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SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City is a preferred refugee resettlement community, with about 1,200 refugees moving to the valley each year.
These people face the daunting, often overwhelming task of adjusting to a new country, new city and new life. Simple things like light switches and indoor plumbing may be unfamiliar; and difficult things like leaning a new language and finding a job to support a family cannot be done alone.
Because Salt Lake City has more than 50,000 refugees resettled from all parts of the world, organizations and agencies partner to support the needs and build the necessary resources for families and individuals.
Community centers such as the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center, created in August 2012 as part of the Refugee and Immigrant Center – Asian Association of Utah and located at 3900 South 700 West offer free English classes, provide job support and other resources to promote self-sufficiency.
Ellie Goldberg, coordinator for Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center, said, “As the community has grown to know and trust the center over the past year and a half, many families are pleased to access our services, where they did not have access before.”
Sunnyvale also provides free services previously unavailable: food and nutrition education, outreach, referrals, recreational activities and leadership opportunities. The center, in partnership with Salt Lake County Library, also targets a critical need: literacy.
Since March 2013, Salt Lake County librarians have regularly visited the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center to provide free literacy-based programs to the elementary and teen after-school groups. Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, a senior librarian who has coordinated this partnership, said, “I admire how hard these youth work to not only read, but adapt to a new environment.”
I admire how hard these youth work to not only read, but adapt to a new environment.
–Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, librarian
Salt Lake County Library has also donated books, bookshelves and recently started a story time for preschoolers. Library assistants Michelle Call and Stephanie Anderson have worked extensively with these youth. She said, “We are succeeding in getting these children excited about reading; it is the best part of our day.”
Frequently, the after-school program takes field trips to South Salt Lake's Columbus Library, where the students are able to become familiar with how the library works and participate in fun educational activities. Library manager Darlene Nethery and Youth Services librarian Laurie Hoecherl facilitate these programs and describe the children as “very lively, beautiful, creative and energetic,” and they enjoy watching these students learn new things.
Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center has volunteer opportunities. Mentoring, tutoring, befriending and assisting center residents not only enriches the lives of the refugees, it is a truly rewarding experience for volunteers, according the the center's directors. To learn ways you can help the kids and families at Sunnyvale Neighborhood Center, contact Ellie Goldberg at ellieg@aau-slc.org or 801-590-9746.
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Teri Harman, author and book enthusiast, writes a monthly column for ksl.com and contributes book-related segments to Studio 5. Her debut novel, "Blood Moon," is now available in stores and online. Join in the magic and chaos at teriharman.com.*
