Christian Woman Provides Jewelry Jobs For Female Refugees

Election coverage is currently dominating the airwaves, and with it has come an influx of anti-refugee and anti-Muslim discourse. But some business owners are taking pivotal steps to combat the harmful rhetoric. According to the latest McKinsey survey, we know that more than 50% of corporate executives consider the management of social and governance issues to be highly important, but when it comes to smaller businesses, these efforts can be harder to measure.

That’s why business owners like Meredith Lockhart are making such an impact. At the age of 27, Lockhart started her own business, Meltgoods, with the mission of employing female refugees in the Dallas, Texas area. Lockhart says that after engaging with local refugee groups, she discovered that the one thing these women need most are jobs. She not only wants to provide steady employment for these women, she also wants to help them become empowered as a result.

Lockhart adds that her disappointment in the current political climate motivated her to start a business with this unique mission. A devout Christian, Lockhart wanted to do her part to counteract a dangerous narrative that paints refugees as the enemy.
“That’s not how my God wants the world,” Lockhart says. “We’re called on to be like him and that means helping one another.”
Still in its infancy, Meltgoods currently employs two female refugees who make beautiful jewelry by hand. The women, both of the Muslim faith, are able to work from home — a fact Lockhart says is perfectly suited for those who may be overwhelmed by their new surroundings or who experience problems with a language barrier.

One of Lockhart’s two employees, an Iraqi refugee named Huda Altaie, moved to Dallas with her family two years ago. Before leaving Iraq, Altaie worked as a civil engineer. Upon moving to Dallas, she had feared that her family would be entering a hostile environment. Instead, she says that the people she’s met in Texas have been welcoming and kind.
Although Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants to keep all Muslim refugees from entering the U.S., Altaie says that the majority of those she’s come into contact with don’t share his views. In fact, she states that there have been far more “Lockharts” than “Trumps” — people who are willing to help those in need.

Lockhart and Altaie have forged a friendship and are eager to learn more about each others’ cultural backgrounds.

“The more I get to know this community, I see that they are hard workers and are so loyal to America,” says Lockhart. “Refugees are so thankful to be here, and I am so thankful to have them.”

Lockhart hopes to eventually expand her business and employ more refugees. She also urges her fellow Christians to open their hearts to refugees.
“There are people in my own backyard who may never have heard or seen the love of Christ if they did not move to America … I will show them the love and acceptance of Jesus Christ; it starts with me and all Christians loving and accepting them.”