BENNINGTON — Bennington is proving to be a welcoming community for immigrant families who fled the Taliban’s return to power in August, the regional resettlement director said this week.
Four Afghan families have moved to town, with another expected this week. In addition, other immigrants have inquired about moving to Bennington, even some who currently reside in other states, based on the community’s open arms and quality of life here.
“We are getting increasing requests from people in the Afghan population who want to come to Bennington,” said Joe Wiah, director of the Ethiopian Community Development Council for Southern Vermont. “This is testimony to the good work a lot of you have done.”
Wiah was in town Monday to meet with Afghan families who have settled here and with supporters from the group Bennington County Open Arms. He later spoke to the town Select Board.
The ECDC, which works with the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees, has 20 regional offices and is based in Arlington, Va. The Brattleboro office is located at the Multicultural Community Center.
MET WITH FAMILIES
Wiah said before the meeting that the “co-sponsorship model” of having seven to 10 volunteers commit to assist immigrants in adjusting to their new country has been particularly effective in Bennington County.
The feedback he got Monday from Afghan families about the experience of living in Bennington was positive.
While the ECDC regional office is in Brattleboro and new residents often arrive there upon entering Southern Vermont, requests to move to Bennington have come from friends or relatives of some of the Afghans here now, he said. There also have been inquiries from Afghans now in other states about the possibility of moving to Bennington.
Wiah praised the work of Bennington County Open Arms as the lead refugee support group in the county, as well as the Select Board and area residents.
“I want to thank you on behalf of the ECDC and the Afghan population,” Wiah said.
Asked how residents can learn about the program and volunteer, Grace Winslow of Open Arms said inquiries can be emailed to bcopenarms@gmail.com.
MANCHESTER EFFORTS
Winslow said Wednesday that her group has worked with the ECDC to settle Afghans in the Northshire but they have found high housing costs a difficult huddle to get past in the Manchester area.
Smaller towns are not usually an option, she said, unless there is public transportation available and services available, such as in Bennington
Also working to bring Afghans to the Northshire is the Grace Initiative Global, which is partnering with Episcopal Migration Ministries, another nongovernmental organization working with the State Department to help Afghan refugees find new homes here.