Louisville Refugee Elder Program

A Trip to Joe Huber's Orchard and Winery

2017-11-05T00:11:00.001-04:00

It was a peaceful autumn day filled with colorful leaves, the smell of apple cider, and smiling faces.

Como se dice pumpkin en Espanol? I asked a Cuban client named Francisco. Calabazo he answered, glancing out the window on the bus ride to Joe Huber’s Orchard and Winery in Borden, IN.

When we arrived at the farm, our tour guide Cindy, introduced herself and gave us a brief history of Huber’s. She informed us that Joe Huber’s has been family run for 6 generations. What started as a small family farm has now become one of Indiana’s largest tourist attractions.

As we passed the market, the elders became fascinated with the pumpkins and gourds, pulling out their cameras in amazement.

Our journey continued with Cindy leading us to the facility where the apples were harvested and through the refrigeration facility where they were kept at icy temperatures. Finally, it was time to go to the apple orchard. All the elders seemed to enjoy apple picking. Some were even eating them right off the trees. Each elder was allowed up to four free apples on behalf of the KRM Elder Program, which they took full advantage of.

Throughout the day several seniors asked the staff to take pictures of them and their friends, which we gladly agreed to. At the end of the trip Huber's provided free pumpkins for the elders and staff; a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Crime Against Seniors

2017-10-28T17:08:00.003-04:00

Tuesday morning at the Elder Program proved to be an eventful session. It featured not one, but three community guest speakers.

Detective Dixon from the Louisville Metro Police Department’s (LMPD) Crime Against Seniors Unit spoke with determination. He emphasized how to detect a scam, how to choose a caregiver and power of attorney, and general safety precautions to take to prevent yourself from being taken advantage of. This entry will highlight some of these tips that are especially important for seniors and everyone to be aware of so they don’t fall victim to these crimes.

Detective Dixon from the LMPD

“90% of crimes investigated by the Crimes Against Seniors unit are financial, while only 10% are abuse and neglect cases.” Here are some of the most commonly seen financial scams:

Ø Home Improvement scams occur when someone agrees to do work on a house that they have no intention of doing. To prevent yourself from falling victim to this scam, the detective recommends a number of tips.

· Do a background check on the business by searching for it in the Better Business Bureau and reading customer reviews.

· Take pictures of the house before work has started and after it has concluded.

· Always request a contract from the company that lays out exactly what work will be done, how it will be done, and when it will be completed.

· Never pay more than 10% of the whole amount of over $1000 up front.

Ø To avoid being scammed by fraudulent charities, research the charity before donating to it.

Ø If you’ve ever received a phone call from a number you didn’t recognize, chances are you have had an encounter with a Telemarketing scammer. To avoid these, never give out personal information including social security numbers, banking information, information about family members or even your birthday if you do not recognize the organization the person is calling from.

Ø Sweepstakes scams happen when you are told you have won a prize or a sum of money but you must pay taxes on it before you can collect.

Ø Lastly, the grandma scam is when someone receives a call that one’s grandchild has been in an accident or is in jail and needs money. The scammer may have gotten the information online and is able to know specific information about family members. Do not give out money on the phone. Instead, call relatives to find out if they have received similar news.

The second topic the detective discussed was how to find a good caregiver:

Hire through an agency and ask about what showed up on the person’s background check.
Put expensive jewelry and items of value in a safe. Jewelry is the most common item stolen from seniors.

Before hiring a caregiver, take pictures of your valuables, have them appraised and take insurance out on the most expensive items.
Get a free yearly credit report
Check your monthly bank statements for accuracy
Never be afraid to report a crime that has happened to you.

Kristen Abell from KIPDA answering questions for the Cuban elder group

Kristen Abell from the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA) educated us on how to change a Medicaid MCO provider and answered several audience questions about health insurance.

Finally, came a speaker from the Survivors of Torture Recovery Center. The STRC offers free mental health counseling, psychiatric services and case management and art therapy for survivors. Located 4803 Southside Drive in Americana World Community Center it provides clients with a safe place to drink coffee and socialize with people in their community. Almost immediately after he began presenting, several elders expressed interest in coming in for a consultation.

Overall, it was another informative day at the KRM Elder Program.

