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Team Member Highlight: Dirk & Raquel Cameron, Houston Managing Directors

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This past month, we welcomed Dirk and Raquel Cameron aboard the Amplio Recruiting team. Together they are using their passions and experiences to help connect Houston businesses to their local refugee workforce.

The soon-to-be empty nesters couldn’t be more excited about their new roles, the next step, they believe, on their God-led journey.

The two are no strangers to the challenges of starting over in a new country. Raquel, a native Colombian, grew up familiar with a great deal of insecurity within her country. Her dad, a retired dentist and rancher, was the head of the cattleman’s association, putting him on the front lines against armed rebel groups illegally obtaining land for power.

The emerging threats and constant fear grew old, and Raquel’s parents made plans to return to her mother’s home country of Mexico. They sent Raquel and her brother to Houston for college study, where they were welcomed and cared for by family friends—an experience Raquel won’t soon forget.

“They treated us as family. They would invite us every weekend for a meal and board games. We developed such a wonderful family in the U.S. ”

This “wonderful family” included a new interest, a friend of her brother’s—Dirk.

While Dirk was traveling abroad and grew more involved in student ministry, Raquel made the decision to return to her family. She applied at a Guadalajara Mexico college, where she could finish out her degree. She and Dirk dated long-distance before he moved to Mexico to study Spanish. During this time he grew to know and love her family and before returning to the U.S., he proposed.

Raquel finished her final semester of college and the couple married, settling once more in Houston. There, they got involved in an international student ministry… but it wouldn’t be long before adventure called again.

Just seven months after returning to Houston, Dirk was offered a job—in Ecuador.

The couple settled once more, but unexpected challenges with her work visa left Raquel unable to work. Undeterred, she wasted no time working as a volunteer, helping local missionaries within the country’s low-income communities.  “It was a really neat time,” Raquel shares, “It opened my eyes to a lot of needs in Latin America.”

When her dad passed away from cancer, Raquel and Dirk returned to Houston, welcoming in Raquel’s mom. They had their first child in 1996 in Ecuador, and their second child in 1999 after returning to Houston. This began a new season for their family. Raquel spent the following years at home raising the children, while Dirk started a new business venture with his brother-in-law—developing new hotel reservation and marketing technology for independent hotels globally.

“The whole idea of business as a mission really started with him. We realized that business and missions did not have to be divorced,” Raquel explains. The company afforded Dirk the opportunity not only to provide an incredible product that met a need in the market, but to help those he met along the way.

As their children got older Raquel, too, found her niche—an opportunity to put her  bilingual skills to work, helping local immigrants. Working as a Spanish interpreter in schools and hospitals, she became tragically aware of the struggles of the community’s newcomers.

“Several times I would come home and tell Dirk their stories. I would say, ‘I just wish I could do more,’” she remembers. “They were placed in a new country and trying to figure it out.”

These experiences rekindled memories of the couple’s past. Back to their days as newlyweds, involved in international student ministry in Houston.

“It was crucially important [to these kids] having that welcoming friendship. Someone to ask them how life was going… how was your first week of school? I thought about the places we had been—Mexico, Houston, Ecuador, then back to Houston. There have been so many different times when we had to go through the process of adjusting to a new place. What a blessing it is to find a welcoming hand.”

Little did she know that her and Dirk’s passions and experiences were about to intersect in a big way. Through “God connections”, as Raquel calls them, the couple came across a friend’s podcast—an interview on “Value Driven Productivity”. The guest was Chris Chancey, CEO of a unique recruiting company connecting companies to the “refugee workforce.”

“It was a true business-as-mission model. A great integration of the two,” she explains. Dirk connected with Chris and business partner Luke Keller, who were, surprisingly, already working on putting together the pieces needed to expand Amplio to the Houston area. When he came across the description for managing director Dirk called and told Raquel, “I think this is me!” to which she responded, ‘This really is you.”

When Luke flew in for a business trip, the talks continued and it was determined that Dirk and Raquel were, indeed, the perfect fit. Together they are an incredible power couple committed to connecting Houston businesses to refugees looking for opportunity to work and rebuild.

Their days are full of meetings, brainstorming, and continuing to build strategic relationships within the community. Despite the many hurdles ahead, they remain optimistic about bringing this unique labor shortage solution to the Houston market.

“[Dirk has] always been a connector at heart,” Raquel shares, admirably, “He gets so much joy out of connecting people because he thinks something wonderful could come out of that.”

Something wonderful indeed. When businesses are connected with the refugee workforce, it’s an undeniable win-win. Companies gain dedicated, talented and reliable employees to fill their labor shortage needs, while refugee families who were once unemployed or underemployed gain the means to be self-sufficient and rebuild their lives here in the U.S.

At Amplio Recruiting, we are passionate about connecting great companies with the refugee workforce. We are proud of Dirk and Raquel and the work they are doing in Houston. If you are a business owner, manager or entrepreneur who would love to learn more about hiring refugees, visit our website to learn more or contact us.

February Partner Spotlight: Gateway of Grace Ministries

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Each month this year, Amplio will be highlighting a different non-profit partner providing job preparation and job training within the refugee communities we serve. More than just words, we are committing to financially support the work of the partner we select each month and want you to join us! We will match every dollar given to the Amplio Foundation this month, up to $1000, in support of this month’s partner.

