"I had to leave within two or three days of my wedding," Fikremariam recalls. "I had no choice but to leave."
Forced to flee Ethiopia because he feared for his life, Fikermariam arrived in the United States alone, without family, and uncertain of what would come next.
Today, Fikremariam helps refugees, asylees, and other newcomers find employment and rebuild their lives as an employment coordinator at Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA). He understands the uncertainty, fear, and hope his clients carry because he once carried those same feelings.
One of LSSNCA's greatest strengths is the lived experience many staff members bring to their work. That shared experience helps build trust, compassion, and understanding from the very first conversation.
"When I first arrived in 2005, i went to a one-stop resettlement center in Silver Spring. Everything was available under one roof. Schools were very involved, housing was accessible, and the city was welcoming," Fikeremariam said.
Today, he says, newcomers face a very different reality.
"Now all my clients are confused, scared about their status, and uncertain about their future. There is so much anxiety. They come to me for help, and it is heartbreaking to know that sometimes I can't do much."
He remembers a recent client who brought a friend after she had been evicted.
"Years ago, I could have called the appropriate agencies and connected her to resources. Now, sometimes the best I can do is direct someone to a food bank."
Another client — a single mother from the Democratic Republic of the Congo raising five children — secured a full-time housekeeping job through LSSNCA, only to lose food assistance and Medicaid.
"She got a job paying $15 an hour as a housekeeper. She's a hard worker," he says. "Then her food assistance and Medicaid were cut. How is she expected to survive?"
He has watched food banks, faith communities, and local organizations work tirelessly to fill the widening gaps left from reductions in government funding.
"Churches are mobilizing to extend a helping hand," he says. "We're relying on food banks and community organizations to help people."
As an employment coordinator, he also sees another challenge unfold every day: highly skilled professionals struggling to continue the careers they spent years building.
"I have a client who is a neurologist from Russia working as a delivery driver. Another has a software engineering degree and is also working as a driver. The brain drain is hard to see. It is such a waste of years of practical experience. These are fields the U.S. needs."
Fikermariam’s empathy comes from his own lived experience.
Five months after arriving in the United States and receiving asylum, Fikremariam turned to LSSNCA for employment assistance.
"I had no family here. A priest told me about LSSNCA, so I came looking for employment services," he says. "A woman named Emily sat down with me. I came to get help finding any job, but she thought I would be a good fit for an opening as an employment coordinator at LSSNCA."
That opportunity launched a career dedicated to helping others rebuild their lives.
After three years at LSSNCA, Fikremariam spent the next decade at another resettlement agency, managing programs in resettlement, employment, youth health, and extended case management.
"I led programs serving more than 9,000 refugees in Baltimore," he says. "It taught me how important a holistic approach is to helping newcomers integrate as quickly and successfully as possible."
He also fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening an Ethiopian restaurant in Baltimore. For 10 years, the restaurant served the community until it was destroyed by fire in 2024.
"I lost everything," he says. "After 10 years of running the restaurant, I had to press the reset button."
Returning to nonprofit work proved more difficult than expected.
"When I decided to go back to work, I couldn't because the new administration had taken office, and many resettlement agencies were facing budget constraints."
His path ultimately brought him back to LSSNCA where he had always enjoyed serving new neighbors.
Despite everything he has experienced, Fikremariam remains hopeful.
"This country gave me a peaceful life," he says. "It gave me my freedom. I cannot imagine where I would be if I hadn't been given the opportunity to come here in 2005."
He believes newcomers continue to strengthen the communities they join when they are given the opportunity.
"We might need a little help in the first three months," he says. "Then we become self-reliant. We revitalize the economy. We contribute to the culture."
As we mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Fikremariam's story reminds us what is possible when the United States honors its commitment to protecting people forced to flee persecution. For decades, our nation led the world by offering refuge, opportunity, and the chance to rebuild. Today, as that commitment is increasingly tested, LSSNCA remains undeterred in supporting refugees and other newcomers find safety, stability, and the opportunity to thrive.
You can help ensure that welcome endures Support LSSNCA's work to provide employment services, family support, and critical resources that empower newcomers — and strengthen our communities. Together, we can honor the promise of the Refugee Convention not only by remembering its legacy, but by living its values.
