Tradition Never Graduates - Janelle (Yeager) Metzger ‘84

Published: July 31, 2023

Janelle (Yeager) Metzger ’84 has been the Executive Director at Water for Ishmael in Toledo for more than 16 years – but it’s a role she never expected to hold. “This was never my plan – but it was always God’s plan,” laughs Janelle. 

Early in her career, Janelle taught high school French and English classes. She also taught ESL (English as a Second Language) classes at the bilingual school in Kuwait that her children attended while the family lived in the Middle East during the 1990s and very early 2000s. 

They briefly returned to the States, and Janelle earned her master’s degree in linguistics at the University of Toledo. She had planned to return to Kuwait with her family, and to continue living and teaching there indefinitely. But, as Janelle says, “God had other plans” – and she and her family found themselves back in Toledo.  

At that time, there was a group of people in Toledo who had come together to support and assist the immigrant community in a much more complete way than was being done. “But they really didn’t know what to do, or where to begin – so they just came together and prayed,” recalls Janelle. 

As it turned out, Janelle would be the answer to their prayers. “I met with this group, which was the very beginnings of Water for Ishmael, and they asked for my help both because I could speak Arabic and because they believed I could help reach the community of internationals in Toledo.”

What started as this prayer group in 2001, and evolved to English classes for women around Janelle’s dining room table in 2003, has become an organization that builds a welcoming community for Toledo area internationals, sharing the hope and love of Jesus, and empowering their success. In 2022, Water for Ishmael staff and volunteers served more than 166 people from 20 countries. The organization is fully funded through private donations and grants.

Water for Ishmael offers several ESL classes, including the American School for Women – made up of six levels of English for women, taught by women. “This program was completely inspired by Notre Dame Academy – and the importance and benefit of women-only education,” explains Janelle. “Women – and Islamic women in particular – need to find and practice their voice, especially to learn a new language.”

WFI also provides American School Evenings – employment-focused English for both men and women – and the American School for Children, which helps dual language learners under age 5 prepare for kindergarten. One of the newest programs available is English for a Specific Purpose, which focuses on developing vocabulary for a specific job or field. 

WFI is celebrating 20 years of serving the international community in Toledo, and Janelle has her sights set on the future. “There is so much more we can do. One area where there’s a real need is providing legal assistance that is specific to the needs of immigrants. The amount of resources available doesn’t nearly match the need,” she shares. 

To learn more about Water for Ishmael, including the many volunteer opportunities and ways to support the organization, please visit https://waterforishmael.org/get-involved/.