 

Our partner spotlight for the month of February is Gateway of Grace Ministries in Dallas, Texas. If you ask Samira Page, founder and executive director of Gateway of Grace, how it all began, she’ll share about Thanksgiving dinner 2010. She reminisces about the simplicity of “just six or seven people” around her table of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, but all with the same basic human desire—to be known and loved.

Samira’s heart for refugees was birthed out of her personal journey—one that began halfway across the world.

Samira grew up in Iran, a country marked by continuous war and religious conflict. She was just 15 years old when she married her first husband. He was a devout Islamic Sunni—a denomination greatly persecuted for their opposing beliefs by Islaic Shias.

When threats mounted, the family risked their lives through four feet of snow, nearly dying, to escape to Turkey. They hired smugglers to take them to Canada, but were instead taken to Mexico instead. Abandoned with no documentation, the family stayed in Mexico City for a year before being forced to flee again after being identified. They crossed the border and applied for asylum in the U.S.

In Dallas, Samira says they met many new friends who helped them and invited them to church. Their love, displayed through practical action, made her a believer, and she began to pursue God’s plan for her life.

“You have your plan but God has His ways,” she laughs, adding that she originally planned to pursue a PhD to teach. She earned her Master’s in Theology and later a doctorate in Church Missions. When she prayed about what was next in her journey, an obvious gap became clear…

“I noticed there were many, many [refugee] programs and Christian organizations, but I didn’t see anything that would systematically mobilize the church to work with refugees.”

The need birthed a vision of mobilizing one church at a time—challenging spiritual apathy; awakening them to their social responsibility, and propelling them in Christ-like action toward their fellow man. The plan was to create a holistic ministry that met the practical, emotional and spiritual needs of the refugee community, helping them assimilate to their new surroundings. They began forming refugee ministry teams who would “adopt” refugee families and begin assessing their needs while building friendships. Since then, she says the ministry has grown to over 600 volunteers.

“What I have discovered is that people in Dallas are extremely generous and big-hearted. The majority of what happens is outside the [Gateway of Grace] building,” Samira explains, pointing the credit to churches and individuals who have really taken ownership of the program. “People are taking refugees to hospital visits, appointments and connecting them to jobs. We’ve developed different ministries—education, baby showers, English as a second language, using [people’s] gifts we have through volunteers and partner churches.”

Perhaps the greatest and fastest-growing of these is their English program. They offer the program at no cost, and complete with both transportation and childcare—a big need among the refugee community, especially women.

Samira shares, “The students are mostly women. The husbands work and speak some English. Many come from cultures that are very oppressive to women, and therefore they receive little or no education. Many have never received an award of any kind– especially one for education accomplishment. It’s very important for us to serve as many as possible, but there is a huge waiting list because of childcare.”

To meet these needs, Samira says they need an additional $30,000 which would allow them to add additional space, transportation, and childcare– each area directly affects the others.

Dennis Page, Samira’s husband and Gateway’s Chief Operating Officer, chimes in, “Our reality is that we serve a lot of people… [but] we could serve literally at least twice that many. There are people five minutes outside of our radius that we can’t get to the school.”

Thanksgiving dinner looks a lot different these days, with over 400 refugees and volunteers filling the tables, but the mission remains unchanged—welcoming refugees in, and equipping and empowering them to become productive members of society.

“Without a doubt, if you interact with refugees over a short period of time you will discover that they are pretty much just like you,” Dennis shares, imploring individuals and churches to get off the “sidelines” and respond to the refugee movement.

Amplio became aware of Gateway’s incredible work in the Dallas-Fort Worth community through our Dallas Managing Director, Abby Davis.

Abby, who volunteers there with her husband regularly, now has boards where she posts job openings regularly. “We are grateful to be able to partner with Amplio and help Abby be successful at this,” Samira shares, sincerely. “What you do is an important aspect of meeting the needs of refugee families. We believe that through Amplio families are going to experience financial independence and restoration.”

At Amplio, we are proud to work alongside Gateway of Grace in serving the Dallas-Fort Worth refugee community. For the month of February, every penny donated to the Amplio Foundation will be doubled and given to Gateway to help them in their endeavor to expand their facilities and transportation, in turn opening the door for more refugees to take part in their English program.

To make a charitable donation, visit the Amplio Foundation page. Scroll down and click the Donate Now button. Fill in the amount and payment information, as well as whether you would like for it to be a one-time gift or recurring donation. Click the Give button and you’re done! Thank you for partnering with us to support the refugee workforce.

Follow Gateway of Grace on Facebook and Instagram

ATL Dependable Profile: Amnobe Pilipili

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“It was night. If they found anyone they were going to shoot them. We fled. We left everything.”

It was December 1996. The rebel army of Kabila advanced through Congo, terrorizing towns and killing innocent citizens along the way.

Amnobe Pilipili was only 10 years old.

Now, over 20 years later, she shares about the night her life changed forever.

She, her parents, brother, and eight sisters escaped on foot, and began an arduous three-day walk to North Congo, which they expected would be “a little safer.” But the war was widespread, and the North was not exempt.

