Ken McCallum – UncommonGoods Data Scientist, Analytics
Nick Spano, UncommonGoods Help Desk Coordinator, Technology
Eileen Skinner, UncommonGoods Drop Ship Associate
Loann Camden – UncommonGoods Junior Graphic Designer, Creative
My hometown…
I was raised in Camden, New Jersey.
I’m inspired by…
When I was 10 years old, I got to go to a school field trip to DC. We got to see the White House, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Smithsonian Museum. That is when I fell in love with art and history. Later I learned that I wanted to be more creative than just learning about it, so I became a graphic designer.
An uncommon fact about me…
I’m skilled in general cooking. Since I used to live in Texas, I’m very knowledgeable about most things BBQ.
After recently partnering with a new Better to Give partner – The International Rescue Committee (IRC) – UncommonGoods was lucky enough to have an audience with Omar Almashhadani, a refugee client of the IRC. Omar describes himself as being a refugee twice in his life. In 2006, Omar was living in his native Iraq, studying prosthetic dentistry, and was hoping to continue his studies and move into practicing – but his life was in danger. The security situation in Iraq had collapsed, and his family fled the country to what they thought at the time might be a beacon of safety—Syria. They lived in a refugee camp, and Omar and his brother couldn’t go to college or work because of restrictions on refugees. Given the bleak outlook for their futures in a refugee camp, Omar and his family decided to apply for refugee resettlement in the United States, and in April 2008, were granted resettlement in the U.S. With help from the IRC, Omar became a U.S. citizen and has been going to school and working in New York City ever since. Here’s a look at our conversation with Omar.
Omar (far right) with his family, who are now living in the United States
What was your life in Iraq like before the war?
It was peaceful, quiet, and I could go outside to hang out with my friends and family. We had many different communities and different religions, but we were all very happy and peaceful.
How did your family decide it was time to leave Iraq?
In 2003, the war drove me and my family out of my hometown and into the center of Baghdad where we stayed with my uncle. Unfortunately the conflict continued to escalate with suicide bombings and rumors of people being kidnapped. Then in 2005 my brother was shot in the leg, and we realized it was too dangerous to stay any longer. We knew we had to leave as soon as possible, so we applied for an Iraqi passport – which can take a year to be approved. Finally we fled to Syria in 2006. At that time, Syria was considered safer than Iraq.
*Editor’s note: June 20 is World Refugee Day. Established by the United Nations General Assembly and held each year, World Refugee Day celebrates the strength and resilience of refugees. It is a day to spread awareness and show support for the millions of refugees in need across the globe. Find out how you can get involved by visiting Rescue.org today.
“The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future, and strengthen their communities.” –The International Rescue Committee
There’s a lot of information packed into that mission statement, and it’s difficult to actually sum up everything it means, because the organization behind it, The International Rescue Committee (IRC) does so much to help those in need. Humanitarian crises include war, natural disasters, famine, drought, and numerous other man-made and environmental tragedies. The IRC’s responses to those crises include education, vocational training, economic support, emergency medical care, and countless other programs to empower those impacted by situations they had no control over. While it’s hard to outline all of the fantastic work IRC does in a blog post, it’s less challenging to express the pride and honor we feel as we welcome them to our Better to Give program.