The Shriver Report – Eleni Refu
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Eleni Refu

Shriver Development Fellow, AmeriCorps VISTA

Washington, DC

In her role as a Development Fellow at LIFT-DC, Eleni works to build the capacity of the organization through grant writing, prospect research, donor outreach, and building social media awareness.

I LIFT because I know firsthand what a difference it can make. I LIFT because I also want others to experience the empowering feeling that comes when someone believes in them.  I LIFT because those who upLIFTed me entrusted me with the responsibility to pay it forward.   I LIFT because I don’t believe anyone deserves to struggle.

Prior to LIFT-DC, Eleni worked as an Intern at The Teff Company, where she assisted in the daily operations of the company. This included responsibilities like customer relations, translating for the majority Ethiopian customer base, helping to coordinate shipments, and managing communications. Although having primarily grown up in Boise, Idaho, Eleni was drawn to the DC area after attending The University of Rochester, where in 2013, she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She credits the summers spent volunteering at various refugee agencies in her hometown, as well as her own family’s experience of immigrating to the US from Ethiopia, to the path that led her to work at LIFT-DC.

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