SALT LAKE CITY — More than 70,000 refugees live here in Utah, and about 9 percent of the state’s population are immigrants.
The growing number of people resettling in the Beehive State was the catalyst for the formation of a new program on Salt Lake City’s west side.
“When I first came here, there was no community. It was so hard; there was nobody to tell me what to do, where to go,” said Puok Puok, who immigrated from South Sudan more than two decades ago. “It was so difficult, so at the time I came to the United States, to Utah, there was no community.”
That’s why the Pan-African Westside Salt Lake Co-Op, or PAWSLC, was created.
The co-op held an event Saturday, filled with performances, food and lectures, to celebrate their one-year anniversary while hoping to bring attention to the co-op’s mission of a one-stop shop for families moving here from other countries.
They provide help securing resources, whether it’s finding housing, work or basic needs.
“We are only scratching the surface right now. We’re having this event after a year and we’re getting our name out there,” said Al Kalashnikov, PAWSLC’s president. “We were able to successfully get some grants and we were able to work with some community partners.”
The co-op’s leadership is made up of immigrants and refugees like Puok.
“When the refugees come to Utah, they’re looking for jobs. They need people to look and give them direction where to go, where they can go to find a license, where they can go to find the jobs,” said Puok. “It’s not easy when they come here, so we can reform this community now for them because we’re here for them, whatever they need, we will provide it for them.”
Kalashnikov says that because the current federal administration cut funding for resettlement programs, some resources here in Utah took a hit, like Catholic Community Service’s refugee resettlement program, which makes PAWSLC’s work now even more critical.
“The community should care because we’re here to help support the refugee community, and we want the community to know that we’re not turning our backs on them. We’re here to support them,” said Kalashnikov.
They're welcoming all with open arms and spirit.
“We are here for anybody, not just those who identify as pan-African and those who identify as Africans,” said Kalashnikov. “We are here as a member of the community and for the community at large.”
If you or someone you know could use some help resettling here in Utah, you can visit their webpage HERE. You can also give them a call at (385) 244-0616 or email them at al@pawslc.org.
