"Because they're awesome."

The following is an interview with Cat Gossman, a current intern with CRIS.  She first started volunteering by co-sponsoring an Iraqi family in August 2008.  She has maintained the relationship and still visits with them on a weekly basis.  Cat is also pursuing her Masters of Social Work from Ohio State University and plans to graduate in June 2011.Allison Raygor: Why did you decide to co-sponsor?Cat Gossman: I was about to graduate with my bachelors and I wanted to find somewhere to volunteer my time.  I knew that I wanted to work with internationals and CRIS seemed like the place to do it.  I ended up co-sponsoring in part because that is what Charis suggested during my volunteer interview. And I think she suggested that because I said I wanted to interact with people.  I had been studying Arabic I wanted to use it.  I don’t know, it just sounded appealing.AR: What was your first impression of the family?CG: My first impression was cool.  I think as I got there, as I was approaching their apartment, I felt really anxious because I was going to hang out with strangers and that is kind of weird.  And then when I walked in, they were Skyping with their family back in Iraq and it was just, really loud, and exciting, and chaotic, and overwhelming.  But then [the father] looked at me and said, “Welcome to the family” and then they made me sit down in front of the computer and meet their relatives and that was fun, it was exciting.  So my first impression was a positive impression. I felt welcomed and accepted.AR: What do you do with the family on your weekly visits?CG: We do the kids’ homework, we usually play games, read books, if it’s nice outside we’ll go to a park, or the library. And then just whatever else they need help with.  Sometimes I'll help the parents with English, or help them figure out the phone bill, doctor’s bills, just small, everyday stuff.AR: What is your favorite part of cosponsoring?CG: The family.AR: Why?CG: Because they’re awesome. Because what takes three to five hours of my week has an obvious lasting and positive impact on their life.AR: What sort of impact do you think you’ve made on the family?CG: I think that I’ve just had the opportunity to be a good friend to them.AR: What changes have you seen in them since you met them?CG: Their English abilities, for the kids especially.  Their school related discipline has increased, where they used to be unable to sit down for two minutes and focus on their homework, they can now and they are excited to ask questions and learn.  I think, too, just having them understand different cultures, helping them understand the middle class American culture that I grew up in compared to a lower class American culture that they’re surrounded by compared to, you know, the several other cultures they experience at school.  I feel like that’s something we talk about a lot.AR: Have you ever encountered any awkward situations with them?CG: Some, but not too many.  Earlier this year their teenage daughter came home from school with a permission slip for a sex-ed class so the family was asking me what it was about and if she should be allowed to go. And I had to explain that it wasn’t just a health class but that it was a specific kind of health class which the daughter, the teenager, knew, but didn’t want her parents to know, so that she would be allowed to go.  But they didn’t let her. At this point though, I don’t feel like anything is that awkward because they are like my family.AR: Have you introduced anyone else to them?CG: Yeah.  Every year I have them over for Thanksgiving with all my friends, we do an “orphan Thanksgiving”…  Sometimes I take people with me to visit them.  I used to do that more, but then the kids would start to get attached to certain people and that didn’t work out because some of my friends wouldn’t be able come back for some reason or another.  I’ve brought them to some of my family stuff, too.  Usually if we go to a park or roller-skating or the conservatory or the zoo or somewhere like that I'll invite most of my friends to come too, so there are usually quite a few people milling around.AR: What have you learned through this experience?CG: I’ve learned a lot about their culture. And specifically, a lot about remaining committed despite feeling stretched or feeling like I don’t have time to go hang out with them.  When I think about how sad the kids are on the weeks I can’t come, I don’t like to do that to them.AR: What do you wish you had known before you started?CG: I don’t know, I think it’s really advantageous that I didn’t know a whole lot about the family specifically, or even about what CRIS did at the time because I think I would have had weird, or different, expectations.  So I think that not having any knowledge about what to expect was helpful. For just being available for whatever they needed and not limiting my role in their life to what I thought it was supposed to look like.AR: What would you say to anyone considering co-sponsorship?CS: I would say do it! [pause] Do I have to say more than that? [laughs] You know, like I said, what takes us a couple hours a week, a couple weeks out of the year, has an impact that is multiplied significantly in the lives of people that are in need, which is good for them and good for you, you who are considering cosponsoring.