Meet Abed

If you met Abed, you’d be surprised he’s barely been in the United States for two years. He clearly loves to tell his story and speaks English with ease. Recently, Abed has started to pick up some Spanish, but says it can be difficult because people speak so quickly.

He credits some of his impressive English fluency to the customers at Urban Greens (our local grocery co-op), where he’s been sampling granola every week. “They ask a lot of questions,” he says, “and I’ll answer anything they want to know!” Abed is also a fitness nut and loves telling people about our ingredients, especially the high protein content. He says he always has a bar with him for a post-workout snack.

Abed grew up in Tripoli, Lebanon, but is originally from Syria. In 2023, he came to the United States with his parents. His two brothers are still in Syria. For Abed, there is no doubt that he wants to stay in Rhode Island, not just for the beach—which, in true RI fashion, is his favorite go-to place—but because he sees opportunity everywhere.

Even though he only finished two years of primary school, he has managed to find a full-time job, make friends, and just bought a car.

Abed recently graduated from our farmers market program, and is now seeking extra work to save for his GED and commercial driver's license. He hopes to return to Beautiful Day next spring to work at the markets and help new trainees feel comfortable.