Amnobe’s dad used the little money they had to take a boat across Lake Tanganyika to the Nyarugusu refugee camp, in Tanzania.

“It was sad,” she shares, timidly, “To leave home is not good. Cry all the time.”

Life, in the camp, was hard. Overfilled and under-resourced, families struggled to meet basic needs. Amnobe and her dad began selling goods to provide for their growing family. He would go to neighboring cities to purchase shoes, which she would then sell to residents within the camp.

Amnobe spent seven long years in Nyarugusu. She married a fellow Congolese man, and together they had a son. When her husband longed to return to his village, Amnobe agreed to follow, taking along one of her sisters. They returned to their home country, only to be upheaved once more– but this time would be more devastating than the last.

War soon returned, as is life in Congo. Brokenhearted, Amnobe cries quietly while sharing about what happened next. While they were fleeing, their son got lost in the crowds. They searched for him to no avail. That was the last time she saw her son, who would now be 11.

The couple was blessed with a second child– this time, a baby girl. Together the family resettled in Nairobi, Kenya, where Amnobe learned to fix hair for a living.

Meanwhile, her family had finally been approved for refugee status in the United States, inspiring the young couple to do the same. Eventually, after five more years of living displaced, in Kenya, Amnobe got on an airplane for the very first time and flew across the ocean.

After a short stint in Raleigh, North Carolina, Amnobe reunited with her family in Clarkston, Georgia. “It had been years since I had seen them. We had a big party,” she smiles.

Finally she had peace. But her fears for her family’s safety were replaced by worries of how they would make a new life for themselves in a culture unlike anything they had ever experienced.

Her sister helped her get a job at a chicken factory, a common “career” for many refugees and immigrants in the area. She worked the 8-hour night shift, sandwiched by an hour plus ride to and from. The commute was in a packed van, her only option for transportation.

The conditions were brutal. “It was really cold. It hurt my hands and fingers,” she says, about the job she endured for two long years. Amnobe eventually transferred to a new job at a company, cleaning clothes for hospitals, and continuing to contribute to their growing family’s income.

One day a friend told her about Amplio Recruiting, a nearby staffing company connecting refugees to viable jobs. The team immediately connected Amnobe to a job at House of Cheatham, a hair and body care manufacturer, where she started the very next day.

While they’re still trying to find her “sweet spot”, Amnobe is thriving at her new job. No longer underemployed, the family has now been able to take steps towards self-sustainability. Just last week they put a down payment on a house, which they will close on in February. For the first time since that fateful night over 20 years ago, she will have a permanent home.

Every day Amnobe wakes up and goes into work, laying a foundation for a better future for her two daughters, 7 and 4 months. “I want them to go to school, get jobs, and live a good life.”

Amplio CEO, Chris Chancey says her time at the chicken factory speaks volumes of Amnobe’s work ethic, explaining, “You’ve got to be a hard-working person and very tough to work at the chicken plant for one day, much less two years. We are celebrating with her for her new, forward-focused job.”

Despite their hard past, Amnobe and other refugees are proving their talent and tenacity in U.S. workplaces across the country.

“See us as citizens, not refugees,” she implores, communicating the common desire of most refugees—to be contributors, not burdens on society. They need only be given the opportunity to do so.

At Amplio, we take pride in connecting refugees to opportunities—labor shortage needs within the U.S. workplace.

We believe the refugee workforce is America’s labor shortage solution. We take pride in providing top notch employees to companies, specializing in construction staffing, manufacturing staffing, and hospitality staffing. While other staffing agencies are sourcing talent from the same labor pool, we connect you with the legal and motivated refugee workforce.

Visit our website or contact us to learn more about our benefits and services.

Dallas Dependable Profile: Aluet Deng

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Aluet Deng and her four girls are grateful. For the first time in years they have a car, and no longer have to fight over a single seat in the family living room. Though their lifestyle is “modest” in the eyes of many, to them it is enough.

Aluet may be soft-spoken, but you can sense her inner strength as she shares her story; strength that has been birthed out of many trials in her 36 years of life.

She was just three years old when civil war ravaged her home country of Sudan. The war, which ended up being responsible for the deaths of roughly two million, forced her family to flee. They resettled in Kakuma, a village just inside the neighboring country of Kenya, leaving behind Aluet’s dad to fight for a better future for Sudan.

“Once a year my dad came to see us,” Aluet shares, “It was very hard.” She catches her breath and continues on. “My dad would bring gold for my mom to sell. We weren’t rich, but we had food and everything we needed.”

But in the blink of an eye, that all changed. Aluet was just ten years old when they got the news that her father had died in war.

“A lot of soldiers died… not only my dad,” she sighs sadly. “He was a good man.”

Unbeknownst to them, his death was just the beginning of a series of misfortunate events that would change their lives forever. Aluet’s mom tried to continue the family business of selling gold, a task made much more difficult without the help of her late husband.

When Aluet became pregnant at 14, she broke the news to her mom, whose response was far less than excitement. “I was the strong helper,” she explains, “My mom didn’t know what to do.”

