Loading ...Refugees get warm welcome and donations from Allentown Syrian group
By Emily Opilo
Late last year, as Syrian refugees met with hostility across the world, local leaders and residents rolled out the red carpet, hosting a welcome ceremony for seven new Syrian families who settled in the Lehigh Valley.
On Saturday, members of the Syrian Arab American Charity Association showed that those refugee families are still on their minds — presenting each family with several boxes of food, frozen goods and checks during an event at their Second Street food bank in Allentown.
Representatives from six of the seven families who arrived last fall attended the event, where about $4,000 in donations was distributed. Among them was Abdul Kader Aldlati, who worked as a painter in his native Syria. Through a translator, Aldlati said people in Allentown have been welcoming, to the surprise of him and his family.
He and his wife arrived with their three children — a 2-year-old and twins age 5.
“They really went beyond the call of duty,” Aldlati said of the locals. “It’s very heartening and actually surprising.”
Surprising, no doubt, because of the national debate over whether to allow Syrian refugees, many of whom are Muslim, to enter the county. Following the attacks on Paris in November by terrorist adherents of the Islamic State, which is fighting in Syria, more than half of all American governors said they would try to block Syrian refugees from settling in their states. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would have made the screening process more difficult for refugees from Syria and Iraq.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said the state would continue to take the refugees, and Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski signed a letter to President Obama agreeing to accepting more refugees in Allentown. Surrounded by one of the highest Syrian populations in the nation, the refugees who landed in Allentown have been fortunate to find themselves in familiar company.
Aldlati’s journey to Allentown began with nine days of travel to get out of Syria. Hiding in several small towns until roads were safe to pass, he and his family made their way to the border, he said.
Today, Aldlati is working on becoming acclimated to Allentown. Before picking up the box of food and frozen goods for his family, he presented a shiny Pennsylvania identification card. He can say a few English words such as “thank you” and “you’re welcome” with confidence now, and he corrected a reporter on a letter in his name.
Aldlati’s hopes for his new life in the U.S. are simple — things that many Americans may take for granted. He hopes to be integrated into society and speak the language. He hopes to send his children to school without fear. He hopes for a better life.
Syrian refugees take difficult path to freedom in Allentown
Before leaving with donations, members of the Syrian club posed for pictures with the new residents and welcomed them to return to the club.
Nagi Latefa, a former president of the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley who acted as one of the translators for the refugees, explained the invitation.
“They say this is your extended family,” Latefa told them. “This place is open for you all the time.”
Source: www.mcall.com