Zolian Tacang of Myanmar poses for a portrait with the bok choy he’s just harvested to sell at Grow North Farm’s first farm stand of the season on June 24, 2021, in Mountain View. The farm gives refugees and other recent arrivals to Anchorage the opportunity to grow and sell produce. (Jeff Chen/Alaska Public Media)

When conflict breaks out in other countries and people are displaced, Alaska is not often where they expect to end up. But every year, people from all over the world arrive here for that reason. Many of them have language barriers, and need assistance to find housing and jobs to build a new life. We’ll hear from Catholic Social Services’ Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services, the agency that helps refugees and other new arrivals to our state.

LISTEN:

HOST: Adelyn Baxter

GUESTS:

• Issa Spatrisano, Director, Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services (RAIS)
• Divine Nganga, asylee from Cameroon
• Hope Gasana, refugee from Democratic Republic of the Congo

RESOURCES:

CSS Alaska Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services

PARTICIPATE:

Call 907-550-8422 (Anchorage) or 1-800-478-8255 (statewide) during the live broadcast.

Send an email to [email protected] (Comments may be read on air).

Post your comment during or after the live broadcast on social media (Comments may be read on air).

LIVE Broadcast: Tuesday, July 5, 2022 at 10 a.m. on Alaska public radio stations statewide.