2007

(1) Name, Title, Company/Location and AGE
Dennis Morgan, Employment Specialist, Catholic Charities Migration and
Refugee Services. 36

(2) Best thing about my job:
Seeing people change as they become vested in their employment. I see
everyday people begin finally to put some normalcy in their lives.
Sometime we forget how important work is in that process. My clients
come from four different continents. They come with a broad spectrum of
abilities and skills. I've seen people succeed over and over. Each
client is an individual and seeks different things, but it is very
satisfying to see them create a stable environment for many times the
first time in their lives.

(3) Biggest challenge:
Finding opportunities. As a small office we are always looking for new
relationships. Finding jobs never gets easy. It is not easy for anyone
to find opportunities. Each relationship is important in my work; you
never know where things will lead.

(4) Biggest surprise:
We are a charity organization, but our refugee clients are highly
marketable in the Cleveland area and all placements are win-win
situations and not charity.

(5) I worry about:
Keeping lines of communication open with employers and responding to
their needs. When problems do rarely develop it is usually more to do
with confusion than malice. Keeping open lines of communication is what
I worry about most. Many employers appreciate having someone to call
who knows there employee and can offer practical advice and support.

(6) Most important lesson learned:
The key to refugee employment and life is positive momentum. Thing will
go wrong, but if things are going in a positive direction there is
always the chance for the miraculous.

(7) Best advice I ever got:
The best way I can serve my clients is to do my job. It is impossible
to hide my mistakes. If my clients can't work they can't pay their rent
and that is simply unsustainable. Employment is the critical element of
refugee resettlement. Real-estate agents say "location, location,
location." Resettlement workers mantra is "employment, employment,
employment.

(8) When the going gets tough I:
Re-double efforts to head in a positive direction. I try not to
overreact to difficulties or victories. Working for the Catholic Church
we tend to take a longer view of things. My job entails specifically
getting refugees to avoid public assistance. My strategy is to find
work places that people are genuinely happy to be at. If no one is
happy working somewhere, my clients will face the same difficulties.

(9) For relaxation I:
Spend time with my family and volunteer in the community. I'd rather be
going 30 mph either down a hill or across the water on skis. Also I
have found Yoga has helped me stay in one piece as I get older. I try
to read and write as much as I can. I have stories for a couple books
from this job.

(10) What I'm doing 10 years from now:
Moving in a positive direction. I will be working with people and not
numbers. I enjoy work on the frontlines. I will be working with
refugees in some capacity or another field under the catch all of
Sustainable Development. I graduated from the Urban School at CSU and
really see all of our difficulties and possibilities as a community
under that category. Even the Cuyahoga county commissioners have been
talking about a green city on a blue lake. I am happy to see my
community moving in a positive direction and I know that my clients are
actively contributing.

(11) Parting shot (please add anything you'd like here):
Having worked with well over 500 refugees that last three years,
my works offers unique retirement benefits; I am very interested to see
what the next 40 years brings my clients and their new home here in
Cleveland. I often imagine running into a former client 30 or 40 years
down the road.