Charlotte Observer
Friday, September 15, 2006
Work with immigrants help her see the need to make policy changes
For Amy Greensfelder, a senior at Lenoir-Rhyne College, helping immigrants and refugees overcome language barriers and meet basic needs — food, health care and housing — has broadened her perspective. But realizing the difficulties these people face on a daily basis is not enough, she said.
“I want to be involved in policy work,” she said, “and work to affect immigration laws.”
Greensfelder is originally from Tampa, Fla. When she was in the second grade, her mother volunteered to tutor a student in Greensfelder’s class who had immigrated to the United States from China.
“She tutored him in English,” Greensfelder said. “And while I didn’t think much of it at the time, I realized later in life, this was an early example.”
In high school, Greensfelder became involved with a church project to sponsor a family of Afghan refugees.
“This was in 2002,” she said, “when in the wake of 9-11, there was a lot of hatred — a lot of distrust and negative attitudes within the community.”
Greensfelder worked with a family of eight, a mother and seven children who had lost their father. The hardships they had overcome were significant, she said.
“For refugees, even learning to navigate an American grocery store can be difficult,” Greensfelder said. “The mother could not speak English, so I worked with her mostly, assisting her during medical appointments and helping the family get food, find housing and adequate health care.”
During her freshman year at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Greensfelder worked with the local Hmong community for a class project. While researching the Hmong, Greensfelder learned of a tutoring program at Viewmont Elementary. Greensfelder tutored Hmong and Hispanic students at Viewmont and then later at Sweetwater Elementary School, she said.
Greensfelder said she was most affected by working with Somali refugees during the summer after her sophomore year. Sponsored by Lutheran Family Services in Columbia, the camplike program allowed about 50 refugee children to go on field trips and reinforce what they had learned at school — subjects such as English, math and reading.
Greensfelder formed lasting bonds with several Somali families, and the opportunity continues to motivate her in her goal to become a lawyer.
This summer, Greensfelder participated in an internship with the American Bar Association’s Commission on Immigration. She said the experience opened her eyes to the nuances of immigration law and to the law-making process.
During her internship, Greensfelder corresponded with immigrants who were being detained and faced deportation. Greensfelder worked to match detainees with lawyers in Washington who were willing to take on their cases.
After graduation, Greensfelder plans to attend law school and specialize in immigration law.
“I’ve enjoyed the chance to work with people and families in a sort of hands-on kind of way,” she said. “It’s easy to help someone on a personal level, helping them get their utilities turned on, for instance. But there are so many other obstacles, like getting a driver’s license.
“Without a driver’s license, it’s nearly impossible to get a job. That’s why I want to get involved with the policy work. I want to become a lawyer, affect change and immigration laws.”
Newcomers make connections here
As vice president of the Catawba Valley Newcomers Club, Betty Stone wants to help new residents get “plugged in.” A newcomer herself, Stone recently moved to Caldwell County from Mint Hill and immediately looked for ways to connect in her new community.
“That’s the purpose of the Catawba Valley Newcomers Club,” Stone said. “To help new residents make connections.”
With a board of new members driving the program, the club has been “revitalized,” Stone said, with new activities and plans to target a broad range of women — from new moms to retirees.
“We are a social club but want to be more than that,” Stone said.
To address some of the needs in the community, the club will be involved in service projects, she said, designed to assist agencies such as the Women’s Resource Center in Hickory.
New members typically join the club within their first three years in the area, Stone said, but anyone interested in the club is invited to attend a meeting. Membership is open to residents of the Unifour counties — Catawba, Caldwell, Burke and Alexander.
The club year, which runs though May, kicked off with a welcome coffee at Café Gouda in Hickory. Stone said additional coffee outings have been planned for November, January and March to help newcomers learn about local restaurants and begin developing networks in the community.
Other activities include a Lunch Out on Tuesday and a day of card games on Thursday. Canasta will be played in the afternoon, and BUNCO is scheduled for the evening, Stone said. A dinner club meeting, which is open to husbands and friends, is set for Sept. 30.
To cater to daytime work schedules, there will be evening meetings of the club in October, February and April, Stone said.
For more information, or to R.S.V.P., e-mail cvnewcomers@hotmail.com or call Kelly Deffke, the club president, at 828-781-3483.
Source: Charlotte Observer, Sept 15, 2006
