Be in community with people.

"Being in Community"

On August 4, 2020, an explosion hit my home country, Lebanon. The blast that originated in a warehouse in Beirut’s port caused more than 200 deaths, over 6,500 injuries, and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Lebanon is a country with more than 1.5 million refugees. Refugees and migrants were among the worst hit by the Beirut blast which followed both an economic and health crisis.

For the past 10 years, ReEstablish Richmond has supported refugees and other migrants after they arrive from countries like Lebanon to build lives in the wider Richmond community. As Director of Volunteer Engagement, I have embraced ReEstablish Richmond’s values as they align perfectly with my own. The value of community-building is constantly reinforced in my daily work and it takes shape in so many different ways. It is a privilege to contribute to the growth of those relationships and witness the community care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

I genuinely believe that supporting refugees and migrants in our local context has a spillover effect: diasporas have the capacity to mobilize resources to support communities at home or in countries of first asylum like Lebanon.

The Beirut explosion was so powerful the shockwaves were felt in countries 240 kilometers away. Even though I was 9,500 km away in Richmond, I, too, felt the impact. In those moments after the blast, I questioned my value being a Lebanese citizen so far away – so shielded. Overwhelmed, I went on a walk so that I could process these feelings. On my walk, I ran into one of our community partners who was bearing witness and talking about Lebanon. A volunteer asked me of organizations to donate to in the wake of the disaster. A client reached out to me to check on me and my loved ones at a time when I knew her country, Sudan, was battling a devastating flood. We checked on each other's families and consoled one another. Since immigrating to the US in 2019,I hadn’t felt like I belonged in Richmond. However, the solidarity that was extended to me changed my view. My identity as a US resident became more tangible.

I started feeling the depth and scope of the connections I had molded through my work with ReEstablish Richmond. These are the kinds of connections that we facilitate through our work, ones that contribute to the collective well-being of our community.

At a time when we are all experiencing the collective trauma of a global pandemic, there has never been a greater value in strengthening and building community connections. In order for ReEstablish Richmond to continue facilitating lifelong relationships, consider supporting our work.

Please donate to ReEstablish Richmond today so we can always be in community with people!

--Helen Zeine Eddine, Director of Volunteer Engagement