Gray Street Farmer's Market

2017-10-12T14:27:00.001-04:00

September 28, 2017

Photo from: @kytaco Instagram profile

On a cool September afternoon, a small group of elders along with two interns, Misty and I, boarded the bus headed for downtown Louisville. Our destination was the Gray Street Farmer’s Market. This field trip was not simply a chance to pick up a few groceries, but an opportunity to teach a lesson in finance and support a community business. The market consisted of various small booths with items including organic fruits and vegetables, eggs, baked breads and desserts, and tacos from The Kentucky Taco Company food truck parked nearby.

The seniors each had about seven $4 Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program vouchers. These vouchers were provided through the Louisville Metro Department of Resilience and Community Services. Being that most items at the market were under $8, the seniors were able to buy a decent amount of groceries. Paying for groceries proved to be a challenge since most of the elders spoke little English and did not understand the pricing. Using gestures and body language, Misty and I managed to communicate to the elders when they needed more or less items to make their totals divisible by $4. This process basically consisted of pointing to a fruit or vegetable and waiting for them to give us a nod signaling “yes I like want this” or “no I don’t want that”. This method combined with the patience of the vendors made it an overall successful experience.

Our lovely Elder Program Coordinator Eva (far right) stopped by with a client after his doctor's appointment at a hospital nearby.

Photo from: @kytaco Instagram profile

After about an hour and a half, everyone had finished shopping and decided to relax on the sidewalk. I stopped by the taco truck for a quick snack where I was serenaded by the sounds of a Marvin Gaye album flowing from the speakers. As I started eating, David, an elder from Burma, asked, “what is that?” I replied, “it’s a taco. It’s Mexican food. You know, from Mexico.” “I want a taco,” he announced. He then proceeded to purchase his own and exclaim how delicious it was. After that flavorful exchange, we rounded up the group and headed back on the bus concluding our little adventure.

- Alexis

Summer at the Elder Program

2016-07-12T16:26:00.001-04:00

Hi! My name is Katie and I’m the new intern for the Elder Program this summer. I’ve only been here for about a month and I’ve already gotten to experience so much! My first week here, I got to go with the elders on a field trip to the Refugee Agriculture Partnership Project where we learned how they can get involved with growing their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers here in Louisville. They were all very excited to teach me about the plants that they recognized since I don’t know very much about gardening.

I was also able to listen to several speakers that came and talked to the group about important topics such as what it’s like to be a senior citizen in the United States and how to be informed about applying for citizenship. I think I learned just as much as they did! I also got to see the elders participate in a drumming exercise. They had a lot of fun showing off their musical talents and had a lot of great questions for the speakers.

I think my favorite part about this internship so far has just been getting to interact with the elders and help them in class. I’m majoring in Spanish at Western Kentucky University, and I’ve been able to learn a lot about Spanish while helping the Cuban elders with their English! I’ve already learned more than I ever could at school in this short amount of time. Dioenis and Orestes are always excited to teach me new words. All of the elders work so hard when practicing their English. I can’t imagine what it’s like being surrounded by a completely new language and trying to communicate. It’s so exciting to see them learn a new word or fact. I have gotten to sit in on several different levels of English classes and it’s awesome to see the progress that the elders make!

I always look forward to coming to the Elder Program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I love seeing how excited the elders are to learn something new. I’ve already gotten to experience so much, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of the summer goes!

The Intern Adventures: Experiences

2016-04-13T12:39:00.002-04:00

Intern Morgan here. I have less than a month left of being an Intern with the Elder Program and Healthcare Access Department in Louisville's Kentucky Refugee Ministries. HOW TIME HAS FLOWN BY! I really can not say enough about how thankful I am for this experience and as time ticks down I am missing everything more and more. Now I know what you are thinking; yes I do have a month left, but have you ever thought about how many places you have already visited for the last time? That is how I am taking every day right now.

Going into this internship, I thought it would be a fun volunteer opportunity that gave me some college credit. I sort of knew I wanted to work with other cultures but I didn't know how. I didn't think it would help me decide on my future career path or give me so many laughs and smiles. I am truly going to miss this a lot. But enough mushy stuff-- I will talk about some of my favorite times here at the Louisville Elder Refugee Program.

From Left: Bal and Amber (Bhutan), Emma and Isabel (Cuba),
Ambar (Bhutan) and David (Karen State) playing Bingo.

Once upon a time (about 2 weeks ago) there was a little situation at the Elder Program. On the day of the Wall Together reception and exhibit, Emma and Ambar came 3 hours early and no one was there to open the door (uh-oh). Well I went down to the church, where we meet for class, and let the two in. It was funny just sitting there in an empty church with two refugees and nothing to do but wait. However we eventually got a letter bingo game going. The prize for winning the unorganized game-- a cookie or galleta as it is called in Spanish. But then there was also crackers on the table as a snack, which are also called galletas in Spanish. So this led to a impromptu class on the word "cracker" and how crackers make cracking noises. It was really amusing sitting there with with about 4 refugees cracking crackers in half to hear the cracking noise. The refugees also found it interesting how I went from crack to crack around the room explaining that, yes splits in the wall and floor were also called cracks.

As more early birds came a long we had about 9 people playing bingo before the school bus arrived for the trip to the Speed Art Museum. It was a good memory for sure.

Fellow Intern Jon substituting in Julie's class.

I have also really enjoyed assisting the teachers during ESL class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My supervisors were really great in trying to get me to see every level of English class. Beth's class with the newest English speakers, was truly the most heartfelt. So many of those in her class have a hard time even writing in their native language, I can only imagine how difficult it is to learn a new writing system and language on top of it.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing the expression of a refugee who has come to understand a concept. Kameela from Iraq, learning the color "pink" and pointing to everything pink as far as the eye can see is just an example of that happiness I felt. Sometimes teaching English is frustrating and difficult too, especially when you don't know that refugee's language. There were so many times in Beth's class I truly felt frustrated for Lan from Vietnam, She was trying so hard and had so much to say but she just did't know how to put it into words for me to understand. That sad look that would come over her face as she just gave up, She couldn't tell me what she wanted to say. She didn't know the words in English. I have faith in Lan. She is smart and I'm sure one day she will learn enough English to be able to tell the stories she has been wanting to tell.

Ler Htoo & David (Karen State) learning to use a computer.
I kept telling them we had no internet connection but....

I really could type more, but I feel that this post is already long enough. In the end, this experience has helped me to decide to get a TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) certification. With it I plan on going overseas to teach English for a year or two. I hope to come back to Louisville one day and look for employment in a field where I can continue to work with diverse people and help make a difference in someone's life. I plan on visiting the Louisville Elder Refugee Program and volunteering a little throughout this Summer 2016, but it won't be the same as interning for sure.

Thank you Elders, Staff and other volunteers so much.

A selfie with the Elders during the YMCA field trip in January.

March 2016

2016-04-13T11:01:00.002-04:00

March went by really fast. It was probably because there were so many events that the elder program got to attend. The weather was quite nice this month and the days we had field trips were made more enjoyable by the pleasant weather.

The first event of the month was having a couple of speakers come in and talk about housing and also the interfaith community of Louisville. The Louisville Elder Program is really thankful to our Intern, Jon who put together a wonderful presentation on housing. Many of the elders found it really informative to learn about their rights as renters and the do's and don'ts of being a renter.

Jon presenting about Housing.

Also that day we had Haleh Karimi, the executive director of Interfaith Faith Paths to Peace in Louisville come and talk to the elders about the interfaith community in Louisville. Many of the elders found her message about support within different religions very comforting, considering some of the elders dealt with religious persecution in their native countries.

Haleh Karimi presenting.

Two days this month we got the program together on a Wednesday and went on important field trips.

1) The Elder Program Attended Refugee Advocacy Day in Frankfort, Kentucky.

David & Ler Htoo (Karen State) as well as Zaki (Iraq) wait to meet with their state legislators..

2) The Elders went to the Speed Art Museum reception to look a the Wall Together exhibit, in which the elders helped create pieces for. Also featured was art by Presentation Academy.

Francisco with his art.

Cubans, Emma & Isabel

Ram (Bhutan)

There are many other things to talk about, like the eye glasses that many received from Dee Dee's Hurt Eyeglass Clinic and attending the first ever Global Health Fair at Kentucky Refugee Ministries.

Hari Maya (Bhutan) getting her blood pressure checked by a UofL med student.

