In 2016, Deb was diagnosed with throat cancer. Her diagnosis was stage 4, and the surgeries changed her life. She lost her voice and now breathes through a hole in her neck. Deb went through daily radiation and weekly chemo, working through her recovery until she was fired. “My cancer…...
Mhra Moe and her American Dreams
In 2014, the United States welcomed almost 70,000 refugees. People from many different countries arrived that year, but the leading countries of origin were Iraq, Burma, Somalia, and Bhutan. One of these refugees was Mhra Moe, who came to Pittsburgh from Burma after living in Malaysia for several years. “From…...
Meet Bhola, Employee with Close Family Ties to SHIM
SHIM feels like one big family, and often we are connected to family members through various programs and services. You may remember reading about Youth Mentoring graduate Ritika, who recently graduated from Villanova and is now attending medical school. Now, we’re featuring her dad Bhola, who is a Community Aide…...
Bhim’s Story
Growing up in Southern Bhutan, Bhim lived with his parents and his father’s parents in a farming community. Bhim’s father was a village representative and helped share messages from the government with members of his community. They had a large amount of land- farming rice and vegetables in the flat…...
Achol’s Story
In celebration of National Mentoring Month, we caught up with former Youth Mentoring student Achol. Now in her senior year studying molecular and cellular biology at Kent State University, Achol remains grateful for the impact the mentoring program had on her life. Achol moved to Pittsburgh with her mother and…...
From Turkey to Pittsburgh- Part 3
Our story of Enise’s journey to Pittsburgh continues with her introduction to SHIM programs. (Read PART 1 and PART 2 first.) The support Enise received at SHIM empowered her to achieve her own dreams. While Enise’s younger children were enrolled in SHIM’s Home Visiting program, their teacher Lori encouraged her…...