By Paul Thompson

Northeast News

December 21, 2016

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – When 45-year-old Syrian refugee and father of five Ahmad al-Abboud first landed in Kansas City eight months ago, he wasn’t sure how he was going fit into his new community. Thankfully, Della Lamb Community Services has helped make the transition as seamless as possible.

Those efforts began right when al-Abboud disembarked the airplane, as a crowd of enthusiastic well-wishers greeted him outside of his gate. From there, al-Abboud continued to be surprised by – and thankful for – the outpouring of support he’s received from perfect strangers. Now on the verge of celebrating his first holiday season in Kansas City, al-Abboud met with select members of the media at Della Lamb’s Adult Education Center (3608 St. John) on Wednesday, December 21 to reflect on his first eight months in America. Speaking through interpreter Fariz Turkmani, al-Abboud described exactly how welcome he feels in his new home.

“American people are absolutely fabulous,” said al-Abboud. “You feel the warmth, you feel that they want to help you, you feel that they’re happy for you.”

According to al-Abboud, that overwhelming sense of support has extended far beyond that unexpectedly positive response at the airport eight months ago. To illustrate that point, he relayed an anecdote about a neighbor in the Historic Northeast community where he now lives. Al-Abboud was bringing food inside during last weekend’s snowstorm when his next-door neighbor saw him through the window. In a gesture that resonated deeply, the neighbor immediately ran out to help him bring the grocery bags to his front door.

“That was an absolutely wonderful feeling, to know people that care that much,” he said.

At first, al-Abboud acknowledged, he experienced great challenges getting acclimated to his new environment. Della Lamb certainly helped: they found and furnished a place for his family to live, set up the utilities, stocked the kitchen with food, and eventually helped get the kids enrolled in a local charter school.

Still, issues remained. Al-Abboud remembers feeling overwhelmed as he worked to navigate the bus system, learn how to drive, begin providing for his family, and get himself acclimated to the English language. He acknowledged, for instance, that learning to properly pronounce the words “Kansas City” was a task that took him weeks to manage. Over time, however, he began to feel more comfortable in his surroundings.

“Things are looking a lot better now,” al-Abboud said.

Now working for a company that produces plastic car parts, al-Abboud was effusive in his praise for his employer. He referred to his workplace as a ‘melting pot’ with employees from all over the world, adding that they communicate through facial expressions and hand gestures. He seems happy. Part of that happiness, no doubt, stems from the way his children have assimilated into American society. Al-Abboud said that if his kids were present for the interview, they would likely talk at length about their positive experiences at school.

“They are adjusting very well to school, so they’d probably talk to you about how they started to go to school, the difficulties back then, and how easy things are right now for them,” said al-Abboud. “They’re interacting with everybody and they’re learning their English.”

“I know a year from now, I will have four translators in the house,” he added with a smile.

As the New Year approaches, al-Abboud is already setting goals for the future. He talks about getting his driver’s license in the near future, and he remains committed to learning English through regular courses at Della Lamb. In general, he’s eager to keep adjusting to life in America over the next year.

“I’m hoping that by then, I will be able to be free in every aspect of the word,” said al-Abboud of the progress he hopes to make in 2017. “Driving, going places, doing things, adjusting more.”

Though al-Abboud and his family have found happiness in Kansas City, he has not forgotten the war-torn Syria they left behind. He acknowledges how fortunate he was to have found a safe haven in Kansas City, and laments that he can’t do more than pray for his fellow countrymen.

“It’s saddening to see what’s going on in Syria and Aleppo,” he said. “Kids are being killed, planes are bombing the civilian areas.”

The stakeholders at Della Lamb are also keenly aware of the difficult realities facing refugees of Syria and elsewhere throughout the world. Though the organization has resettled more than 200 refugees in 2016, its leaders realize that there are always more families with great needs. On Wednesday, Della Lamb Executive Vice President Judy McGonigle Akers relayed her hope that the resettlement efforts directed by President Barack Obama’s administration will continue into 2017 and beyond.

“These are humanitarian services, and whether those contracts are in place or not, the families who are in need continue to be in need,” said Akers.

“You want everyone to experience peace and safety; just basic human concerns. As we think about the holidays – the joys and the blessings that we all experience – I think all the time that I wish it were possible for everyone in the world to have a sense of peace and security and safety wherever they may be,” she continued, growing increasingly emotional. “So much of the world does not experience that, and it’s just by the grace of God that we happen to be born on this soil. Families are seeking American soil for safety.”