Our Beginnings: A History of the Organization
In the Spring of 2006, Rachel Humphries was involved in teaching English as a Second Language with Central Piedmont Community College to a group of recently arrived Montagnard refugees at an apartment complex in East Charlotte. Lauren Moore, prompted by a mutual friend, came to assist Rachel one morning. She never left.
As time progressed, Rachel and Lauren came to love the refugee population. It also became important to them to educate other Americans about the refugee situation in Charlotte, and to share with the American community the wonderful joy there is in knowing and working with these individuals.
In the Fall of 2006, Refugee Support Services was founded, and has continued to grow and evolve; all the while, maintaining as its vision the empowerment and education of the refugee community, the connection and facilitation of friendships between refugees and other Charlotteans, and the education of the American community.
The experience has been an incredible one as RSS, Inc. has witnessed strong bonds formed through the Fruitful Friendships program. RSS, Inc. is truly indebted to its volunteers, who have been the heart behind all the organization's efforts, and there is growing excitement about what the future will bring for the well-being of refugees in our community.
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Rachel Humphries taught English as a Second Language for 15 years, spending four years teaching within the refugee population. She has worked with disadvantaged communities for over 20 years. Rachel received her BS and BA from UNC-Chapel Hill and studied in Salamanca, Spain. Rachel enjoys gardening, traveling and playing volleyball with her family.
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Lauren Moore received her BA in Spanish from Queens University at Charlotte. She is interested in Human Rights and International Community Development and plans to pursue those topics both in the U.S. and abroad. Lauren has studied in Lima, Peru and worked among Lima's threatened communities. Lauren enjoys reading, learning new languages, and traveling. Lauren currently lives in Wilmington, NC.
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