Vermont
‘You are welcome here’: World Refugee Day draws new Vermonters to celebrate with allies, volunteers – VTDigger
BURLINGTON – Shabir Ayoubi and his wife were approved to resettle in the United States more than a year ago, but navigating bureaucracy stalled the process for months and required expensive visits to U.S. embassies in Pakistan. They eventually arrived in Vermont one snowy evening two months ago.
One of the state’s newest residents, Ayoubi, who now lives in Burlington, was among the people celebrating World Refugee Day Saturday at Leddy Park.
“I came here by chance today,” said Ayoubi, 34. He heard about the event and got a ride from a case worker. He didn’t know it was a party and left his wife behind, he said. They don’t have a vehicle.
They are among the more than 600 Afghans resettled across Vermont after fleeing a country taken over by the Taliban, an extremist group, after what became the longest war in U.S. military history.
The U.S.-led invasion began in 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack and ended in 2021 after U.S. troops withdrew and the Taliban took control of Kabul, the capital city.
Designated by the United Nations, World Refugee Day is celebrated worldwide on June 20 to honor the strength and resilience of people forced to flee their home countries and to shine a light on their rights and needs.
On a sunny summer afternoon, more than 100 refugees enjoyed food, games and camaraderie with their families, resettlement groups, volunteers and allies in a celebration organized by the local chapter of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, a nonprofit international organization that addresses and fights for the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants.
 100vw, 1200px”/><figcaption class=)
Shabir Ayoubi, an Afghan refugee who came to Vermont two months ago, recounts his journey at a World Refugee Day celebration at Leddy Park in Burlington on June 21. Photo by Auditi Guha/VTDigger
Since 1980, USCRI has helped resettle more than 8,500 refugees in Vermont, many of whom were forced to flee their homes because of war, genocide, torture and repressive regimes. These include survivors of the Rwandan massacre, Congolese fleeing war, Afghans persecuted by the Taliban and Ukrainians whose villages were destroyed, according to a Friday press release from USCRI.
Sonali Samarasinghe, field office director of USCRI in Colchester, said the annual picnic aims to celebrate the contributions of new residents in Vermont, many of who showed up Saturday in colorful clothes and traditional attire.
“You enrich us with your culture, your religion, your skills, your food and your commitment to hard work,” she said in a brief speech Saturday. “In this beautiful diversity that we see here today, we are all unified.”
Between games, chatter, plates of heaped food — donated by community partners such as People’s Kitchen, American Flatbread, Grand Buffet, Lake Champlain Chocolate and Hannaford — families enjoyed a picnic in the sun on the shores of Lake Champlain.
 100vw, 1200px”/><figcaption class=)
FaReid Munarsyah from The People’s Kitchen serves hot food to Aline Kwizera at a World Refugee Day celebration in Leddy Park, Burlington on June 21. Photo by Auditi Guha/VTDigger
Children laughed while rolling off a large ball representing the earth, kicked around soccer balls, spun hula hoops around their bodies, ducked under a large parachute and lined up for fast-melting ice cream on a warm afternoon.
Under a tent, FaReid Munarsyah of The People’s Kitchen served up generous portions of barbecued meats.
“It’s good,” said Aline Kwizera, who came from Burundi and is a multilingual instructor in the Burlington schools. “I love that people can come, talk and share their experiences like this.”
Ellen Skapski, 76, hugged another woman and said she was her star pupil.
 speaks with some of her students at a World Refugee Day celebration at Leddy Park, Burlington on June 21, 2025. Photo by Auditi Guha/VTDigger
” data-medium-file=”https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-300×225.jpg” data-large-file=”https://i3.wp.com/vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-1200×900.jpg?crop=1&ssl=1″ fifu-data-src=”https://i3.wp.com/vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-1200×900.jpg?crop=1&ssl=1″ alt=”Two women sit and talk at an outdoor event; one wears a headscarf and the other holds a phone and cane. Other people and children are in the background under a tent.” class=”wp-image-625647″ srcset=”https://i3.wp.com/vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-1200×900.jpg?crop=1&ssl=1 1200w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-300×225.jpg 300w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-125×94.jpg 125w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-768×576.jpg 768w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-1536×1152.jpg 1536w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-2048×1536.jpg 2048w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-800×600.jpg?crop=1 800w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-600×450.jpg?crop=1 600w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-400×300.jpg?crop=1 400w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-200×150.jpg?crop=1 200w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-1024×768.jpg 1024w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-2000×1500.jpg 2000w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-780×585.jpg 780w, https://vtdigger.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/refugee-day-1-706×530.jpg 706w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”/><figcaption class=)
Longtime English tutor Ellen Skapsi (right) speaks with some of her students at a World Refugee Day celebration at Leddy Park, Burlington on June 21. Photo by Auditi Guha/VTDigger
Relocated from Afghanistan in 2024, “best student” Hamida Panjshiri was among former members of the Afghan judiciary who were relocated to the U.S. She lives in Brattleboro, is learning to drive through the Afghan Alliance’s driving program and continues to take weekly English lessons.
“I’m good. I’m happy,” she said. “Because people in Vermont are very kind.”
A French and Spanish interpreter and English tutor with USCRI for more than two decades, Skapski said, “I just love seeing my students, their progress and how much they give to the community.”
While some of the refugees were reluctant to speak about the Trump administration’s roll back of refugee aid, travel and rights, some advocates did not hold back.
“Refugees make Vermont great,” said Tracy Dolan, director of the state refugee office in a brief speech. “We need refugees in Vermont. We need immigrants in Vermont. And we are happy to share our home with you. And no matter what is happening outside of Vermont, no matter what is happening in the country or with the government, we can be together and we can focus on the positive. And we will keep fighting. We will keep fighting for you.”
State Treasurer Mike Pieciak said generations of refugees and immigrants have helped build a stronger nation, from the first Pilgrims fleeing religious persecution in England to his own ancestors to the new refugees who call Vermont home.
“As state treasurer, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future of the Vermont economy,” he said. “As I stand here today with you and enjoy the music, the food and the culture, I can tell you that it’s so clear that refugees do so much more than simply grow our economy. You strengthen our communities all across the state.”
“Refugees so often represent the best of what America means at its core,” he said, thanking the community for leaving behind their hardships and suffering and bringing their strength and resilience to build a life, find community, adjust to a new language and culture – and then having “the strength and the grace” to give back to Vermont with their labor, culture and presence.
Though he is happy to finally be here, to have housing and a job, Ayoubi acknowledged it has been a rough few years for his family, between fleeing Afghanistan and managing the paperwork and delays that stalled their relocation. “It was frustrating,” he said.
Before the Taliban takeover, Ayoubi said he worked in quality control and security for organizations that supported U.S. troops. Barely settled in, Ayoubi is eager to get back to work.
“I am happy to do anything,” he said.
Ayoubi resettled in Burlington in May as part of a partnership between the Vermont Afghan Alliance, USCRI, Central Vermont Refugee Action Network, and No One Left Behind to continue to welcome Afghans fleeing their homes. He has secured a job with a security services company in Burlington, the Alliance confirmed.
In the face of escalating Trump administration cuts to refugee programs and funding, the theme of this year’s celebration – solidarity with refugees – rings hollow for many refugees across the nation and in Vermont. It’s particularly egregious for the Afghans who served the U.S. but now “face significant challenges and unmet promises,” Molly Gray, executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, noted in a Friday press release.
“These Afghan allies risked their lives and the safety of their families to support U.S. missions. In return for their invaluable service, the U.S. Government promised them relocation to the United States and the opportunity to reunite with their families here in Vermont. Unfortunately, almost three years later, many of these promises remain unfulfilled,” the release stated.
