Updated at 4:36 p.m.
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Vermont announced in a Facebook post Tuesday that the first group of Afghan refugees has arrived in Rutland.
USCRI Vermont is using a temporary office at Green Mountain Power’s Energy Innovation Center in downtown Rutland to support the refugees until it can secure a permanent office, the agency said.
The resettlement agency said it has received support in establishing the Rutland office from Rutland Mayor David Allaire; members of the Board of Aldermen; school officials; Jeffrey Reel, general manager of the Rutland Area Food Co-op; and the Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region.
Support for the Afghan refugees contrasts with the strong opposition to resettlement of Syrian refugees in Rutland in 2016.
“I hope that as a community we’ve gained perspective on what it means to invite refugees into our community,” Matt Whitcomb, president of the Rutland Board of Aldermen, told VTDigger.
Whitcomb said attitudes toward refugees may have shifted because many Afghans worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
“As things deteriorated, we really did owe them the option to come here and to start a new life,” Whitcomb said.
“We at USCRI Vermont are thrilled to be able to offer our new arrivals so many opportunities to begin to create financial stability in their new hometowns for themselves and their families,” the Facebook post said.
One of those volunteers, Carol Tashie, posted on Facebook that 12 Afghan refugees arrived in Rutland during the weekend.
Reel told VTDigger the Rutland Area Food Co-op is trying to secure halal meat products.
“I’m excited to see this thing moving forward,” Whitcomb said.