On June 23, 2010, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Laura Gardner of Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services. It wasn’t an ordinary dinner though- it was a dinner held as part of the Young Generation (YG) Dinner Series. As such, it brought together college students and young professionals to share dinner and conversations, and learn personally from an individual who has had interesting life work or experience that is relevant to PTPI.
YG Dinner Series June 2010
Laura works specifically in supporting schools as they grapple with refugee children placed in their schools, many of whom have never been to a school before. She has worked in the past facilitating services for foreign-born children and their families and has traveled around the world in support of these efforts.
Laura’s work and experience was fascinating, and the group of people present- a mix of coworkers, friends, and friends of PTPI- listened intently as she described the international system that places refugees from as diverse places as Somalia, Iraq, and Burma. They arrive in the United States and in many countries around the world, with often little more than themselves and a small bag to fit all their belongings.
We learned about the difficulties that many of these refugees face in adapting to life in the United States, learning the language, trying to find jobs, and trying to raise children in an entirely different world. We also learned about the complete lack of formal support and guidance for these people and how organizations like Bridging Refugee Youth & Children’s Services is working hard to fill this gap.
Those at the dinner brainstormed ways in which the PTPI network could work to make the transition much smoother and to welcome the refugees to the US!
This YG Dinner was another opportunity to stay involved with PTPI, reconnect with friends and make some new ones, and continue learning about the world in a very personal manner. I’m excited for the next dinner in the fall!
Piya Radia
Young Generation member
Secretary, PTPI Board of Directors
