In episode 17 of Mn Huna: Finding Refuge in Friendship, we are still poolside at Julie’s. And this time Julie herself is our guest!
Julie is a native Tucsonan, and over the past nine months, she has reached out to her new Syrian neighbors. She’s involved in a few formal volunteer tasks—delivering computers for PCs for Refugees, participating in English education programs—but the biggest impact on her life has been her new friendships, the Syrian families she describes as “extensions of my family.”
This summer, Julie was laid up for six weeks recovering from surgery. Every Saturday, her friend D’s family visited. They brought her food, conversation, company, love. They let her know just how much she meant to them by taking care of her.
In the episode, Julie talks about cooking at Ronald McDonald House with her friend Rokaia and Rokaia’s daughters as part of the Chef for a Day program. Together they helped out families with children in Tucson hospitals, speaking the universal language of food.
Julie’s life has changed because she decided to do something—she showed up at a Syrian Sweets Sale, joined Arizona Welcomes Refugees, and started making connections.
Julie: “Don’t be afraid of someone who is different than you.”
