About
"Neighbor to Neighbor was born out of the tender kindness of a child, putting himself in someone else’s shoes."
History
Neighbor to Neighbor started with a photo in a magazine by Muhammed Muheisen. My (Executive Director Andrea Cramer’s) son, who was four at the time, began asking questions: “What are refugees? How do people become refugees? How can we help?” As a family we began organizing creative, child-directed fundraisers and advocating for State-side refugee resettlement organizations. We also began to see a need for deep-rooted community experiences for refugees and immigrants in the South Bend area. Thus Neighbor to Neighbor was born out of the tender kindness of a child, putting himself in someone else’s shoes.
Mission
Our mission is to foster mutual relationships between immigrant newcomers and local community members in order to empower newcomers and engage community members through friendships, education, and advocacy.
Values
Intercultural friendships are the backbone of Neighbor to Neighbor. We build community through the art of neighboring and connecting newcomer immigrants with local community members.
We strive for Friendships that are:
- Mutual
- Hospitable, and
- Listening.
We want to help our newcomer immigrant population navigate the new set of systems that they will encounter from living in the South Bend area. This includes, but is not limited to, knowing about community events, getting a library card, understanding the tax system, writing resumes, seeking sustainable employment, learning English, and feeling comfortable in our collective home.
We also provide education to the local community through onboarding and training volunteers and hosting/promoting events to raise awareness of issues related to immigration.
We strive for Education that is:
- Nonjudgemental,
- Practical, and
- Empowering.
As Neighbor to Neighbor’s history shows, we value the passions and creativity of all—young, old, and everyone in between. We all can be part of the solution, whatever our skills and personalities. Involving everyone, even at a young age, teaches us that we can all be part of the solution, and anyone can join a movement for change.
We strive for Advocacy that is:
- Engaged,
- Focused, and
- Effective.
Meet Our Staff
Andrea
Cramer
Executive Director
Andrea Cramer is founder and executive director of Neighbor to Neighbor in South Bend, Indiana. With a background in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), she has lived and worked in Illinois, Indiana, Texas, and Michigan, where she taught English as a new language (ENL) at Malcolm X College, McLennan Community College, and in public schools.
Having experienced the gift of welcome across the country, Andrea is passionate about passing on that gift of welcome in South Bend, where she lives with her husband, David, and their two children.
Liz
Andes
Case Management
Director
Liz Andes is the Case Management Director for Neighbor to Neighbor. With 15 years of experience in social work and immigrant support, Liz most recently worked for a refugee resettlement agency in their national training unit and has also worked in higher education and hospital settings. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Indiana and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington.
Liz loves spending time outdoors, hanging out with her husband and son, and hunting for the best coffee in town. Liz moved to Goshen in 2021 and loves the community of the Michiana region. Having experienced immense hospitality from newcomers in the resettlement community throughout her career, Liz is excited to be part of Neighbor to Neighbor’s mission to welcome others to South Bend.
Lisa
Oglesbee
Program
Director
Lisa Oglesbee is the Program Director for Neighbor to Neighbor. She started working with Neighbor to Neighbor as a volunteer in 2021 and loved it so much that she came on board as a staff member in February of 2023 to assist with English support, case management, social media, and data collection. She has since also taken up the duties of a volunteer coordinator.
Lisa’s background is in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), having taught for 17 years in academic institutions of higher learning including at Indiana University, Bethel University (IN), and the University of Notre Dame.
Lisa is passionate about language, organizational systems, and connecting with people from other cultures. She has lived in South Bend since 2008 with her husband Eric and two sons and has no current plans to live anywhere else — South Bend is home and she hopes to continue to help make it a home for new neighbors.
Denisse
Aguilar
volunteer care coordinator
Denisse is the Volunteer Care Coordinator for Neighbor to Neighbor. Growing up as a Mexican immigrant in Goshen, Indiana, she experienced the challenges of navigating a new community. Those experiences inspired her commitment to ensure newcomers receive compassionate, culturally responsive care.
