Burmese Chin Family’s Story

One of the blessings we frequently take for granted in this country is our freedom. We are free to choose where we live, where and how we worship, where we send our children to school and much more. That is not the case in many places around the globe. “Refugee Resettlement is a humanitarian expression of democracy,” says Mary Flynn, LSS Refugee Resettlement program manager. “And an important part of our democracy is the freedom to choose where to live.” The other day our Refugee Resettlement team met a Burmese Chin family — a mom and dad, two children ages 11 and 17, and a grandmother. The mom first registered as a refugee in 2009. She has been waiting for more than a decade to be resettled and to start building a new life! The family landed in Iowa, where they had been originally assigned to resettle. They were warmly greeted at the airport by friends who are now living in Wisconsin and invited our new neighbors to join them. The question became, could LSS accommodate this unexpected turn of events?

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In 2022, LSS will celebrate 140 years of service to Wisconsin and Upper Michigan residents. If at any time LSS made an impact on your life or the life of someone you love, please share it here.

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