06/10/2026
Meet Heather Oman! Heather is our amazing Executive Director and has been with HR3 for four years! See her interview below:
* What is your favorite memory at HR3?
My favorite memory is going shopping with a family from Iraq for food at Walmart. They had arrived on their own, without a resettlement agency, which is pretty unusual. But as such, they had fallen through the cracks and had no resources, including money for food. For whatever reason we hit it off and in addition to the joy of knowing they were fed, we also just had a good time laughing and talking all day. They didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Arabic, but we managed pretty well with google translate.
*why did you join HR3?
I joined HR3 because I had been involved in another organization, Their Story is Our Story, which focuses on the storytelling aspect of the refugee experience in an attempt to change the perception of refugees in America. But as I was working telling stories, I realized that I also wanted to be involved in direct action. So I googled refugees in VA, and HR3 popped up. The rest, as they say, is history.
*what is something you wish people knew about immigrants and refugees?
I wish people knew that immigrants, and refugees in particular, are good for our country. There is a lot of misinformation about immigrants, and much of it is based in fear. It’s easy to think that what we love about our neighborhood or communities can be threatened by newcomers, and people fear what they don’t understand. But refugees aren’t coming to this country to take over America, or impose their religion or culture on anybody. Refugees aren’t violent either, or dangerous criminals. They just want to live in safety, support their families, and get through the day like anybody else.
