Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
In a nation that is in constant political divide, one local organization strives to unite not only the community but also the world.
Image courtesy of Hello Neighbor Facebook page
Oliver Feresita (oldest son of Mukamazina Feresita) at a Hello Neighbor event
September 23, 2019
There’s no doubt that the city of Pittsburgh is a cultural hotspot, but for the Feresita family of Baldwin, it’s much more than that.
The family, who moved to Pittsburgh from Kenya three years ago, found difficulties adjusting. The family of four struggled with life in America until a year ago when they became mentees for Hello Neighbor.
Hello Neighbor, founded in 2017 by Sloane Davidson, is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit mentorship program that pairs refugees with native Pittsburgh families, who help the mentees navigate the adjustment. With a six-month commitment of ten hours per month, the pairs spend time together, making the move to America a little bit easier. Though six months are required, many go on and create lifelong friendships.
Julie Kaigler (left) and Mukamazina Feresita (right) together at a Hello Neighbor event
Mukamazina, the mother of the Feresita family, found out about the organization through a friend and applied to become a mentee in the fall of 2018. Two months later, they were paired up with the Kaigler family of Wexford.
“My family saw a piece about Hello Neighbor on NBC News and immediately knew it was something we had to get involved in,” said Julie Kaigler of Wexford. “We had been looking for an organization to support and this seemed like the perfect one.”
The two families’ commitment to Hello Neighbor was up in April of 2019, but they still spend time together. From helping the Feresita family buy a house to spending the holidays together, the Kaiglers continue to make lifelong connections with their mentees.
“We consider them family now, and [we] are so proud of everything that they’ve accomplished in the short time that they’ve been here in Pittsburgh,” said Kaigler.
Hello Neighbor grows each and every day. From the New Neighbor Cookie Table, which pays refugee women $0.75 for every $1.00 of baklava sales, to the launch of the “Smart Start for Refugee Mothers and Children” program, the organization has become a staple in many people’s lives.
Will and Julie Kaigler with the Feresita family at a Hello Neighbor event
As of today, Hello Neighbor has matched ninety-five refugee families with native Pittsburghers and, in just two years, the organization has accumulated over 5,000 mentoring hours. Groups have planned events on the Gateway Clipper, gone to Riverhounds games, and done many more activities to maintain close relationships with all of their mentees.
“I often say the true goal of Hello Neighbor is to help the refugees feel more comfortable and confident in their new lives here,” said Davidson. “In particular for the moms, who struggle with taking care of little kids and many of whom lack the language to communicate in English, this is huge towards feeling independent and feeling like they’re contributing to the success of their families.”
As one mentor testimonial on the Hello Neighbor website reads, “This is what will change us as Americans, and change us as Pittsburghers.”
Hello Neighbor accepts mentors on a rolling basis and starts a new cohort 1-2 times per year, Davidson added. To sign up to be a mentor, visit https://www.helloneighbor.io/.
For more information about Hello Neighbor, check out the Home Sweet Home benefit on Saturday, September 28th. Ticket information can be found on their website or here.