2016-02-24T13:09:00.001-05:00

Elder Art

Intern Morgan beautified the office with artwork by the Elders,

Everything is going alright at the Louisville Elder Program. We finally got around to hanging up 31 pieces of artwork that so many elders have made in the last year. The office looks a lot better now. We have surrounded ourselves in out client's artwork.

Its like we have our own little art show happening...which by the way.... Everyone should attend the Wall Together, Making Our Way Home: Stories from Louisville and Beyond exposition at the Speed Art Museum from March 12-June 26. There is also a open reception on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 3-5PM. Several of the elder refugees artwork will be displayed in the museum.

2016-02-10T14:19:00.001-05:00

We Have a New United States Citizen!

Elmira from Azerbaijan at the Citizenship Ceremony on February 10th.

Congrats Elmira!

2016-01-27T11:11:00.001-05:00

Intern Adventures Continue!

Hello Again,

Intern Morgan here. I've been interning for about one month now. Things are going well. I am really enjoying teaching in the class room. I am helping out Beth's class, which is the lowest level. Most of the students in her class are just learning their letters and how to introduce themselves. I spend most of my time going back and forth from Damber, a Bhutanese refugee who is very very quiet and Jesus, a Cuban asylee who is very very talkative. Damber is new and just getting to know how to write. Jesus is very determined. He participates in class and if he is confused he will ask in Spanish. In class Thursday, Jesus thought Damber was the name of a country. So we had to sort out that, also he never had heard of Bhutan so I had to show him on a globe.
I also work with Kameela, from Iraq and Lan from Vietnam. Lan is sweet and tries really hard to learn English. You can see it when you talk to her she has so much to say but just don't know how to express it yet in English. Kameela is a rambunctious lady. She really likes the color pink or "bembi" as she says in Arabic.
Oh I forgot to mention the refugee who makes me smile the most. His name is Saw. He is from Burma. He is in the class I help. He is at the level in English where he knows his letters but not words yet really. He can understand better than talk. He smiles so much and laughs so much it warms my heart. Things that aren't really that funny are hilarious to him.
Some of the former refugees have already received their citizenship but come for the activities, friends and further English lessons.
I am really enjoying the classes. I also spent one day in the office, doing computer stuff but that isn't anywhere as fun nor makes me feel as energetic like teaching does.

Morgan helping Damber from the Karen State learn his letters.

The Intern Adventures

2016-01-27T10:47:00.003-05:00

The Intern Adventures

Hello! My name is Morgan and I am a new Intern with the Elder Program. It's my 3rd week here with the Elder Program, and only this week did I actually meet the elders (what with all the holidays and all). I've been getting used to the complicated building and getting an ear for accents and new languages I haven't heard much. Every one at KRM is very nice and Eva & Michaela are taking good care of me.

So far I have taken refugee elders to the bank to set up accounts and have tried to explain Star Wars to a few (unsuccessfully I fear). I also have enjoyed my time playing checkers with David from the Karen State of Burma and talking about traveling with Jolyana and Zaki who are both from Iraq. All the refugees I have met so far are always very courteous and have tried to teach me their languages, which I enjoy. I have found the new word I am using most often with Arabic speakers is "sa'ab" which means difficult, because as Murphy's law states: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

2016-01-13T16:36:00.001-05:00

The Elder Program Has a New Intern!

Our new intern likes cows.

This is Morgan, our new intern who started with us in December and will be helping out until May. She is in her final semester of undergraduate at Indiana University Southeast and will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She became interested in our program after traveling abroad to Oaxaca, Mexico and realizing she would like to work with lots of different cultures and types of people as a job. Reading about the Kentucky Refugee Ministries' involvement in helping resettle Syrian refugees solidified where she would like to do this work.

Morgan's hobbies include watching lots of foreign movies and TV shows. She also enjoys listening to music in lots of different languages, even ones she can't understand. K-pop is her favorite.

***Look forward to updates to come from her about her experiences with the Elder Program.

2016-01-06T11:11:00.001-05:00

Tis the Season for Long Sleeves and Hats

November and December were not so busy what with all the holidays and breaks happening. Still there was time for some Bingo and eating cake.

A friendly game of bingo in November.

Elmira made a cake!

2016-01-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

October 2015

We continued the Speed Art Museum project, visited Huber’s and had a blast, plus added 3 more citizens!

