So many things right now. I'll stick with five of them.
1) The bombardment of Ukraine continues, and has led to the death of over 400 civilians. At least two million people in Ukraine have fled since Russia's invasion. Ukrainians across Atlanta have been responding- whether its through coordinating support for loved ones via Facebook groups, pressuring Coca Cola to stop business with Russia, or gathering donations at different drop off locations throughout the metro area.
And since this is 285 South, I have to point out that it's not just the Ukrainian diaspora that is fearing for their loved ones. The country has long been a destination for people fleeing war and/or looking for opportunity and education. Case in point - hundreds of Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover in August resettled in Ukraine. Another example - there are over 80,000 international students in the country Ukraine. Here's the story of one Kashmiri medical student who struggled to get out after the war broke out.
2) Ongoing impact of the Buford Highway fire: Last week I reported on a fire that broke out at the Park Towne North Apartments in Brookhaven. This week I spoke to Kathy Manzanarez, who moved from Managua, Nicaragua to Brookhaven in 2000. The unit she grew up in, where her parents' still lived, was destroyed by the fire.
She went back there to see what she could retrieve, and was able to recover some clothes and photos. But the loss, she says, is massive, "I would love for the world to know how Park Towne North was not a help at all to these people. They had the audacity to tell people on Monday morning, your contract is over, you're welcome to go. To me, it's disrespect. Because my parents lived in those apartments for 32 years."
When I called the Park Towne North office number for more information, the woman who answered the phone said, "I have no information to give."
I'll be continuing to report on this story so stay tuned for updates.
3) The drive to increase vaccination rates in the Hispanic community: Yes, COVID seems to be waning, but reaching folks who have yet to be vaccinated remains a priority for community health advocates. Dianne Roman from Ventanillas de Salud, a community health clinic at the Mexican Consulate run in partnership with the Latino Community Fund-GA, contacted me to tell me about an upcoming vaccination event (553 people were vaccinated at their January event!). The event is on Friday, March 25th, and people who receive their first or second shot and fill out a survey will receive $50, thanks to a joint effort with the Center for Pan Asian Community Services. Those who get a first, second or booster shot, will also be eligible for $100, part of an effort with Dekalb County. Watch for details here.
4)Afghan families in Atlanta - The IRC-Atlanta, the region's largest resettlement agency, says it's helped support at least 799 Afghan evacuees since September 2021. Around 70 percent of the newly arrived families are now in permanent housing. The Safai family is one of them.
After almost four months in an extended stay hotel, the family of 12 (whom I've reported on here) has finally moved into a four bedroom apartment unit in Stone Mountain. Eight of the kids are in school and 19-year old Ikram just started work at a meat company 45 minutes away. When I visited them, their mother had made these Afghan cakes (pictured below!). I'm working on a longer story for Atlanta Magazine about what it's been like for them to start their new lives here, so stay tuned for that too.
5)And finally, to mark International Women's Day, I'm highlighting the stories of two incredible women who are featured in Finding Home on Buford Highway, a story I wrote for the magazine The Local Palate.
Thip Athakhanh, owner of Snackboxe Bistro, grew up cooking Laotian food for her family after being thrust into the family caregiver role at age 11. She infuses traditional Laotian food with creative twists - and has found a growing customer base. Their new location in Duluth, is open for takeout on the weekends. “We didn’t have the luxury of going out to get fast food—that was expensive for us. What we did was grow our own food. Whatever land we had in the house we rented, we’d just throw something in the back, like vegetables and herbs. Lao food relies heavily on herbs and vegetables."
And, Jenny Nguyen, runs Pho Bac on Buford Highway, one of the oldest Vietnamese restaurants in metro Atlanta. The restaurant is run by three generations of a family and she's at the center of operating the ship. They also recently opened a second location in Duluth. “The reason why we opened the second location is for our children,” Jenny says. “My nephew, my daughters—they are the third generation for Pho Bac. ...They continue on our legacy."
