My name is Leo, and I am currently serving in Philadelphia. I work as a Health Access Liaison with the Nationalities Service Center (NSC), a refugee resettlement agency. Every day, I work with clients to schedule appointments, help them find their way around the city, complete green card applications, and assist with a handful of other tasks that the agency needs help with. I also serve as the main liaison for our Penn Dental partnership, which provides free, trauma-informed dental care to our clients who are survivors of torture.

I love working with and learning from our clients. Many of them are refugees fleeing danger in their home countries. They are incredibly resilient, and their stories speak to their determination and courage. Despite everything they have been through, they still manage to press on and find joy. I am grateful that I can use my skills to assist them as they find their way in a new country, and I learn from them in return.

While the work is rewarding, it is also challenging. From the beginning of my year, the agency has been dealing with massive national changes, such as new work requirements for SNAP and the halting of green card processing. These changes cause confusion and fear, and there never seems to be enough resources to go around. Clients often have questions about these changes that I cannot answer, and it breaks my heart that I cannot provide that clarity for them. My heart goes out to all the immigrants in the United States who are navigating these policies and working to fight against their injustice.

A specific situation that challenged me happened recently, with a client who passed away. The other staff members and I were close with her, and learning of her death was difficult. I struggled with grief because of how unfair the situation was. She was finally getting connected to services, and I had helped her with multiple applications. Luckily, my service site and community were there for me, and supported me as I processed it. I am still recovering from the loss of her, but I have good support around me. Throughout all of the changes I have been through this year, I have been able to navigate it with the help of the Mercy community and my colleagues at NSC.

Leo Fowler: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania