Greater Gainesville International Center welcomes first two refugee families

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – According to a newsletter sent out by the Greater Gainesville International Center (GGIC), the first refugee family arrived within the past week, and the second family is arriving tomorrow.

The first family is from Afghanistan. According to the newsletter: “As a former woman journalist, the mother was living under threat of violence by the Taliban. Their children were no longer [able] to attend school. They were under constant threat of bombings and shootings. Now, they join us to restart their lives and realize their full potential as human beings.”

The second family is from Guatemala and is “a family of four with an eleven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son. They too are fleeing extreme violence and cultural oppression.”

The effort to bring refugee families to Gainesville was announced in May; the families are reportedly vetted by the federal government before being granted refugee status. GGIC finds affordable housing for the families, and they immediately have a visa to work and are eligible for SNAP and other benefits.

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