Who she is:

A Russian-speaking older adult case manager and holiday project coordinator for Jewish Family Services in Overland Park.

She’s been there:

Most of Feldman’s clients are Russian-speaking immigrants seeking financial and communication assistance. They find comfort in the 28-year-old because she understands their situation. In 1992, Feldman said, she and her family came to Johnson County because of anti-Semitism in the former Soviet Union. Like her clients, they were assisted by Jewish Family Services.

“Not speaking English in this country is like being blind,” Feldman said. “It’s like being from a different planet and that’s scary. My job is to help these people overcome that frustration.”

Event planner:

Feldman also organizes holiday projects for struggling Jewish families. She coordinates food drives for Passover and gift-giving for Hanukkah.

Looking into the future:

Feldman plans on earning her masters in psychology because she wants to incorporate counseling into her current job.

Her job is the closest she will ever come to facing her homeland again, as Feldman said she has no plans to return to her native country, which is now Ukraine.

“The country I came from doesn’t exist anymore, especially now with globalization,” Feldman said. “America is my home now.”