Friends talk about what brought them to Elgin. Joan began the English as a Second Language program at the YWCA in 1972, earning many grants for this quickly expanding program. Ruth met Joan through this program when she volunteered for three years and taught English to Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian immigrants at the YWCA, apartment complexes, and churches. During this time, Elgin was part of a refugee program which provided support to political refugees. Joan and Ruth were instrumental in many of these programs and met many inspiring people during this time.