… and the carving goes on…

Huber's Farm

Sekhar, Raghu, Mashur & Ram (Bhutan) enjoying their pick

2016-01-06T11:08:00.003-05:00

September 2015

Carnegie Center and the Amphitheater in New Albany, IN!

Three close friends: Cuban ladies Isabel & Emma with Hong (Vietnam) in their midst during the visit at Carnegie!

Lovely group photo at the end of the visit at Carnegie Center.

2016-01-06T11:08:00.002-05:00

What we have been up to the last few months...

July 2015

The Elder Program resumed classes in July after a two-weeks break and dived right into exciting hands-on class sessions. We welcomed three new American citizens—Hit Ler from Karen state, Burma, and Kamala Pati and Bishnu Subedi from Bhutan! Congratulations!!!! We are so happy with them!

Hit Ler (Karen state/Burma) is sooo happy to be an American

citizen and having been able to obtain an American passport!

2016-01-06T11:08:00.001-05:00

August 2015

We enjoyed the Elder Art Show at the Iroqouis Library which exhibited the beautiful creations worked on throughout the year. Another highlight was the opportunity to welcome US Representative Yarmuth to the Program.

Saw (Karen state-Burma) in front of his great art.

The Elders with Representative John Yarmuth

2016-01-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

What we have been up to the last few months....

June

Our outing at Willow Park with the Family Center and Francis of Assisi students was a blast! Another great day was the World Refugee Day Celebration at Tyler Park, and a visit to the Zoo rounded up the activities for June before the short break in July!

World-drawing contest with the Bhutanese @ Willow Park

Musa (Sudan) is selecting his meal.

Sabee (Iraq) at the Zoo.

what we've been up to lately...

2015-05-27T11:37:00.000-04:00

Here's an update on what's been going on with the elder program lately! :)

In April, the program coordinator spoke to a gerontology class at Bellarmine University about refugee elders and how the program addresses their unique challenges and needs. Jolyana and Francisco attended the class as well and told their stories about being refugees and how the elder program has helped them in their new home.

Francisco telling his story to the class, with intern Bri interpreting

At the end of April, one of the Elder Program students, Salma, became a US Citizen! Salma studied very hard and passed the test on her own abilities, rather than obtaining a medical waiver. This is a huge accomplishment and everybody is so proud of her!

Salma stating her name and where she is from at her Citizenship Oath Ceremony

Speakers in the last month have included Jane Evans and Valens Hasubizimana, Mental Health Coordinators from KRM and MRS of Catholic Charities, and Sophie Maier, Immigrant Services Librarian from the Louisville Free Public Library.

Clients love to check out library books when Sophie visits the program!

Also in May, Dee Dee Hurt came to the program to offer a reading glasses clinic to all of the elder participants! Interpreters were on hand to help clients figure out which prescription fit best their needs, and each client was able to keep a pair of reading glasses for free. The program is very thankful for Dee Dee and the good work she does in our community!

Upcoming June events include a potluck picnic with KRM's Family Center, a World Refugee Day celebration and a field trip to the zoo with KRM's summer youth program.

Thank you for your interest and support of the Louisville Refugee Elder Program!

2015-04-09T09:03:00.000-04:00

Learning the Macarena!

Exercise instructor Lettie taught the elders how to do the Macarena dance. Watch the video above to see some of their moves!

Thanks for reading!

2015-04-08T09:39:00.001-04:00

Visit from Representative Mary Lou Marzian!

Ahmed and Representative Marzian pose for a picture after her presentation.

As a follow-up to Refugee Advocacy Day in Frankfort, State Representative Mary Lou Marzian came to speak at the Louisville Refugee Elder Program! Many students in the program attended Refugee Advocacy Day in Frankfort and were excited to meet and speak with another representative. While at the program Representative Marzian discussed her basic duties and responsibilities as a state level representative.

Throughout her presentation students were able to ask her questions about Frankfort, her job, and obtaining citizenship.

Representative Marzian answering one of Hong's question.

Representative Marzian answering a student's question with the help of a Nepali interpreter.

Here are a few more photos from Representative Marzian's day at the program. All of the students really enjoyed her visit!

Students were eager to hear about Representative Marzian's time
in Kentucky state government. Here she is discussing some
of her basic duties and responsibilities.

