In December of 2017 Reading POWR (as it was then called) welcomed a family of three adult refugees from Ethiopia at Logan Airport on Wednesday, December 20. Volunteers brought a “Welcome” banner and an array of warm clothes for people who had never experienced snow or cold weather. Reading POWR located an affordable apartment for them in Reading, helped them improve their English and adjust to life in a new country.
The family included a respected tribal elder, his young adult son, and a nephew. All had spent the previous twelve years in a refugee camp in Kenya, hoping for a permanent home where they could live in peace and safety. They had passed multiple background checks, and were able to work and pursue U.S. citizenship.
In December of 2018 the family elder moved to Portland, Oregon to live with a sister and her family. In June of 2018 one of the younger men relocated to Nebraska to live with Ethiopian friends and work in a meat packing plant. In June of 2019 the last of this group moved to Boston where he lives and works independently.
The family included a respected tribal elder, his young adult son, and a nephew. All had spent the previous twelve years in a refugee camp in Kenya, hoping for a permanent home where they could live in peace and safety. They had passed multiple background checks, and were able to work and pursue U.S. citizenship.
In December of 2018 the family elder moved to Portland, Oregon to live with a sister and her family. In June of 2018 one of the younger men relocated to Nebraska to live with Ethiopian friends and work in a meat packing plant. In June of 2019 the last of this group moved to Boston where he lives and works independently.