Feeling left with no choice, Aluet got married to support herself and her unborn child. She hoped, also, that the dowry would help her family get back on their feet.

Her mother’s anger would not be consoled. She abandoned Aluet to return to Sudan, taking along Aluet’s sister, who had become deathly ill. Sudan was war-torn and lacked the basic medical treatment and medicines needed to keep Aluet’s sister alive. She passed away, leaving the family to endure yet another grueling loss.

Adding insult to injury, Aluet’s mom blamed her for her sister’s death, a burden she still carries to this day. “My dad was gone. My mother hated me…[but] my husband was even worse to me,” Aluet shares.

When her husband left to attend school in the United States, Aluet moved in with her brother-in-law and cousin, hoping it would help her provide for her young child. But with minimal resources to divide amongst, they struggled to survive.

“My husband was not sending us enough money for rent and food. We weren’t eating. I was being beaten by my brother-in-law. No one was helping,” she remembers.

Feeling trapped and helpless, Aluet finally met with an agency who helped her relocate to the United States. She arrived in January of 2012, with hopeful ambition to form some semblance of peace in a strange new world to her, North Texas.

Her hope was met with some big challenges. Aluet’s complicated past had left her with just two years of grade school education. She couldn’t read or write; and English was broken. She didn’t have a car, or family nearby to help. But she didn’t let that stop her.

“It was hard,” she admits, “But it was worse there [in Sudan and Kenya].”

Aluet quickly took on a job to make ends meet for herself and her children, but the 12 hour days and nonexistent lunch breaks left her sick and exhausted. Grateful for the paycheck, she never complained, but deep inside she knew there had to be something more. She needed a steady, well-paying job to begin laying a financial foundation; a future for her children.

A trusted friend shared with her about a new Dallas staffing company, helping refugees find work. Together they scheduled a meeting, with Abby Davis, Amplio Dallas Managing Director and recruiter, to see about finding her a job.

Aluet shares candidly about their first meeting–

“I woke up fresh. My heart was pumping. I was feeling like something good was going to happen. [But] when we did the paperwork, I thought what do you think she’s going to be able to give me, [since] I can’t even fill out my paper? But my friend said, ‘She’s going to find you a job.’”

Abby, who Aluet jokingly refers to as “too happy”, did not disappoint. She connected Aluet to a job at the Dallas Athletic Club, where she’s been turning heads ever since. Her job is simple—clear the dining tables and set them up again—but no one does it with more dedication and excellence than Aluet.

“They said, ‘Give me 20 Aluets because she’s the best worker we have!” Abby exclaims proudly of her new friend. The two have formed an endearing relationship, not uncommon among their friendly Texas community.

Aluet praises the Dallas Athletic Club for their beautiful facilities and exceptional leadership which, she says, encourages regular rest breaks. She and her children are happier and healthier than they’ve ever been, and are even using their resources to help other family back home. “I help my sister in Kenya. After I pay my bills I share what’s leftover. It has made me happy.”

Abby and Aluet hope that many more Dallas businesses will soon recognize the benefits of Amplio and begin filling shortages with the talented and dependable refugee workforce.

“To be a refugee is hard. There’s no help. It’s a better place here in the United States. Uganda and Kenya—you cannot even imagine. You have no food, no school, no shoes and no clothes. My country’s life is very hard.”

Join with the Dallas Athletic Club in opening the door of opportunity to refugees and their families to rise above poverty and build a bright future for the Dallas community.

Amplio is the only Dallas staffing company connecting you with the talented and dependable refugee workforce. We take pride in providing top notch employees to companies across the U.S. and London, specializing in construction staffing, manufacturing staffing, and hospitality staffing.

We would love to be your company’s number one labor shortage solution. Visit us online to learn more about Amplio’s services, and the benefits of hiring the refugee workforce.

 

Closed Eyes, Closed Doors: The Dehumanization of Refugees

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An unprecedented 65 million people are displaced, worldwide due to war, persecution, and natural disasters. Their desire? Basic human rights of peace, safety, and freedom.

Instead, many are met with more of what they longed to leave behind—violence, hatred, and enslavement.

The headlines bellow:

“People for Sale: Where lives are auctioned for $400”

“Syrian immigrants ‘treated worse than dogs’”

“Australia: Appalling abuse, neglect of refugees on Nauru”

Abuse. Slavery. Death and neglect.

In Libya, the gateway to the Mediterranean, Nigerian refugees are falling prey to smugglers who promise help, but deliver bondage. Refugees like Victory, a 21-year old who spent his life savings hoping to trade Nigeria’s corruption for peace in Europe, wind up being sold for labor or disappearing into the sex trafficking industry.

In the Middle East, the displaced are shot at and forced into overfilled and unsanitary camps. Mazen Sefo, his wife and four children, escaped their home town in Syria that had become commonplace to frequent bombings and violent ISIS raids. “All we want is for our kids to have a better life,” they shared. Instead, at the Turkish border, they were “greeted” with gunshots.

Australia made headlines in 2016 when they forced Middle Eastern and African asylum seekers onto the island of Nauru, where they lived in “prison-like” conditions. Authorities denied visits to journalists who would divulge the country’s disgraceful and unethical treatment of human beings.

