Sarah Ivory is the director of the nonprofit and she explains just how difficult the transition for such refugees can be.  She says, “Many of our clients have been in refugee camps for long periods of time and before that they may have been in rural or agrarian settings, so you’ve got some folks who lived in much bigger cities than Greensboro, and you have others who maybe haven’t even seen stairs before much less an electric stove or something like that.”

Of 16.5 million global refugees, the U.S. will only welcome one quarter of one percent of this group.  But every year over 600 refugees find a home in Greensboro and there are 140 first languages spoken in Guilford County schools.  According to Ivory, such diversity is beneficial for an economy that wants to grow.  Skills brought by the refugees are helping some local businesses stay local. 

“There was a company that was about to relocate to a different state because they couldn’t find the workforce they needed”, Ivory notes.   “It’s a company that manufactures protective gear for police forces and military.  They needed sewers and most Americans growing up today don’t know how to sew.  The company ended up finding us and we have a large population from Bhutan who were all tailors, and they were able to get 25 people that could start that day that could sit in front of a sewing machine and know how to use it.”

Ivory says a common misconception is that people who are getting jobs are taking jobs rather than creating.  Saturday’s Festival is a celebration of the skills, culture, and diversity in Greensboro.  With food, art, and music, the event promises something for everyone.  Thousands attended last year and the crowd is expected to be even bigger this year.