10/20/2023 0 Comments Churchs chicken lacey waShe collected, sorted and distributed donated goods from her church.She made doctor’s and dentist’s appointments.She got them in touch with refugee services at the Department of Social and Health Services.Refugees were always welcome in Fern’s home, and she provided just about everything they needed to start their new lives in the US. She helped so many refugees throughout the years, Fern sometimes opted to move into a motor home in the driveway so she could make room for them in her own house! With the help of the First Baptist Church of Lacey, she spearheaded an effort that would provide aid to many, many refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The state’s resettlement program was in full swing and, in addition to federal aid, it relied on the generosity of citizens, businesses and organizations.įern Powers, a part-time school bus driver at the time, heard the governor’s call and took action immediately. It all started in 1975 when then-Governor Dan Evans urged Washingtonians to sponsor and provide moral support to refugees who had nowhere else to go. But to refugees like my parents, she’s an angel. Who is this remarkable woman? Fern will humbly tell you she’s just a lil ol’ lady doing God’s work. She did this for my parents, my parents’ friends, my aunt and uncle, my cousins…įern Powers did this for thousands of refugees in the Olympia area. They had Fern Powers.įern Powers gave them clothes, she drove them to their English classes, she arranged to get them medical care, she got them settled into an apartment. Different times indeed, but more importantly, my parents had a little help.Īctually, they had a lot of help. Sweet jeebus, I’m 35 and I still don’t own a house! (Nor can I find anyone to marry me, but that’s a whole ‘nother story, LOL.) My parents arrived with literally nothing but the clothes on their backs. And to them, the life they lead in Olympia absolutely is the American Dream. It’s not exactly how they pictured the “American Dream.” But 37 years later, my parents are still here. So you can imagine their surprise when they ended up in Olympia, Washington. All they knew of America was what they’d seen in the movies: Times Square, flashing lights, buildings so tall they touched the sky. When my parents came to the US as political refugees, they came with visions of New York City. Mom and dad at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, 1981
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