These are just a few of the innumerable occurrences have become the fate of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children across the globe. This is not a Syrian problem, or an Afghanistan problem, or a South Sudan problem—it is a humanitarian problem.

 

So how, then, did we get here? Why do we, for the most part, remain unmoved by those atrocious acts against our fellow human beings?

It’s the same reason war, persecution, genocide and neglect has been happening since the beginning of time—dehumanization.

In a nutshell, dehumanization is defined as “the process of depriving a person or group of positive human qualities.”

Vox.com explains the danger behind it: “Look back at some of the most tragic episodes in human history and you will find words and images that stripped people of their basic human traits. In the Nazi era, the film The Eternal Jew depicted Jews as rats. During the Rwandan genocide, Hutu officials called Tutsis ‘cockroaches’ that needed to be cleared out.”

 

Dehumanization is not just a problem of the past, but the plight of many refugees and immigrants who are commonly discriminated against. Listen closely and you can hear it in the underlying rhetoric of entire governments where entire religious or people groups are deemed “dangerous” and “threats”.

Wealthy countries with resources and opportunity close their doors to the suffering in the name of national security, while bodies wash ashore. As Amnesty International put it, “People are dying while governments spend billions on border control.” Meanwhile, shockingly, 10 of the poorest countries accommodate half of the world’s refugees.

 

It is our collective social responsibility, as humans, to care for those in need.

So how, then do we “re-humanize” our feelings toward those that have been relegated to a lesser status?

Like most other solutions, we must begin with ourselves. The good and bad news is that studies have proven our “perception of ‘otherness’ is like a dial in our minds that can be turned on” and, subsequently, off.

As individuals, we control our own dial. We turn dehumanization “on” when we gather with those who are just like us and belittle or demonize those who are different than us. We turn it on when we We turn it on when we close our eyes and close our doors to those we deem unworthy of the same basic human rights we enjoy.

But we turn it “off” when we nurture empathy. When we remember that these are moms, dads, daughters, and sons. People with dreams and desires like us, who have value and bring their own unique vantage and talents to the world.

We turn it off when we get to know and understand people who are different than us; when we welcome others who don’t look, sound or believe like us.

We turn it off when we open not just our eyes and ears to see and hear the atrocities that surround us, but stand up for, and stand with all mankind.

 

While no single person can solve this humanitarian crisis, we can all make a difference within our own communities.

At Amplio Recruiting, we are connecting the talented refugee workforce with job opportunities that will enable them to rebuild. We believe that refugees are some of the most resilient and dependable workers on the market.

You can take a stand and offer opportunity and hope to local refugees, while increasing efficiency and dependability at your workplace. We would love to connect to share more. Send us an e-mail or visit our website at www.ampliorecruiting.com to learn about our benefits and services.

For monthly updates and more ways you can stand with refugees, text REFUGEE to 444999

 

Our mission at Amplio is helping great companies hire dependable people from the refugee workforce. In conjunction with that mission we recognize our unique authority to serve as advocates for refugees around the globe. Therefore, we proudly claim any opinions in this article as a representation of our business and its impact in the communities we serve.

January Partner Spotlight: Tekton Career Training

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Each month this year, Amplio will be highlighting a different non-profit partner providing job preparation and job training within the refugee communities we serve. More than just words, we are committing to financially support the work of the partner we select each month and want you to join us! We will match every dollar given to the Amplio Foundation this month, up to $1000, in support of this month’s partner.

 

As the refugee crisis continues to broaden, individuals and organizations are focusing on more long-term, sustainable solutions that empower refugees to thrive after resettling in the U.S. Luke Keller, Amplio President, is one of those individuals.

Growing up near Clarkston, a vibrant refugee hub just outside of Atlanta, he recognized the shocking rates of unemployment among the refugee community. With an average per capita income being a mere $17,000, even those who were employed were living at half of the poverty level.

Being a savvy businessman, Luke also recognized the need for skilled tradesmen that were quickly disappearing from the market. In recent years, it is estimated that for every five master craftsmen stepping out of their role, only one is stepping in to fill that gap.

The wheels began turning on the idea of a program that would close the gap between these two staggering needs, and 2014 he founded The Lantern Project. The organization began offering free industry-based trades training, aimed at connecting people in need to lifelong career opportunities.

Certified trainers and a dozen or so trainees gather on weeknights at their warehouse facility, set up with stations for each of the four crafts—welding, electrician, carpentry and pipe-fitting.

Also present are individuals committed to their weekly guided mentorship program. Many come through partnerships with local churches, in their initiative to build bridges between locals and the growing refugee community.

“We focus on ‘soft skills’,” says Dan Koenig, who took on the organization in January of last year. “Take the word responsibility—it’s not to say somebody from Ethiopia isn’t responsible, but they have a different view of what that means. To work with someone who has experience here [in the U.S.], and for them to explain what that means is a huge skill to hand to them.”

Since its establishment, an incredible 136 men and 2 women have completed the 12-15 month program, all through the generosity of individual and corporate donors and volunteers. After completion, Tekton uses its partnership with Amplio Recruiting to connect these now-certified tradesmen and women to local companies looking to hire.

