BUTTE, Mont. -- Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a holiday which honors a man who fought so hard for love and acceptance among his community, regardless of cultural background. The volunteer organization Butte Heart, at its community kickoff on MLK Day, had a similar message, as they prepare to welcome a group of Afghan refugees into the Mining City.
Butte Heart is a volunteer organization formed out of concern for the people of Afghanistan, many of whom were forced out of their home nation after years of war and poverty. Approximately 12 emigrants will be arriving in Butte within the coming months.
And as Butte Heart, backed financially by the Butte America Foundation, looks to welcome those refugees to the Mining City, nearly the entire community has rallied around them.
"People of all walks of life [have been] offering furniture, clothing, kitchen [utensils], pots, pans, things like that," said Daniel Hogan, general manager for the Butte America Foundation's radio station KBMF and member of Butte Heart. "Basically anyone that we have approached about being a part of it has been interested in it."
Additionally, Hogan mentioned Butte Catholic Community North (whose pastor, Father Patrick Beretta, spoke at Monday's meeting), the Butte Teachers' Union, the Butte School District, and St. James Healthcare as other organizations that have already offered support.
In December, Butte Heart received a $15,000 fund from the Schultz Family Foundation to help with the resettlement process. But that money will only scratch the surface of what Butte Heart needs to properly welcome the refugees, especially when it comes to finding them happy homes.
"The biggest challenge is housing," Hogan said. "We want to have more than one refugee family here in Butte, and in order to do that, you have to have housing for more than one family. And housing is slim right now, whether you're from Afghanistan or if you were born and raised in Butte."
Housing options and other issues will be on the agenda the next time Butte Heart meets with the community, but they're hopeful that through the power of Butte, America, they'll have the resources they need to welcome the refugees as early as February.
Butte Heart is still looking for plenty more volunteers and donations, even from people who didn't attend Monday's meeting. You can reach out at butteheart@gmail.com or visit https://www.butteamericafoundation.org/heart if you want to learn more, or if you're interested in lending a hand to a group of people that will soon become the newest residents of the Mining City.
