In this excellent episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in the studio by Reem Zubaidi, the co-facilitator of the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition. Made up of 12 member organizations serving a variety of refugee communities, the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition aims to address gaps for refugees and new immigrants.

Hear Reem talk about some of the biggest gaps in refugee communities like lack of health services, lack of trust between refugee patients and health providers, and the language and cultural barriers that hinder daily life. The coalition aims to address these issues with community health workers who, due to their experiences as members of the refugee and immigrant communities, are able to reach more people and become advocates for others within their community.

Reem was inspired by her grandparents who were refugees as well as the inequalities that she saw for those around her. While she initially wanted to work in environmental journalism, she realized that a lot of environmental issues were heavily connected with and most strongly affecting refugee communities. Reem recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for these issues and continues to actively work on improving conditions and providing services.

An excellent episode on filling gaps in the community with Reem Zubaidi. Here are some other takeaways from the interview:

• The gaps that the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition aims to close
• How language and culture misunderstandings make it hard for refugees when navigating the healthcare system
• How Reem got involved with the Coalition
• What the Coalition is currently working on and Reems wishlist for the future of the Coalition
• The answer to the rapid-fire questions

An excellent interview from a passionate gap minder. Thank you, Reem, for your contributions in San Diego, and for joining us on The Gap Minders.

Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show.

If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.

To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.