Amaanah Refugee Services is excited to welcome Jake Love as a member of its newly formed committees, where he will play a key role in supporting refugees and recent immigrants in their journey toward building better lives in the United States. Love’s decision to join Amaanah comes from a deeply personal place and is inspired by his family’s experience with his brother, Omar, who was a refugee from Ghana.
“It was the mission Amaanah is working to achieve that motivated me to get involved,” Love explained. “My brother Omar was a refugee, and my family adopted him. Seeing that process play out, I fully understand what support can do for a refugee. Now, my brother is thriving. He’s a business owner and gives back to the same community he came from.”
Love’s journey with his brother has given him a unique perspective on the importance of organizations like Amaanah and their work in helping refugees build happy and productive lives in America. His personal connection to this cause, combined with his years of experience working with charities and his business acumen, makes him an invaluable addition to Amaanah’s committee.
“What I love and align with is that Amaanah’s goal is simple: to support refugees in their effort to build productive and happy lives in America,” Love added. “I’m excited to continue helping these communities!”
As an active participant in both business and charity work over the last nine years, Love brings a wealth of experience to the table. He describes himself as incredibly organized, quick to respond, and a big thinker—qualities that he believes will help him contribute effectively to the committee.
“I feel like I can offer a lot of ideas on how we can better serve our community. I have no problem taking control of situations, and I believe that with my organizational skills, we can accomplish even more,” he said.
Love is also very familiar with the challenges faced by refugees, having been directly involved in helping his brother navigate the complex journey to becoming a successful, integrated member of American society. His work as a soccer coach for refugee youth has further exposed him to the struggles that refugees face on a daily basis. However, instead of just sympathizing with their situation, Love is driven by a desire to take action.
“Having a brother who was a refugee, and my experience leading a soccer team of refugees, I hear a lot about what these people go through. Instead of sympathizing, I prefer action. That’s why I feel called to be here with Amaanah,” Love said.
When it comes to his work on the committee, Love is focused on creating lasting, impactful change. His primary goal is to increase Amaanah’s presence in the community, organizing more events and initiatives to reach a broader audience. He points to the large number of refugees arriving in Houston each year—around 2,700—and emphasizes that there is still much work to be done to ensure all refugees receive the support they need.
“There’s a bunch I’d like to help with, but the biggest one is creating a greater impact in the community. More events, more people, more outreach. With the number of refugees placed in Houston every year, we have a lot of work to do,” Love explained.
Love sees two areas where the committee can make the biggest impact on Amaanah’s programs and initiatives: volunteer recruitment and more structured events. He’s especially excited about the potential of Amaanah’s Ambassador program, which focuses on engaging volunteers to support the organization’s initiatives.
“Volunteers are crucial, and that’s why I’m excited about the Ambassador program. I also believe more structured events will create a larger impact on the community. We’ve had great support from our community raising money, but now, it’s time to see how many lives we can impact together,” Love said.
As for what he’s most passionate about in Amaanah’s work, Love thrives on turning ideas into reality, especially when it comes to organizing and executing events. His excitement about helping on the back-end and planning give-back events reflects his dedication to seeing Amaanah’s goals come to fruition.
“I love helping with more of the back-end materials. Organizing, game-planning, turning a vision into reality—that’s what I’m most excited about. Let’s set a goal, achieve it, and do it again!” Love said with enthusiasm.
Jake Love’s personal connection to the refugee experience and his passion for action-driven results make him a perfect fit for Amaanah’s committee. With his fresh ideas, business expertise, and commitment to making a difference, Amaanah is well-positioned to continue its impactful work in helping refugees thrive in their new home.
"Now it’s time to see how many lives we can impact together." Jake Love, Amaanah Committee Member
Amaanah Refugee Services is proud to announce the launch of the Amaanah Ambassadors Program, an exciting initiative designed to empower dedicated volunteers to take on leadership roles within the organization’s various volunteer programs.
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