There’s So Much We Can Learn From Each Other

Helping refugees adjust to a new life.

Helping others is something Tamra Brown has done all her life. The Louisville native remembers cooking meals for the sick, calling on the elderly, and visiting inmates at the women’s prison with her grandmother and mother. Tamra also attended churches throughout rural Kentucky with her grandfather to share about their faith in the hope and love of Jesus.

Tamra says choosing a career in nursing was easy since it offered her the opportunity to serve others. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Evansville in Indiana in 1989 and soon after, married and moved from Louisville.

After being gone for almost 30 years, Tamra and her family moved back to Louisville in 2018. She had recently retired from her nursing career and had been caring for her ailing father for nearly a year. Tamra knew she wanted to serve her hometown community and found Gate of Hope Ministries International (GHMI), whose mission is to encourage, empower, and educate vulnerable East African refugees toward a better future.

What made you decide to volunteer with GHMI?

In 2019, I was introduced to Pauline, program director and one of the founders of Gate of Hope. I learned about the challenges refugees face escaping their homeland and the dangers they faced there. Their traumatic stories struck my heart. I was impressed by how GHMI brings hope, healing, and transformation through the love of Christ as they help refugees learn to live in their new home.

What are your volunteer responsibilities?

I serve on the board of directors and help bring awareness to the organization and the people we serve. In 2023, GHMI acquired 19 acres of farmland in southwest Louisville, expanding our farming ministry. I work closely with the farm committee recruiting volunteers for the many farm projects. Volunteering with GHMI is like going to Africa without ever having to leave our own city. There is so much we can learn from each other.

Do you have a favorite volunteer memory?

I especially enjoyed teaching a nutrition class for women and single mothers. The class ended with us making homemade pizzas together. I also attended a baby shower for one of the young moms and enjoyed delicious African food that the group had made.

What advice would you give others interested in volunteering?

Volunteering offers the opportunity to stay active, build relationships with others, and continue learning. I’d encourage everyone to look around our city and find organizations that serve immigrants and refugees. It’s the perfect way to learn more about God’s great big world and our place in it.

By Kym Voorhees Raque | Photo by Shai-ann Vera

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