MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — Tucked away on Howell Avenue in southern Milwaukee County is the Hanan Refugees Relief Group.
“I’ve always helped people and always wanted to really serve the community. And with that first Syrian family, I think just really changed my life.,” said Sheila Badwan.
Executive Director Sheila Badwan says she was inspired to create the organization after meeting a Syrian refugee family back in 2016.
“We had sort of the same culture and I knew this was what I wanted to do,” said Badwan.
As the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, Sheila says she felt compelled to leave her job in healthcare and find a way to help others.
She says the Hanan Refugees Relief Group has become an essential resource, offering housing, food, and support.
“For me, it's not a business. It's really as a humanitarian, as a human,” said Badwan.
While the work the organization does is year-round, during the month of Ramadan, there’s a toy drive to celebrate Eid and it goes right along with what Hanan means in Arabic: compassion.
“It's amazing for I think a lot of refugees having that support, extra support,” said Umalkhayr Abdi.
Umalkhayr Abdi is Hanan’s Resettlement Director.
“A lot of them look to you as, whether it’s me or our case managers, they look to them, as providing everything, the person that they go to for everything,” said Abdi.
She says her work is two-fold: uplifting the refugees as they find their new home and making sure her team has the foundation they need to thrive.
“It's really important to show them, not just, because this work can be very overwhelming and a lot, but also to show them that there's enjoyment,” said Abdi.
Both Badwan and Abdi say they hope their work helps break down barriers.
“You'll see that they're there just like everyone else, you know, they just come from somewhere else,” said Abdi.
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