“From our perspective, our biggest challenge was getting guys connected to a career,” Dan explains. “To have an organization like Amplio who is helping people… to get them to the next level is really important.”

Koenig estimates that 25-30% or more graduates find jobs with the help of Amplio. “That’s pretty significant. Luke, Chris, and Stephen are out in the market every day. That gives us the freedom to focus on high-quality training and developing relationships. It helps us make better recommendations for the position they’ll be fit for.”

Despite a recent rebranding to Tekton Career Training, the organization’s mission and focus remains the same—providing opportunity through construction trades training that will restore hope and dignity to those they serve.

“We want to give them training that will connect them to the hope that they can live well here in the U.S.” current director, Dan Koenig says, who started as a mentor in 2014. Koenig, who worked as a construction project manager in the 90’s, had just returned from a 15-year stint in Ecuador where he and his family worked closely with local leaders to develop schools and clean drinking water initiatives.

“We came back five years ago and were asking, ‘What’s next?’ God gave us time to readjust to life in the U.S., then slowly but surely the opportunities with Lantern grow and we were able to step into that.”

The best part of his job, he says, is connecting with “the guys”, especially when the stress or discouragement of running a non-profit rears its head. “As soon as I’m sitting down talking, and see their smiles… do the traditional shoulder-bump-handshake greeting… as soon as I step into that humanity—it’s so empowering.”

Dan and the Tekton team’s biggest dream for 2018 is to be able to offer daytime training, in addition to their evening classes, explaining that about 20% of those interested in the program end up unable to participate because they are locked into 2nd shift schedules. This admirable goal, that would allow them to impact many more refugees, would require a significant increase in donations.

“We’re all human,” Dan shares, “It’s easy to keep people at arm’s length, but to be able to take that big step and say that these are fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers… real people  with real dreams—that’s the most important thing.”

Amplio is proud to support Tekton Career Training and its efforts to bring value and dignity to refugees through skills training, mentorship, and leadership development. We encourage you to join us in supporting this commendable organization doing good within the Clarkston community.

Through our Amplio Foundation, 30% of our proceeds go to local organizations serving refugees in the following capacities:

  • Refugee entrepreneurship
  • Job preparation
  • Career skills development and
  • Evangelism and discipleship

For the month of January, we will match any additional individual or corporate donations to the Amplio foundation up to $1,000 in support of Tekton.

To make a charitable donation, visit the Amplio Foundation page. Scroll down and click the Donate Now button. Fill in the amount and payment information, as well as whether you would like for it to be a one-time gift or recurring donation. Click the Give button and you’re done! Thank you for partnering with us to support the refugee workforce.

10 Ways to Stand with Refugees in 2018

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ONE // Hire a Refugee. We believe in the refugee workforce and take pride in connecting companies with this talented labor pool that will increase your efficiency while reducing turnover and expenses. We specialize in manufacturing staffing, construction staffing, and hospitality staffing. Contact an Amplio account manager in your city to learn more:

Atlanta | Dallas | Raleigh

 

TWO // Save the Date for the Amplio-sponsored New American Celebration on Thursday, March 15th in Atlanta. The event begins at 8:00am at the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, and ends at 11:30am. The New Americans Celebration is an annual day of education and outreach for refugees, immigrants and Georgia community members who support them. This event takes place at the GA state capital. Details to be posted. Click here for an event flyer.

 

THREE // Donate to the Amplio Foundation which supports the most effective non-profits in the country that are providing help to refugees. We want our business to be a force for generosity. That’s why we are honored to give 30% of our profits to causes including:

  • Refugee Entrepreneurship
  • Job Preparation
  • Career Skill Development and
  • Evangelism and Discipleship

Join us to invest generously in the resilient refugee workforce. Make a tax-deductible contribution to the Amplio Foundation here.

 

FOUR // Run in the Amplio-sponsored Refuge Coffee 5k on April 28th in Atlanta. Your registration helps Refuge Coffee provide employment and job-training opportunities to resettled refugees in the Clarkston Community. Click here to learn more and/or register for the run.

 

FIVE // Volunteer at the Refugee Career Hub or Tekton Career Training, in Clarkston (Atlanta), to mentor or provide job prep assistance to refugees.

 

SIX // Cultivate friendships with refugee families in your community. Did you know that 85% of immigrants to the U.S. have never been inside an American home? Partner with organizations in extending a warm welcome to newly-settled refugees. Contact us for help finding organizations in your area.

 

SEVEN // Partner with Gateway of Grace in Dallas, to bring help and hope to the refugee community through resume writing and English as a second language classes.

 

EIGHT // Get the word out about Amplio on social media. Know a business looking for talented and dependable employees? Invite entrepreneurs, business owners and managers to “Like” and “Follow” us to learn more about the refugee workforce.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

 

NINE // Buy refugee-made products from Presencia (gifts for women) or Knotty Tie (gifts for men). These unique companies provide employment opportunities and support for the resettled.

 

TEN // Sign this petition, along with Amplio, to support the welcoming and hiring of refugees. 

 

 

More ideas? Send us an e-mail to let us know your thoughts on serving the refugee workforce.