Representative Marzian poses for a final picture with all of the Nepali
and Vietnamese students from the Louisville Refugee Elder Program.

Thanks for reading. Keep checking back to stay updated on what events are happening at the program!

2015-03-25T11:05:00.000-04:00

Visit to the University of Louisville

The Refugee Elder Program recently visited the University of Louisville for a field trip. While at the University, students saw a presentation at the Rauch Planetarium located on campus. The planetarium presentation allowed students to learn more about the Universe, other planets, and what constellations are located in the sky over Louisville.

Kamalapati, Hari, Laxmi, and Bal sitting the auditorium of the planetarium
before the start of the presentation.

Tara, Raghu, and Francisco posing in the lobby of the planetarium.

After the presentation students were able to ask questions. Students really loved this portion of the visit!

Students asked lots of questions after the presentation. Here the presenter is
answering a question about the Earth's orbit around the Sun.

Following the planetarium presentation, students got to experience a little bit of "college life" and ate lunch in the University of Louisville Student Activities Center. Some students even brought food to share with everyone.

Eating among a few University of Louisville students during lunch.

Finally, the day ended with a tour of the McConnell Chao Archives located in the University's library. In the Archive, students were able to learn a little more about Senator McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao.

Ler poses in front of the entrance of the McConnell Chao archives. His Kentucky pin on the
front of his shirt was especially appropriate!

Hong, David, and Ahmed exploring the archives.

The field trip was success!

Thanks for reading! Keep checking the blog to stay updated on what's happening in the program!

2015-03-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

Spring Flowers

Spring is just around the corner and in preparation for the upcoming season everyone at the program decided to plant some spring flowers! Earlier this year all the students painted flower pots in art class and now students were able to use these pots to plant flower seeds that will bloom later this season. Check out the picture below to see some of the students with their pots.

Everyone was very excited to plant the seeds in their flower pots. After planting students were able to take their flower pots home.

Musa with his painted pot.

Bhadri, Hari Maya, and Mon Maya showing off the beautiful designs on their flower pots.

Bal and Nara with their painted flower pots after planting African Daisy seeds.

Happy Spring from everyone at the program!

Thanks for reading!

2015-03-13T12:30:00.000-04:00

Mentor Training on Sunday!

Don't forget about our mentor training this Sunday, March 15th, 3pm-5pm! The training will be held in the Kentucky Refugee Ministries building (969-B Cherokee Road) and is open to all Elder Program volunteers and mentors.

Lisa Hoffman from IUS will be speaking on effective ways of working with elders trying to learn a new language. Please being any questions you might have for Lisa to answer, or if you know of any specific questions prior to the training email awebb@kyrm.org and Abby can forward them to Lisa prior to her presentation.

Please RSVP by email to awebb@kyrm.org if you plan on attending. We would love to have you!

2015-03-04T11:05:00.001-05:00

Mentor Training!

Don't forget about our mentor training on March, 15th 3pm-5pm! The training will be held in the Kentucky Refugee Ministries building (969-B Cherokee Road) and is open to all Elder Program volunteers and mentors.

Please RSVP by email to awebb@kyrm.org if you plan on attending. We would love to have you!

2015-03-03T14:55:00.001-05:00

Refugee Advocacy Day

David standing at the Capital.

Refugee Advocacy Day was on Wednesday, February 25th, and many clients from the Elder Program travelled to Kentucky's capital in Frankfort to speak with their Kentucky legislators. The day was busy but all of the elders who attended seemed to genuinely enjoy their experience at the capital.

Raghu, Kamalapati, and Dharmananda preparing to meet their legislators later in the day.

Miralia, Francisco, and David resting after a long and exciting day at the capital.

In addition to meeting state legislators, clients were also able to meet Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer and Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen.

Clients with Louisville myor Greg Fischer.

Kamalapati shaking hands with Lt. Governor Crit Luallen. After introducing himself,

Kamalapati gave the Lt. Governor a Bhutanese flag as a way to represent his home country.

Refugee Advocacy Day was a wonderful experience that gave Elder Program clients the opportunity to actively participate in Kentucky state government. For more pictures from the day please check out the Facebook page, there has been an entire album of photos added from various parts of the day.

Thank you for reading!