Zu is one of our all-star Alight team members in Minneapolis. Her day to day job isn’t related to helping resettle refugees in Minneapolis. But when we put a call out to volunteers and staff to pitch in, she dedicated her own time to helping us make it incredible.
Zu herself is from a family of resettled refugees, who came to Bismarck North Dakota in 1991. A family of four, they arrived in a basement space, owned by a church without furniture or home items waiting for them. It wasn’t a home, it wasn’t for them specifically, it was a bare space for anyone that happened to arrive there.
Seeing all of the volunteers working together for this family, and caring so much about such a high standard in setting up the home, was a sight that made her heart swell. So many items were donated and purchased for each family member, tailoring the items for the Mom, Dad, and children – Zu was inspired to do more, too.
She made time to come back again and again to help, whether that meant packing cars full of children’s bikes and side tables or running to the grocery store after work to get food the family would recognize.
She coordinated an entire apartment herself, making sure volunteers and staff were able to come, that the kitchen cabinets would be filled, and the soon-to-arrive children would have ample toys to play with and books to read.
Zu has first hand experience with the power of that extra thoughtful touch, recognizing that the people arriving are real, human beings who are struggling with their own journeys – and that they deserve more than an impersonal space. She and her family could have used that compassion when they first arrived. And now, she’s going to make sure this family gets the warm welcome they deserve.