Prior to joining Neighbor to Neighbor, Denisse worked as a bilingual domestic violence advocate at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), where she supported survivors in processing their experiences and connected them with critical resources. Denisse has also held research positions at the University of Notre Dame focused on violence prevention, mental health, and the development of evidence-based programs that promote well-being and expand access to support services.
Denisse lives in Goshen, Indiana with her partner and their two cats, Mochi and Martini. She is excited to support Neighbor to Neighbor volunteers as they walk alongside newcomers and build meaningful connections in northern Indiana.
Meet Our Board
Daniel
Laidig
Board Member
Daniel Laidig grew up living in the Philippines and Indonesia, moving to the South Bend area in 2002 where he currently operates his family-owned business. He received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Valparaiso University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame. He is an avid supporter of the Michiana area, and in 2018 was honored to receive the distinguished 40 Under 40 award by the South Bend Chamber of Commerce. Daniel is an active member of the community and has served on a variety of non-profit boards and advisory councils over the years. He has a passion for providing opportunities to those living in our community to flourish and make Michiana a home that they love.
Joy
Lightcap
Board Member
Joy Laurent-Lightcap is a communications and education professional with a heart for social justice. She has served the community as a teacher in Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation and as a secondary teacher and restorative justice facilitator in the South Bend Community School Corporation. Currently, Joy is an Executive Master of Nonprofit Administration candidate at Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. She received her bachelor’s degree in English Education and Journalism at Bethel University. Joy is an advocate for individuals with disabilities and has been a friend of Neighbor to Neighbor since its inception. She lives in the South Bend area with her husband, Ian, and their four children.
Daniel
Nafziger
Board Member
Dan Nafziger is an infectious disease physician and Chief Medical Officer at Goshen Hospital. He grew up in Ohio and is currently a resident of Goshen. His work has included being a medical director at a church-related insurance company, Health Officer in Elkhart County and administration in health systems in addition to taking care of patients. He is pleased to work with N2N in helping people find kindness in the American experience.
Shafia
Noorzai
Board Member
Shafia Nooezai was born and raised in Afghanistan. She came to the United States with her family in 2023. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Donya University in Kabul, Afghanistan and worked for a long time as an activist for Afghan women’s rights. She received an award from the former President of Afghanistan, Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, for her advocacy for women’s rights. After moving to South Bend, Shafia began supporting Afghan refugee women in the community.
Mark
Schloneger
Board Member
Mark Schloneger is a pastor of Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship in Goshen, Indiana. He is a graduate of Goshen College, the University of Cincinnati College of Law, and Eastern Mennonite Seminary. Before becoming a pastor, Mark worked as an Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. Department of Labor and served three years in Inhambane Province, Mozambique doing community development. His experience of others’ hospitality in Mozambique has led him to volunteer for several projects and programs serving immigrants in our community.
Carolyn
Woo
Board Member
Dr. Carolyn Woo came to the United States from Hong Kong as a foreign student in 1972. Her parents immigrated from China to Hong Kong in response to the Communist takeover of China in the 1950’s. Carolyn grew up with and assisted refugees who were similarly dislocated having left family and property behind in China.
Carolyn pursued her studies at Purdue University from which she gained bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree in business and strategy. She became a faculty member at Purdue and eventually directed the Master’s programs at the business school and served as Associate Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. In 1997, she joined the University of Notre Dame as Dean of the Mendoza College of Business. In 2012 she became CEO of Catholic Relief Services.
CRS targets the most vulnerable population and serves 120 million people per year. Many of them are refugees or internally displaced people bearing the consequences of war, natural disasters, hunger or violence. She is very familiar with the challenges, interventions and successes of these populations. She has been a volunteer with Neighbor to Neighbor since 2023.
Board Members Ex Officio
Khawla Amouri
Joel
Boehner
Jennifer
Huynh
Samantha Musleh
Marianne
Surges
Shaban
Varajab
- 98 newcomers welcomed
- 83 dedicated volunteers
- 14 active Welcome Teams
- Our biggest fundraising year in N2N history
- 65% of donations came from individuals like you
