Fall 2001 Mayor's Office to Assist in Refugee Resettlement by Neil Olsen, Asian Imagine arriving in a foreign country after a very long journey, including the first airplane trip of your life. People you do not know meet you at the airport. Signs are written in a language you can neither read nor speak. You know little or nothing about the culture or customs of this strange place, Fire Prevention Checklist _ More people die in fires than in hur- Association of Utah, Catholic Community Services, the Human Rights Resource Center, and the International Rescue Committee. These federal funds create an opportunity for the providers to work together and share resources. A Refugee Youth and Family Consortium has been set up with a goal of facilitating the successful resettlement of refugee ricanes, earthquakes, floods and all other natural disasters combined. Keep this list handy at work and home to help prevent fires and fatalities. ing from scratch"; they need shelter, a eAlways keep matches, lighters and candles away from children. Note: You how will the children fit in, and hundreds of other questions. This 1s: precisely the feeling newly arrived refugees have when they arrive in Salt ake ‘City. These people have traveled from Bosnia or El Salvador or the Sudan, often giving up everything to Start a new life families into schools, neighborhoods, and communities. The Mayor's Office is the lead coordinator of the consortium and will (among other tasks) assure goal compliance with the partner agencies, monitor the fiscal aspects in the United States. Refugees are vulnerable and have many they needs arrive when here. job, food, and health services. The: children. are tested’ for English and other skills and placed in the appropriate grade in school. Adults upgrade job skills or learn a completely new occupation to compete in the job market. Paying rent, shopping in a supermarket, hunting for a job, or applying for a driver's license all can be new and daunting experiences. Newly settled refugees have many resources available, generally, through government, non-profit, and refugee resettlement agencies. These organizations are under staffed and under funded. Each agency has a constituency with unique needs coordination, - sometimes there is sometimes the vari- ous services overlap. Until recently, either state or county agencies coordinated the refugee resettlement effort - cities were the missing component. Last year, the federal Health and Human S€Lrvices., was the phrase, "Cities are encour- aged to apply." When Mayor Rocky Anderson saw those words, he enthusiastically encouraged Wolf, Programs, She did, to and Director apply of for in October Youth the the city. city was awarded a three-year grant for a total of $1.2 million. The grant is divided among five agencies: the Portia Snow, who Mayor's Office, the was formerly with the City's Weed & Seed Project, is the coordinator of the consortium. She oversees the dayto-day activities of the program, calls meetings, and arranges transportation for youth to and from school programs, among other duties. Portia envisions "a coordinated, cohesive program." All of this ties in with the Mayor's youth and after-school programs. The other partners each have a set of added responsibilities in the consortium, made possible by the federal funding. The Asian Association of Utah will offer parenting classes for refugees and “These people have traveled from Bosnia or El Salvador or the Sudan, often giving up everything to start a new life” Administration of Children and Family, and Office of Refugee Resettlement was accepting applications for grant money. On the application form Janet of the grant, and collaborate with partners to provide appropriate language and education opportunities to the refugee families. Youth City Government will be expanded to include refugee youth. their families, with tutoring for refugee y o uth Catholic Community Services will extend its outreach activities, and provide consultation to refugees seeking immigration status adjustment, naturalization, and family reunification. The International Rescue Committee will increase its immigration orientations, assist with applications, and provide sensitivity training to various providers. The Human Rights Resource Center is training students in crosscultural and anti-bias education at several schools. As part of the Mayor's youth program, the Youth soe oo - Ss, M1,* 4% The Shift May Be Over But the Caring Never Stops Boe At Work: Many of _ these refugees are "Start- which is now your new home. COD VA ¢Know and practice the fire evacuation plan at work. ¢Know where all exits and fire extinguishers are located. ¢Do not stack old papers, flammable items or rags located near portable space heaters or radiators. eMake sure there are no overloaded or frayed electrical cords. eMake sure chemicals, specifically flammable and combustible liquids, are stored in appropriate places. ¢Know whom to contact at work to report any fire hazard concerns. At Home: eMake sure there is a smoke detector on every level of your home, and change the batteries at least twice a year (when you set your clocks for daylight savings time, change your batteries). eAlways extinguish candles, smoking materials and fires before leaving a room or going to sleep. eNever smoke in bed. eSet up and practice a fire evacuation plan. wonder where you will live, how you will find a job, when will you find time to learn the language, The West View page 2 Every year, children start over 100,000 fires. eClean your chimney once a year. Keep your basement, garage and storage areas are free from combustible rubbish, oily rags, old paper and broken furniture. ¢Keep curtains, furniture and flammable items away from stoves, fireplaces and portable heaters. (Adapted from: United States Fire Administration Occupational Safety and Health Administration) City after-school program has been recruiting Hillside Middle School refugees in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades who are in need of English language skills. The program also offers classes in computer skills, video production, and recreation activities. There is a similar program for high school refugee youth. Diversity and anti-bias training will be a component in all of these programs. The consortium's goal is to resettle the refugees, the city's newest residents, successfully. Soon, they too will contribute to the ethnic and racial fabric of Salt Lake City and participate in all of the resources and experiences that our city, state, and nation offer. As Mayor Anderson stresses, " [AI] people need to have a voice in our government." For more information, opportunities to volunteer or donations, please contact Portia Snow @ 5356202. + IAFF Local 1645 Salf Lake City’s Professional Fire Fighters