Announcement
On Saturday, June 20 the 探花精选 in Tallahassee celebrated World Refugee Day. The 探花精选 hosted a live virtual panel discussion with community partners, refugee families and the Tallahassee community at-large. The event highlighted the contributions of the refugee community in Tallahassee, and elevated the voices of refugee families, community leaders and volunteers who ensure Big Bend communities continue to be welcoming places for all.
During the event, panelists discussed how their daily interactions with refugees impacted their professional and personal lives. The panelists, Vania Aguilar, of and Tommy Thompson, a community volunteer for the 探花精选 in Tallahassee recognized the challenges that many refugee families face when arriving to their new homes, and the role the community plays in supporting them. Another, panelist, Gillian Gregory, Assistant Superintendent for , discussed the important role the county's education system plays in supporting refugee families seeking to enroll their children in school. J.D. McCrary, Executive Director of the 探花精选 in Florida, and Una Bilic, Site Manager for the Tallahassee office, spoke about the 探花精选鈥檚 programming and its strong relationships with community partners. Since opening in 2016, the 探花精选 in Tallahassee has provided services to over 525 refugees, asylees and other vulnerable immigrant populations to ensure families are empowered to rebuild their lives in Big Bend communities through resettlement services and other programs.
A statement from encapsulated the community鈥檚 commitment to ensuring refugees continue to be welcomed and that their contributions are celebrated. The many contributions refugees bring to the community can be seen across all sectors of our society; they bring economic and cultural diversity that enrich the vitality of communities.
Photo: Mayor's Office
"Refugees are resilient, hardworking people whose innovative skills contribute greatly to Tallahassee鈥檚 economic vitality and diversity of culture. From opening and operating businesses to being active and engaged with their neighborhoods and more, as Mayor I鈥檝e seen firsthand how refugees who now call Tallahassee home have become a vital part of the fabric of our community helping to make us stronger.鈥
Mayor John Dailey - Mayor of Tallahassee
The Alhalabis are one of those families contributing to Tallahassee's economic vitality. Originally from Syria, the family now owns and operates , a construction and custom furniture business in Tallahassee. Their company offers custom-made furniture and furniture refurbishment, home remodeling, painting, flooring services, and fence installation/repair.
Belal, the family鈥檚 youngest son and official spokesperson for the business, describes their experience as small business owners:
鈥淲e have been in business for 40 years, with our beginnings in Syria. We continued our family owned business in the United States, officially opening Melano Construction & Maintenance in 2017. We have been operating our business in Tallahassee for just about four years.
We choose to offer these services because people love to repair, refurbish and remodel their homes. We are highly trained in carpentry, upholstery and woodwork and we know that we can offer the best services for everyone.
We love what we do, and wanted to be self-reliant, self-sufficient in the U.S. This motivated us to start our own company. With my family鈥檚 expertise, my father鈥檚 experience and my brother鈥檚 support, we have opened our own American business.鈥
Photo: Melano Construction and Maintenance
Melano Construction & Maintenance has served hundreds of clients throughout its short U.S. tenure. The Alhalabi family鈥檚 spirit of entrepreneurship and resiliency is representative of the shared values refugees bring to their new communities, a willingness to contribute and a desire to belong.
To learn more about the work of the 探花精选 in Florida and for information on how you can get involved with the 探花精选 as a or volunteer, please contact Development Coordinator, Melody Fakhourie at Melody. Fakhourie@Rescue.org.
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