 

Stay in the loop. Text REFUGEE to 444999 to receive monthly updates and more ways you can stand with the refugee workforce.

Also visit www.wewelcomerefugees.com for more stories and to learn how you can help fight back against the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time.

 

Our mission at Amplio is helping great companies hire dependable people from the refugee workforce. In conjunction with that mission we recognize our unique authority to serve as advocates for refugees around the globe. Therefore, we proudly claim any opinions in this article as a representation of our business and its impact in the communities we serve.

Dependable Profiles: Auns Finjan

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“We used to live in diversity, in peace,” the translator shares, as Auns Finjan continues her story in her native language, Arabic.

She rattles on, passionately, describing the contrast of life in Iraq before the Sunni and Shia conflict, and after.

“[Before] we went with our Christian friends to their churches on Sundays. Everyone got along. After the new government, everyone was shooting each other.”

The youngest of five children—two brothers and two sisters, Auns and her siblings grew up attending a “first-class” Catholic school. Auns graduated and took a job as an analyst at a local hospital lab. “Life was good,” she remembers, until a shift in the government rocked the boat.

Instability following the country’s 2010 parliamentary election led to a rise in violence, sending families like Auns’ running for the border. Leaving her childhood home, friends, and the only life she ever knew, she went with her family to seek refuge in the neighboring country of Turkey.

Auns and her sister Anya took jobs at a clothing factory. It was there that her sister challenged her, “When you work, you have to work hard and provide for yourself.”

“I’ve been trying to follow this instruction ever since,” Auns says.

In 2015, the family was approved for refugee admission into the United States. Auns once again packed up her belongings and moved, this time across the ocean and into a very foreign world.

After some time acclimating to her new surroundings, she was ready to get back to work. But where could she work? Where would an Arabic-speaking female refugee find work in Atlanta Georgia?

Fortunately for Auns, a new friend pointed her to Amplio Recruiting, a staffing company helping refugees find sustainable work. There, she was quickly connected to a job at the nearby Atlanta Athletic Club.

“I was very happy because I didn’t have to wait very long,” shares Auns, who was excited to return to work. She started work in September of this year as a “steward”, washing dishes, cleaning, and helping out however needed.

“I love everything about my job,” she raves, “I love to be professional and successful.”

Even more, Auns shares that she loves the way AAC staff treat her, saying, “They make me want to stay.”

The feeling is mutual—while the Atlanta Athletic Club has given Auns a launch pad to rebuild her life, they have, at the same time, gained a reliable and driven employee. Stephen Assink, an Amplio employee who helped facilitate the connection explains the “wow factor” behind Auns’ success:

“Her English is so little. She wears a hijab (head scarf.) She is a Muslim woman who can’t drive, and a refugee. She has so many strikes against her, in our society—yet she is working hard and making it happen.”

Auns’ job at AAC has not only provided her family with financial resources, but has helped make her more independent, and is where, she says, she’s learned the most English. While Auns is still adjusting to her new, full-time schedule, she plans to return to school one day, to further her career in the medical field.

“Here there is a future,” she shares, hope ringing in her voice, “Peace; life; a future.”

Even Auns’ mother, who will turn 65 on Christmas day, has hope that she, too, can return to school for the Masters degree she always dreamed of. Their family is the epitome of the growing, ambitious refugee workforce that is causing companies to take notice in cities across the U.S.

Now many businesses, like the Atlanta Athletic Club, are filling labor shortages via this largely untapped labor pool. At Amplio, we take pride in providing top notch employees, specializing in construction staffing, manufacturing staffing, and hospitality staffing. We work with motivated members of the refugee community to bring dependability and efficiency to your company.

To learn more about our benefits and services, call our office at 678-820-8260, or visit www.ampliorecruting.com.

 

 

 

Dependable Profiles: Mohammad Soda

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Mohammad Soda, of Syria, had an early introduction to hard work. The second oldest of five children, he began making jewelry at the young age of 12 to help support the family.

But life was far from peaceful in their home city of Aleppo. Unrest swept through the nation in 2011, causing civil war, and the deaths of an estimated 100,000 Syrians in just two years. Fearing for their lives, Mohammad’s family fled, stopping first in Letakia, a Syrian port city, to apply for passports to legally immigrate.

Their family was among the first of multitudes of Syrians who would follow in leaving their country, an advantage that allowed them to obtain passports within a couple of short months. Mohammad describes this experience as “lucky”, stating, “Not many people got passports. It was limited.”

The relieved family flew south for Cairo, Egypt, where they were finally free from the horrors of their nation’s civil war. Mohammad, his dad, and older brother took jobs to provide for the family once more, while determining what their future would hold.

Two years passed before they were presented with information to apply for refuge in the United States. His parents saw the opportunity as their best option for long-term security, and so began the painstaking process of paperwork, applications and security checks.

Three long years after arriving in Cairo, and over one year after application, the family was approved and made the long, 12-hour flight into the United States. They settled in Clarkston, Georgia, a town just a few miles outside of Atlanta that has, over the years, transformed into a vibrant and diverse refugee community.

