Who We Are

At Water for Ishmael, members of churches from multiple traditions and denominations across the wider Toledo area love their international neighbor with their time and gifts. Church members volunteer to teach classes to internationals, to aid teachers in the classroom, and to drive internationals to classes, among other forms of volunteering. Pastors join Water for Ishmael staff in prayer for the work of the local church. Churches give freely in love from their missions budgets to support internationals through Water for Ishmael.

Because we have been loved so greatly, we are freed and invited to love our neighbor as ourselves. Internationals are our neighbors. We want all internationals to know that God loves them, sees them, and cares for their needs. Our very name comes from Genesis 21, where God saw the plight of Hagar and her son Ishmael, who had been cast out of Abraham’s house, and God provided water for the boy Ishmael. We share the hope and love of Jesus with internationals through word and deed, sharing stories with our clients from God’s Word, practicing culturally sensitive evangelism, engaging in spiritual conversations, and also providing a quality English education, childcare, hospitality, and community to those we serve.

Water for Ishmael serves internationals from six weeks old through the elderly. Even students who have no reading and writing skills in their native language can begin their journey to English proficiency at Water for Ishmael and progress through multiple levels of English education. For those seeking to enter the workforce, Water for Ishmael offers English for vocational purposes. For international children, Water for Ishmael offers infant, toddler, and preschool classes that will help children prepare for kindergarten in the United States. For school-age international students, Water for Ishmael offers homework help. Water for Ishmaels helps internationals become U.S. citizens, learn how to earn a driver’s license and how to vote, prepares internationals to advocate for themselves and their families in education and healthcare, and helps internationals access social services with confidence.