Refugees from countries often have already overcome innumerable hurdles, and World Relief is there to provide just what the name suggests: relief.
Across the United States, World Relief has many stations such as Chicago, Nashville, and, the most recent work-in-progress, Memphis.
"It's a global organization, and not all of them are refugee relief," said summer intern Peyton English, a junior sociology major attending Union University.
English, like other Memphis interns, worked strictly with the refugee resettlements.
A refugee resettlement, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, is to "provide new populations with opportunities to maximize their potential in the United States, linking people in need to critical resources to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society."
Steve Moses, the resettlement director for the Memphis location of World Relief, says interns should expect to not only give a lot, but to learn a lot.
"We are asking people to walk alongside these refugees and live life with them, so if students like going to the park or going to get ice cream or whatever, that's what they should expect," Moses said.
Once refugees get their paperwork approved, World Relief sets up their living quarters and figures out their job experience, strengths and weaknesses, along with family information.
The refugees will then receive monthly checks from the government for the next eight months - a period in which employees and interns will work with them to teach the basics of American culture as well as set them up for a life here.
"The refugees have a lot of avenues they have to go through to be resettled and to get themselves out of a refugee camp," English said, explaining that once they have accomplished that, she and fellow interns help ease them through the other difficult tasks to become official citizens.
English, who did not know what would be on her schedule from hour to hour, said the main thing interns should expect is to do a lot of driving.
"Mostly, you will be picking up clients and taking them to doctor appointments, taking them to get a Social Security card, taking them to classes or doing filing for them," she said.
A different department heads each life necessity. For example, there is a department that focuses just on job placement, as well as one for those who need extended help after the eight-month period has ended.
There are classes taught once a week, and during the summer twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays - the latter of which interns will assist teaching.
These classes focus on life skills as well as English as a language.
"This summer, we focused on jobs, writing applications and setting goals," English said. "At one point, we talked about how to ask the doctor questions. We looked at the body and different organs and how to say them in English as well as certain ailments."
Interns are provided housing for this unpaid internship, and at times, transportation is provided.
"I really enjoyed becoming friends with the clients. I liked seeing differences and similarities that we shared, and, as friends, we could see that together and embrace both," English said.
While this is an organization that has Christian values, one does not necessarily have to be of that religion to participate.
Moses encourages students to join in with this experience.
"I think that Memphis is diverse, and this is one avenue of many to get involved with people of different faiths, backgrounds and socioeconomic backgrounds as well," he said. "You will get a wide range of experience, and you don't have to go across the ocean to do that. You can do it right here in Memphis."