It’s been just seven months, but hearing Mohammad talk, you would never guess that he didn’t speak English prior to coming to the U.S.  He attributes this lingual success to his job, which he started not long after his family’s arrival. A new Syrian friend told him about Amplio Recruiting, a staffing business that had helped her and other refugees find work in the area.

Mohammad went, and completed the application and interview process, and was connected with a job at Gourmet Foods International, an Atlanta specialty food company. In the manufacturing department, Mohammad portions and packages cheese for distribution. His older brother also works at Gourmet, and individually they work hard to help contribute to their family’s needs. He says that having a means to provide for his family has made them “happy”, adding that he is grateful to work under an incredible management team.

But his positive outlook and impressive work ethic don’t stop there. In addition to working full-time, Mohammad is going to school to earn his GED—the first stop, he says, on a long road to becoming a doctor.

You won’t find a lot of 18-year olds like Mohammad Soda. He rises early for school, then leaves campus and heads straight to Gourmet to finish out his day.  But when asked how he’s enjoying the process, he answers, “When you work hard, you find everything is easy.”

While he says he doesn’t have free time for watching TV, reading books, or other hobbies most teenagers participate in, the one thing he always makes time for is his six-year-old brother. “It makes him happy when I play with him,” He shares.

Mohammad is not only setting an incredible example for his brother, but making work easier and paving the way for other Syrians to work at Gourmet through his ability to translate between co-workers and management.

Orlando Morrow, a supervisor at Gourmet, has been thrilled with the increase in productivity he’s noted since hiring Amplio employees.  He’s among several Atlanta businesses experiencing the benefits of hiring from within refugee workforce.

Refugees like Mohammad are proving their talent and grit while disproving many of the preconceived notions some Americans hold regarding their people group. Mohammad, like other Syrians, is acutely aware of the controversy, but responds empathetically to those who are still leery—

“Everyone has to feel that [protective] because they care about their country. Talk to us so you can know we are not dangerous. We came here just for life. To survive.”

His family is among approximately 11 million Syrians, and 65 million total refugees displaced worldwide. Refugees legally settled here in the U.S. come with a lot of experience and are motivated to work hard to provide for their families.

If your business is among many struggling with high turnover and labor shortages, we would love to connect you with employees who will increase both your dependability and efficiency—the refugee workforce.

Give us a call or visit us online to learn about our benefits and services at www.ampliorecruiting.com. Hard-working refugees are standing by, ready to add value to your company today.

 

 

“If I could Tell the World” // 10 Things You Should Know About Refugees

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At Amplio, one of our passions is to give voice to the refugee community. Our stories put names, faces, and real life experiences to these human beings that have been typecast and relegated to little more than a label by news and political rhetoric.

When interviewing for these stories, one of our favorite questions to ask is, “If you could tell the world one thing you think they should know about refugees, what would it be?”

The question is usually met with a thoughtful sigh or an, “Oh, wow,” as the interviewee attempts to choose just one thing to share about this remarkable community.

Today, we’re sharing their answers to bring you ten things you should know about refugees.

 

If I could tell the world one thing they should know about refugees, it would be…

 

“They have dreams. Goals. Families. They also like to have fun. They are serious about their faith. They have trials and triumphs. We make them one-dimensional, but they’re complex, whole, human beings.”

-Stephen Assink, Amplio Atlanta Account Manager

 

 

“We have been through many things. But we are fighters.”

-Mandah Chimgeew, Refugee

 

 

 

“They are the most joyful people I’ve met, even though they have been through such deep tragedy.”

-Chris Chancey, Amplio Founder & CEO

 

 

 

“They really need help. Understand the refugee community, and if there’s any assistance you can offer [them], it would be very awesome.”

-Omega Thompson, Liberian Refugee

 

 

 

“They are resilient. They flourish, given their challenges. They are working hard and making a life for themselves even amidst people not being friendly to them.”

-Nate Hill, Amplio Raleigh Managing Director

 

 

 

“We are human, like everybody else. It doesn’t matter if we’re American, Asian or African—we’re all human.”

-Imran Haider, Afghani refugee

 

 

“The biggest reason we have fear and ignorance regarding refugees is because we don’t know any of them. 85% of refugees never cross into an American citizen’s home in their lifetime. If you go out of your way and get to know them, you will completely change your mind from what the media, president, or anyone else thinks. Be intentional.”

-Luke Keller, Amplio Partner & Business Development Director

 

“Seize every opportunity you have to befriend a refugee. They are easily the most selfless, determined, and strong people I know… Not to mention, they make the most amazing meals!”

-Abby Davis, Amplio Dallas Managing Director

 

 

 

“There are a lot of hard workers, but not enough opportunity.”

-Banny Javed, Pakistani Refugee

 

 

 

“Refugees care about the same things we care about. They fear the same things we fear. We may speak different languages and have different cultures, but we all desire to love and be loved.”

-Jessica Darnell, Community Engagement Director at Refuge Coffee

 

 

Join in the conversation. What would you tell the world about the refugee community? Send us an e-mail to Katie@ampliorecruiting.com to let us know.

What if you could increase your business’ efficiency and dependability while helping refugees? At Amplio Recruiting, we are staffing companies with the talented refugee workforce. Visit our website at www.ampliorecruiting.com to learn more about our services and benefits.