Long-time volunteer at World Life Institute stays committed to helping others

Photo by Ginny Kropf: Shareefah Sabur has been active with World Life Institute since its founding in the late 1980s.

MEDINA – A new health professional at World Life Institute, based at 229 West Center St., has taken on the cause of helping Ahmed Cherif, age 10, who came from Tunisia with his mother seeking care for multiple health problems.

Shareefah Sabur, a native of Cleveland who moved to Medina last year, helped plan the event on Sept. 13 at the Medina YMCA.

Sabur has been on the board of World Life Institute and worked on its founding since 1988-89. She brings a background in healthcare and 23 years with Hospice, she said. She is also responsible for a Leadership Development Program for youth up to 18 years of age, to help them develop personally and professionally.

“I’m all about quality of life,” she said.

Her credits include a master’s degree in psychology, working with post-traumatic stress disorder. She also leads an online women’s group, “Reimagining Aging Embracing Elderly,” and worked with the late Dr. Asaf Durakovic, founder of the World Life Institute.

After arriving in Medina, Sabur was assigned to work with young Ahmed and his mother Miriam,  said Linda Redfield, program director for World Life Institute Education and Humanitarian Initiatives.

Sabur has helped the family navigate the health care system, enroll Ahmed in school, go shopping and do banking.