Feb 24, 2022
Our guests this month are Noha Kolkailah and Morgan Boyd, both volunteers with a brand new non-profit called SLO4HOME. Morgan and Noha are two of at least 100 other volunteers who have begun a long journey to create an organization and a plan to welcome and help settle several Afghan families in SLO County communities. The United States government made a promise to Afghan men and women who assisted us during our 20 year mission in their country. Now it’s time to honor our word, and through their involvement with SLO4HOME, Noha and Morgan are helping us do that very thing. We hope our listeners will be excited to learn about SLO4HOME, and perhaps be motivated to lend a hand in this community-wide journey to welcome our new neighbors.
RELEVANT LINKS
- PFJ
- Islamophobia
- SLO Diversity Coalition (Website and Episode 1/25/22 recording)
- Mosque of Nasreen (San Luis Obispo)
- Church World Service (Faith Based Resettlement Agency)
- SLO4HOME
- Cal Poly Farmer Experiential Education and Development Training Program (FEED)
MORE ABOUT OUR GUESTS
Noha Kolkailah
Noha Kolkailah was born in Cairo Egypt and raised in California. After starting a summer school for children in Hawaii at age sixteen, her love for children moved her in the direction of becoming a teacher. She attained a bachelor’s in Biochemistry, her teaching credentials, and a master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from Cal Poly State University.
In 2015, Noha took on the role of Vice Principal at Mission College Prep Catholic High School and founded the Peace Academy of the Sciences and Arts shortly thereafter. With a group of diverse thinkers and a common language of core human values, the Peace Academy fosters an enriching culture and climate for children with a focus on self-awareness, global citizenship, social justice, and environmental stewardship.
On behalf of SLO’s Muslim community, Noha was awarded the David Conn Diversity Advancement award by the Jewish Community Center. She received this award for leading the efforts put forth towards intercultural exchange with the 2017 “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor” event attended by 800 people. Noha also served on SLO Coastal School District’s Common Ground Task Force. In 2020, Noha was one of the six women honored by Congressman Salud Carbajal as a Congressional Woman of the Year after which she took part in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force to develop a set of recommendations for a more welcoming SLO community. Currently, Noha works for Santa Maria Bonita’s 21 schools as a Culture and Climate Coordinator, a new and innovative capacity to fulfill for the district.
Morgan Q. Boyd
Mr. Boyd is a native of the Central Coast where he grew up working on his family’s sustainable farm in Arroyo Grande. He is a Cal Poly graduate with a master’s degree in Public Policy where his primary research focused on the causality of Veteran unemployment and underemployment. During his tenure at Cal Poly as a Program Manager and Instructor, Mr. Boyd was responsible for the development of Cal Poly’s Farmer Experiential Education and Development Training Program (FEED), which focused on training Veterans in sustainable agricultural practices.
During his 12-year military career he obtained the rank of Captain, served as Platoon Leader, Company Commander and Regimental Assistant Intelligence Officer. He was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan serving as a Cavalry Trooper conducting reconnaissance operations.
Mr. Boyd has served in the County’s Health Agency as the Administrative Services Officer of the County Jail Medical Clinic and most recently as a Program Manager for Adult Drug Court program and as a unit supervisor Drug & Alcohol Services’ drug testing program. Mr. Boyd currently serves his community as the San Luis Obispo County Veteran Services Officer and has been involved in the evacuation of Afghan refugees since the fall of Afghanistan last summer.
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People of Faith for Justice is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
CREDITS
The People of Faith for Justice Podcast is produced and edited by Jeff Manildi
Music for the People of Faith for Justice Podcast is provided by Andrew Gorman