A New Kind of Care

BRINGING CLINICAL EXPERIENCE TO VARIOUS VOLUNTEER ROLES

When Ann Farah first got involved as a volunteer at The Hope Center in 2017, she thought she would be teaching English. “I was looking for a volunteer role as I prepared for retirement.” She explains. She began in ESOL, and noticing the challenges of language learning in context, she enrolled in a graduate certificate program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from 2018 until March 2020.

The pandemic paused her volunteering plans. But after retiring in June 2024 following a 48-year career in neonatal intensive care nursing, primarily as a nurse practitioner, she returned to The Hope Center and found herself drawn to a new role. “I asked if they needed help in childcare,” she says. “I love working with young children, running around the playground since I have never quite grown up. Watching them grow, learn, and play is incredibly fulfilling. This is where the Spirit has clearly guided me to be.”

Ann Volunteering at The Hope Center’s Annual Iftar Celebration

Her training in teaching English still found its place, just not in the way she first imagined. It became part of the relationships she built with the childcare teachers. “The childcare teachers are also immigrants and refugees continuing to learn English,” she says. “We have a great bond, and they insist I work on conversation with them, trying to explain crazy English language rules.” 

For Saliha, one of the childcare teachers, that support has meant a lot. “Ann is always helping us and she is teaching us English,” she says. “In spring, she brought in plants for the kids to take care of. She’s always thinking of the kids at the Hope Center, even dropping things off for us on days she doesn’t volunteer. Her heart is so kind.”

That same trust opened the door for Ann to serve in ways related to her background in healthcare. She began supporting staff as they navigated healthcare questions. “Staff would ask me questions about what healthcare instructions mean and how to navigate the system,” she says. “I realized how simple it was for me to help, but clearly a big thing for them.”

As those conversations continued, Ann also began to notice a broader need for practical, hands-on training. “Two teachers were certified in CPR, but they said the classes went too fast for limited English speakers,” she says.

As a certified Basic Life Support and Community CPR instructor through Cleveland Clinic, Ann stepped in to help meet that need, expanding access to training for all childcare staff. As they learned together, staff encouraged one another through the process, building both skills and community in a way that reflects the Hope Center’s “unconditional welcoming and inclusiveness,” as Ann describes it.

Saliha remembers that training as one of the many ways Ann invested in the staff. “We learned an important thing from her — CPR,” she says. “She helps me with anything when I have a problem. She helps me a lot.”

Childcare Teachers Receiving CPR Training with Ann

That same approach shows up every day in her work with children, where she draws on her background. “As a neonatal nurse practitioner, we are working on better delivering trauma-informed care and understanding secondary trauma,” Ann explains. “These families deserve this care for all they have been through.”

In practice, that means learning to notice the signals of children who are struggling and adjusting her response in the moment, especially for children who may be dealing with stress. Small, shared activities often become meaningful points of connection, helping her learn what each child gravitates toward and what makes them feel seen and capable. “It's so nice finding what makes a child feel special and fulfilled,” she says.

Saliha has seen the impact of that care firsthand. “One of our kids was not talking and always sad,” she recalls. “Miss Ann worked with him and now he is part of the community. She helps the kids feel comfortable.”

For Ann, it all comes back to a sense of belonging she has found at The Hope Center, where care, learning, and community are closely intertwined. Whether she is helping a child find confidence on the playground, supporting staff through English learning, or teaching life-saving skills, she shows up ready to support and encourage.