staples and household items in addition to acclimating them to life in America and advocating for refugee rights.
Sam Cummings, a student in the Brennan School of Business, was helping set up an apartment for a newly arrived Burmese family when Yousef stopped by to report on the process.
"We bring them all sorts of kitchen utensils, wash cloths, dish detergent," and other items, Cummings said, noting that Exodus volunteers try to be the first "welcoming faces" that refugees see.
To read more about the work of Exodus, visit
e-w-s.org. To learn more about community-based learning opportunities with the group, call (708) 524-6425.