Twelve years ago, St. Vincent's Catholic Charities in Lansing started a job training program for women refugees, but organizers soon realized these women needed something other than job training.
"If you don't speak English, if you don't have a destination to go to, you can end up being incredibly isolated," said Jillian Olsen.
Jillian shows up once a week to help lead a sewing circle, teaching refugee women how to sew.
Sewing is important for a couple of reasons. It's a skill the women learn as part of the job training program, but it's also a way for the women to socialize and share common experiences.
Austin Davis spoke with some of the volunteers in this program. This piece was produced by Austin Davis and Kyle Norris.
Listen to the full interview above.
