Afghan refugees continue to resettle in Eastern Wisconsin.
Yesterday we heard from Karmen Lemke, the Director of Catholic Charities of Green Bay, who is responsible for helping these men, women, and children settle in the Green Bay area regarding the logistics of getting them here.
Today, we hear from Laurie Martinez, the Immigrant and Refugee Services Supervisor for the organization.
Martinez works directly with the refugees, helping them secure housing, jobs, and anything else they need.
Generally speaking, Martinez said, “I see them as very grateful to be here. Very happy.”
Martinez told Seehafer News that her organization meets the refugees at the airport, gets them settled in, and ensures they are fed, all before getting them a medical screening.
“They do have some screenings that are provided at the base and they bring those records to us,” Martinez explained. “One of our requirements is to make sure they have another medical screening here…and follow-up care is provided or scheduled if needed.”
It’s not an outlandish statement to say the culture in Afghanistan is much different from ours in the U.S. and specifically in Eastern Wisconsin.
However, Martinez said in general the transition is being handled “surprisingly well. They are learning, are eager to learn, many of them have expressed interest in improving their English skills, learning English, they are wanting to work…no complaints really.”
While these people are willing and ready to work, there is a bit of a logistical problem.
The work authorization documents and social security card applications are all being sent to Washington D.C. for approval, which is taking some time, as there are roughly 50,000 Afghans sending in paperwork.
“So that has been a challenge, waiting for those documents to arrive,” Martinez said. “It’s just a matter of waiting.”
The language barrier hasn’t been a major issue locally, and Karmen Lemke estimated that more of the refugees speak English than do not.
That means that the need for interpreters is rather low, and the ability for caseworkers to give the refugees what they need is made must easier.
These men, women, and children are still in the process of settling in, but Lemke and Martinez are working on finding one or two that would be willing to share their stories with us.
If you wish to help the Afghan refugees in the Green Bay Area, you can learn more by going to CatholicCharitiesGB.org.
