In today’s episode we'll welcome back our former Family Service Director and current COO, Molly Sepulvado and introduce you to our REACTcore Program Manager Ally Brown, and two of our incredible beneficiaries turned Case Aides, Hameed and Mohammad. Ally is a military spouse, family advocate, and substitute teacher in Arlington, Virginia. During her many years of activism, Ally shaped and developed policy for the Virginia Department of Education as part of the Military Child Education Coalition and was selected for U.S. Senator Tim Kaine's Military Family Roundtable, which informed the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on various issues affecting military families. Ally has been with REACT DC since the beginning, from day one of Home Setups to serving as our Family Services Specialist to her current position as REACT DC’s REACTcore Program Manager. Hameed joined the React DC Team in February 2022, overseeing the Employment Department and managing the employment program to directly support React DC’s clients in job acquisition in order to become self-sufficient. From 2002-2021 Hameed worked alongside the US Government in a variety of positions and he has received numerous awards and recognition for outstanding performance supporting US missions in Afghanistan. Hameed earned his master’s degree in Management Administration and Leadership from Kardan University Kabul, Afghanistan in 2016. After leaving Afghanistan, Mohammad crossed Iran on foot with his ailing sister on his back, lived as a refugee in Turkey for four years, had his departure delayed due to the COVID pandemic and finally arrived in the US in the fall of 2021. His family was one of the first REACT DC beneficiaries and within months he had become the head of household at the age of 21, working multiple jobs, teaching himself to drive and learning English at a breathtaking pace. After overcoming incredible odds and enduring devastating heartbreak, Mohammad inspires everyone he meets with his positive attitude, quick smile and desire to serve his community and fellow Afghan brothers and sisters as a Case Aide with a local resettlement agency where he quickly promoted through the ranks due to his determination, work ethic and engaging demeanor. Today they are here to talk about the REACTcore program and how it is helping provide essential social services support for unsupported DC metro area newcomers including benefits enrollment, material goods distribution, and community resource and referral. We’ll discuss how our Family Services department evolved into REACTcore, Molly and Ally’s roles from the early days to now, Hameed and Fasih’s experience over the last year to include resettlement and their working relationship with REACT DC, go over the highs and lows of their positions and responsibilities within and without the organization, discuss the ONE thing they wish people knew about resettlement. To learn more about our REACT Dc please go to www.reactdc.org or contact us at info@reactdc.org. To help support REACT DC’s efforts Donate Now to have an immediate impact in the lives of refugees. Donations support families in immediate need and ensure support for families still to come. REACT DC, Inc. is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Thank you for listening! Make sure to like and subscribe to hear our next episode and until then thank you for your support and we look forward to broadcasting to you again soon!
