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Francisco Riascos, of Colombia, chops lettuce in the kitchen at DU Dining.

As a group of refugees entered the 91����Ƶ’s dining hall last fall, they weren’t just clocking into work for orientation and their first shifts.

Thanks to a partnership between Sodexo—DU’s food service provider—and nonprofit , the workers were embarking on a journey of opportunity, connection, and a chance to shape their futures.

Sodexo’s partnership with JFS is the first of its kind in this region of the country, says Whitney Couzens, Sodexo’s director of operations and marketing,

In addition to providing a wide range of community resources and services, JFS partners with Denver metro-area businesses and organizations to connect them with qualified job candidates, including U.S. work-authorized refugees.

Refugees, according to the UN Refugee Agency, are “people who have fled their countries to escape conflict, violence, or persecution and have sought safety in another country.” JFS has worked with refugees from Afghanistan, Colombia, Ukraine, Burma, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Iran, Sudan, and Iraq, among other countries.

“Work is, in many ways, their introduction to American people, American culture, and American life,” says Lilia Anderson, JFS career services program coordinator. “Having that introduction be at a university is, in and of itself, really awesome—and at a welcoming and kind place—is imperative for success.”

During orientation at DU last fall, 12 workers received food safety and other training, with translator assistance. The refugees began their work in the dining hall as dishwashers until they became more comfortable interacting and communicating with students.

Since then, many have been promoted to front-of-house positions, and one worker has even become a cook, Couzens says.

“A lot of our workers have loved creating relationships with the students, and creating those bonds help them learn English,” Couzens says.��

“One of my very favorite things to see when I walk into the dining hall is a front-of-house attendant named Kasim who has special handshakes with students,” she adds.

Anderson says when clients feel empowered in their jobs, it amplifies the success of all the other resources that JFS provides.

“It helps them learn English faster, it helps them access community resources better because they have more confidence to speak and ask questions,” Anderson says. “It makes them more active in their kids’ school, because they are confident to speak with teachers, and they have more income, and so they can buy their kids the things they want and need.”

Some of the benefits of hiring refugees include their high level of motivation and loyalty, increasing cultural diversity in the workplace, and bringing on individuals with a multifaceted skill set, says JFS Business Development Specialist Kristen St. Peter.

Sodexo’s partnership with JFS at DU is two-fold: It provides opportunities to refugees and exemplifies to students the importance of hard work while introducing them to different cultures and life experiences.

“It shows students that hard work is important no matter how old you are, no matter where you come from. Not everybody has the privilege of getting an education like we have here in the United States, so it's positive for both the students and the refugees,” Couzens says.