02 Jan 2007 - Bonnie Brownsberger has worked as the account technician at the International Rescue Committee’s Atlanta Resettlement Office for the past six-and-a-half years. Bonnie also shares her expertise in financial management with organizations created by and for refugees through IRC's Project SOAR program. She talks about her technical assistance experiences and her thoughts about being a field adviser for Project SOAR.
How did you become interested in working with refugees?
I had been working in the accounting field, both in nonprofit and private accounting, and was looking for a nonprofit accounting job. At the time I had no knowledge of refugee issues, but I saw the IRC position and decided to apply. Working at IRC has changed my world. I’m able to spread the message to other Americans who know nothing about refugees and I really enjoy that part of what I do. I feel very fortunate to be with IRC.
Which community based organizations have you worked with through Project SOAR?
I’ve worked with three organizations: Vietnamese-American Civic Association in Dorchester, MA, Boat People SOS in Atlanta, GA, and Goodwill Industries, also in Atlanta. In each case I helped the organizations with their financial management systems.
What has the experience been like for you?
Seeing other organizations with the same sort of mission as IRC and seeing how they operate is very interesting.
You’ve visited three organizations running different projects. Were there any similarities or differences that struck you among them?
In every organization I’ve visited, I’ve noticed their commitment to their mission. I also realize that there is a great demand for what we do. People work with such limited resources and I see the concern on people’s faces. There is so much that they want to do, and they are doing the best they can with limited resources.
Do you have a favorite memory of your work?
For me, it’s the satisfaction I get from working with the organizations. I’m an encourager! When I can encourage someone else and help them become successful – that’s the most rewarding feeling. All the organizations we work with have questions about some part of their work and they want to talk to someone with a little more experience to help them gain confidence in what they’re doing. When I visited Boat People SOS to help them prepare for a monitoring visit from their donor, they had never experienced a monitoring visit before and were a little anxious about it. When I left, they felt much more confident about what would happen. That’s an encouragement for me.
