In Massachusetts, residents including a woman and a couple recently spoke with local media, detailing their involvement in welcoming migrant families into their Brookline homes. Their actions align with a Democratic official’s call for ‘shared responsibility.’
From Airport Floors to a Warm Home
A Haitian migrant couple shared their ordeal with WBTS-CD. They described how they slept on the floor at Boston Logan International Airport and later at a children’s hospital when their two-year-old daughter fell ill.
Grateful Mornings: ‘Hi Lisa!’
Thankfully, Wildande Joseph and her husband, whose name wasn’t disclosed, found refuge in Lisa Hillenbrand’s apartment. Joseph expressed her gratitude, noting her daughter’s newfound happiness and her morning greetings of ‘Hi Lisa!’
Joy in Welcoming Migrants
Hillenbrand expressed her joy, saying, “It’s a delight, and it’s really fun having them. What I realized is there’s so much prejudice against refugees, mostly because people don’t know them,”
A Personal Chef Dream
She shared her appreciation for Joseph’s cooking skills, jokingly saying she feels like she has a personal chef, as Joseph aspires to open her own restaurant.
Learning from the Refugees
“They are hardworking, they want to learn, they want to be successful, and I feel great helping. And I get to understand the refugee crisis from the inside,” she said.
Welcoming More Migrants
Hillenbrand is also encouraging others at Brookline Town Hall meetings to volunteer and welcome more migrants in the upcoming weeks.
Suburbs vs. City
Boston City Councilwoman Julia Mejia recently called on Brookline and other Boston suburbs to open their homes to migrants, citing their greater resources compared to Boston. ‘It’s a shared responsibility,’ Mejia emphasized.
Mixed Reactions
The interview, aired on Monday, sparked mixed reactions online. It coincides with Elon Musk’s previous critique of Gov. Maura Healey’s handling of the migrant situation, highlighting the state’s struggles with housing and education for migrants.
A New Grandmother
The Haitian couple, now with work permits, are taking English classes, as reported by WBTS-CD. Joseph’s husband views Hillenbrand as a new grandmother to their daughter.
The Language Barrier
During an interview, he expressed in Spanish his hopes for financial stability. The interview, conducted in Spanish — a language less common in Haiti than Creole or French — reflects the language diversity among migrants.
Hosting Experiences
In related news, Brookline residents Colin and Jessica Stokes told WBZ about their positive experience hosting a migrant family, amidst state shelters reaching capacity. Jessica Stokes highlighted the gratitude of their guests and the ‘distressing’ state of the system.
Immediate Migrant Aid
Jessica Stokes shared that after offering to host migrants, it took less than an hour for them to arrive at her doorstep. She and her husband are now urging others to join the pilot program.
“I’ve got to get sheets on the bed, how many people are coming? We really knew nothing,” she recounted to the media, sitting beside her husband.
The Astonishing Reality
Colin Stokes emphasized the enormity of the need, astonished by the numerous similar situations. The family they welcomed, who declined to be filmed, had been sleeping at Logan Airport after traveling from Chile to Texas and then to Massachusetts.
The children are awaiting school enrollment, while their parents face a lengthy wait for work authorization, as per WBZ.
State Emergency
Governor Healey, who declared a state of emergency due to the migrant crisis last summer, mentioned that her administration has facilitated work authorizations for about 3,000 migrants.
Tackling the Crisis
Her office is now introducing a new pilot program, funded with $8 million from the state budget, to assist 400 migrant families with long-term housing outside the state shelters.
Seeking Apartments
Resettlement agencies are seeking apartments in eastern Massachusetts and will help migrants with the HomeBASE program, which covers initial housing costs.
Meanwhile, the state’s emergency shelter in Roxbury filled up in a week. An office building in Boston’s Seaport is being considered for additional housing, though concerns about inadequate facilities have been raised by City Councilor Ed Flynn.
Systemic Shortcomings
While Massachusetts’ response to the migrant crisis demonstrates a commendable community spirit and state-led initiatives, it also reveals systemic shortcomings in preparedness and resource allocation, highlighting the need for more robust, long-term strategies.
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