A life torn apart … healed with a gift
Aria stood alone in her kitchen, preparing her family’s dinner. She hauled an oversized pot onto the stovetop and slowly poured in cooking oil. She cut up vegetables and meat just as her mother had shown her when she was a little girl. Now at 14 years old, Aria knew...
The Venezuelan food crisis — a story you may not have heard
Carmen kneels beside her baby’s coffin, adorning the wood with tiny white wings. The wings are a Venezuelan tradition, meant to symbolize a young child who has flown away to heaven far too soon. It’s a sight that is all too common in this country today as people die...
Refugees face extreme winter temperatures
Stomachs constrict with hunger. Limbs ache from the cold. Illness runs rampant in the overcrowded refugee camps. Refugees endure brutal conditions — especially during the winter months. After fleeing from civil war or violent radical groups such as ISIS, many refugees...
Feeding the hungry in Cuba and beyond
Last fall, the world watched as Hurricane Irma devastated much of the Caribbean. Months later, the island of Cuba is still recovering. During my recent trip there, I walked along streets still littered with rubble. I saw buildings completely destroyed by flood damage....
Invite a refugee to your table
We’ve just finished a busy holiday season where one of the highlights is family and friends gathering around one table and breaking bread together. It’s a wonderful feeling: eating, sharing stories, and laughing with those we cherish. But many refugees around the...
Every day, I try to live my life in such a way that I accomplish at least one thing that will outlive me and last for eternity.