AFGHANISTAN CAN EXPECT TO SEE
HELPING HANDS IN WISCONSIN FROM
PLACES AND PEOPLE LIKE IN THE
CITY OF OSHKOSH, WHICH IS SECOND
ONLY TO MILWAUKEE IN THE NUMBER
OF RESIDENTS WITH REFUGEE
BACKGROUNDS.
WE GO TO APPLETON TO LEARN ABOUT
PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR
REFUGEES IN THAT AREA.
TAMI MCLAUGHLIN IS THE DIRECTOR
OF WORLD RELIEF FOX VALLEY AND
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO AS WE KNOW, A DANGEROUS
AND FRIGHTENING SITUATION FOR
THOSE TRYING TO LEAVE AND WE
KNOW PEOPLE ARE ARRIVING FROM
AFGHANISTAN IN WISCONSIN THIS
WEEK.
WHAT ROLE DO YOU EXPECT TO PLAY
IN HELPING SETTLE THE NEW
ARRIVALS?
>> WELL, WE DO HAVE A SMALL
AFGHAN COMMUNITY IN THE FOX
VALLEY, SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY OF WELCOMING
THEIR FAMILY IF THEY ARE ABLE TO
GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
WE ALSO HOPE TO WELCOME
ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE AFGHAN
COMMUNITY WHO HAVE BEEN
EVACUATED OUT OF AFGHANISTAN.
SO WE'RE WILLING AND READY AND
ABLE WITH WHATEVER THAT
OPPORTUNITY PRESENTS.
>> DESCRIBE YOUR WORK HELPING
NEW ARRIVALS IN THE FOX VALLEY.
>> SURE.
WORLD RELIEF IS ONE OF NINE
NATIONAL AGENCIES WHO CONTRACT
WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO
PROVIDE SERVICES.
IT'S VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
WE START BY SECURING APARTMENTS
FOR REFUGEES AND THEN FURNISHING
THOSE APARTMENTS.
OUR WORK CONTINUES AS WE CONNECT
THEM WITH COMMUNITY RESOURCES,
ENROLL THEM IN SCHOOLS, HEALTH
CARE PROVIDERS, ENGLISH LANGUAGE
CLASS CLASSES.
WE PROVIDE A LOT OF ORIENTATION
AND CULTURAL TRAINING SO THEY
UNDERSTAND HOW TO NAVIGATE THE
AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE.
SO THE FIRST 90 DAYS ARE VERY,
VERY BUSY IN THE REFUGEE
COMMUNITY.
>> WHICH POPULATIONS HAVE YOU
WORKED WITH?
>> OUR LARGEST POPULATION IS
FROM THE REPUBLICAN OF CONGO.
ALSO THE BURMESE AND IRAQI
COMMUNITY IS SECOND AND THIRD
COMMUNITY.
AND THEN SOMALI, SYRIANS, A
FGHANS, JUST A VARIETY OF OTHER
NATIONALITYIES WE HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY OF WELCOMING.
>> HOW DID OSHKOSH BECOME SECOND
ONLY TO MILWAUKEE IN NUMBER OF
RESETTLEMENTS?
>> BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH A WARM AND
WELCOMEING COMMUNITY, IBLG.
-- I BELIEVE.
WE ARE POSITIONED HERE.
WE DID A LOT OF GROUNDWORK
REGARDING THE RECEPTIVENESS OF
THE COMMUNITY, HOW STRONG
PARTNERSHIPS ARE.
VOLUNTEER AND CHURCH PARTNERS
ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
IT WAS CREATED AS A P
RIVATE/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP ON
BEHALF OF A WHOLE COMMUNITY.
THE RESEARCH FOUND THAT OSHKOSH
AND APPLETON WOULD BE THOSE
TYPES OF COMMUNITIES.
>> WHAT FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE ARE
PEOPLE NEWLY ARRIVING DEALING
WITH, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM A
WAR ZONE AND ESCAPING THE WAY
THEY HAVE FROM AFGHANISTAN?
WHAT ARE THEY DEALING WITH?
>> THE FIRST RESPONSE WE ALWAYS
HEAR IS I'M SAFE.
NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM.
AND THAT'S WHETHER IT'S FROM THE
CONGO OR BURMA OR AFGHANISTAN.
SO OBVIOUSLY JUST REALIZING THAT
THEY'RE COMING OUT OF A
SITUATION THAT PRODUCED HIGH
TRAUMA, ANXIETY, FEAR OF DANGER,
FEAR OF LIFE.
SO THOSE ARE THE FIRST THINGS
THAT WE KNOW.
MAY NOT BE SPOKEN, BUT KNOW
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WILL NEED
TO BE CONFRONTED AND DEALT WITH
AS PEOPLE MOVE ON.
THE FIRST INITIAL RESETTLEMENT
IS JUST REALLY AK CLA --
ACCLIMATEING AND STABILIZING.
HOW DO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE
WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND HAVING
THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND SEEING
WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE
OF.
BASIC NEEDS ARE INITIALLY THE
PRIORITY, THOUGH.
>> HAVE OFFICIALS REACHED OUT TO
YOUR ORGANIZATION TO STEP IN AT
THIS POINT YET?
>> THE GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS
WHO WE TYPICALLY WORK WITH FOR
REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT HAVE
REACHED OUT AND THERE'S BEEN A
VARIETY OF DISCUSSIONS.
WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL COME
TO A PLACE OF CONTRACT, IF YOU
WILL, WITH SOME OF THIS AFGHAN
POPULATION AND JUST APPRECIATE
THEIR SUPPORT AND THEIR W
ILLINGNESS TO PROVIDE A
STRUCTURE AGAIN AND JUST SOME
ASSISTANCE AS WE AS A COUNTRY
REALLY WORK TOWARD HOW WE CAN
HELP THIS COMMUNITY BEST.
>> TAMI MCLAUGHLIN, WORLD R
ELIEF, FOX VALLEY, THANKS VERY
MUCH AND THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.