I still have trouble at times talking about Sept. 11, 2001. I was living in New York City, embracing my job in midtown Manhattan and living in the still-gritty-not-yet-trendy Brooklyn.
I was several miles uptown from what became ground zero when the first plane struck, and it was the walking journey to my apartment that day that remains so vivid it feels like this past Tuesday, not a 1,000 Tuesdays ago. From seeing a banked F-16 screaming down the East River so low I could see the pilot’s helmet, to returning home across the river and seeing cars caked in concrete powder and office papers that floated from the towers, I knew we were forever changed.
The 20 years since have brought much transition in my life and in the fabric of our country’s resolve. Like many, I’ve experienced growth from marriage, new jobs and pleasure of living and working around the globe. In life’s journey we take memories of where we were with us so we may improve upon the idea of placing life in better context.
That’s why I cannot help but see an apparent intersection of needs of my Mahoning Valley hometown with moral obligation our nation has to these people that worked to help make America safer after our security was shaken 9/11.
Youngstown and Warren should make efforts, with support from the entire Mahoning Valley community, to welcome Afghan refugees in such a way that it would prepare these heroes (and victims) for long-term success in the United States as contributing citizens.
The U.S. State Department has recommended 19 cities with more immediate resources respond to the urgency to settle refugees. Cleveland and Pittsburgh are on the list. Mahoning Valley anchor cities, in my opinion, have even greater resources to assist Afghans in the long run — organizations that are large enough to commit to them in the long run, but small enough to be adaptive and flexible.
Of course the immediate need is housing stock. While its easy to say many abandoned homes can be “fixed up” quickly, the truth is many houses need costly renovations to be livable. The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership both have data needed to ascertain where refugees can be located, and on-the-ground relationships to know what neighborhoods would benefit the fastest from an influx of new residents. Serious financial resources must be committed in a dedicated program for the refugees. The Valley has the capacity to find those resources within and outside of the region.
To see the full story from The Vindicator, click here.
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