SILVER SPRING, Md.
IRC employment specialist Jaclyn Vaseleck had success helping newly arrived female refugees find their first jobs in the United States, but she believed the IRC could do more for them. She had an idea. What if these women could get together on a regular basis, exchange notes, sympathize with and learn from one another?
Jaclyn Vaseleck, an employment specialist with the International Rescue Committee assigned to help newly arrived female refugees find their first jobs in the United States, noticed that many of them were having a hard time. They were not leaving their homes, their English skills languished, they avoided public transportation. In short, they appeared overwhelmed by the formidable task of adapting to a radically different culture, doubly so because they had to help their children adjust as well.