Born Feb. 16, 1992
Burlington, Vermont
Died Sept. 21, 2025
Tucson, Arizona
Details of services
A memorial service in Burlington will be announced at a later date.
Jordan passed away on September 21, 2025, in Tucson, AZ. He was born in Burlington, VT, on February 16, 1992, where he lived until moving with his family to Tucson in 2003. Jordan graduated from Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson and then attended Denison University in Granville, OH.
From his youth, Jordan was a voracious reader and had an active, wide-ranging intellect. He could be seen, with a travel mug of tea in hand, walking to his elementary school, lost in the book held close to his face. With his ever-curious mind he preferred self-learning over formal education and enjoyed the camaraderie and competition of the extracurricular spelling bee team in grade school and the Academic Decathlon in high school. While at Denison Jordan was pursuing a major in Classical Studies and worked in the Online Communications department.
While growing up in Vermont, Jordan had fun outdoors during all the seasons. He loved camping, alpine skiing, playing hockey on the backyard rink, and adventures with his 4-H club. Memorable trips were ice fishing on the lake and an overnight stay in the mountains in a handmade snow shelter, both in subzero temps. Some months after moving to the Sonoran Desert, Jordan remarked that “Arizona has two seasons, summer and hell.” But he had adapted to the heat by then, having found relief at the neighborhood pool where he joined the swim team and quickly made a new group of friends. Through his Tucson 4-H club and a youth program with the AZ Game and Fish Department, he continued shooting skeet, trap, and sporting clays, a sport he first practiced in Vermont. Jordan found more friends and mentors at the Tucson range and excelled in competitions in and out of the state, ultimately becoming a certified referee. In high school he trained in ninjitsu, outdoors, year round. As a freshman at Denison he joined the sailing team and found a new passion competing in regattas around the Midwest, both for his school and on private boats.
After leaving college, Jordan lived and worked in Vermont, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson, and New York City. He was employed in administration and sales at several established companies and in startups. He also worked regularly in hospitality, starting at age 14 in the kitchen of a gelato shop and most recently as a bartender. Jordan was a talented writer, a skill he used in his work settings and in creative, expository, and critical pieces that he published online.
From a young age, Jordan was kind, affectionate, funny and loyal. He enthusiastically affirmed and celebrated his family and friends. His warmth, curiosity, and quick wit served him well, both personally and professionally. He was engaging, approachable, and non-judgmental with friends, roommates, and customers. Jordan was a skilled shopper and enjoyed fine things. He eagerly shared his opinions on bespoke clothing (steam, don’t iron!), gourmet foods, chef’s knives (stone sharpen!), literature, and opera (Maria Callas!). He was equally cozy with fast food, dive bars, trendy music, and dented vehicles.
Jordan had a heart-felt sense of justice. He was troubled by abuses of power and was an advocate for victims of systemic oppression. The suffering caused by police brutality, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and civil war in Yemen weighed heavily on his mind. He yearned for a world with more compassion, equity, and tolerance. We honor Jordan’s memory when we embrace these values and act on our moral convictions.
Jordan’s personal suffering was deeper than many of us knew and his death by suicide is a heartbreaking and devastating loss to many. Our immense grief reflects our deep love and care for him. His absence from our lives will be an ongoing sorrow but memories of his universal empathy, off-beat humor, and clever commentary will continue to make us smile and keep his spirit alive.
Jordan is survived by his mother, Michelle Mraz (Rob Backus) of Burlington; his father, Mitchell H. Kurker (Juanita) of Tucson; his brother; his grandmother, Frances Kurker of Tucson, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. He was predeceased by his grandparents, Margaret and Charles Mraz of Middlebury, VT, and his grandfather, Mitchell A. Kurker, of Tucson.
If you would like to make a contribution in Jordan’s memory, please consider your local library, center for the arts, or agency for mental health services.
Jordan’s family is grateful to those who have expressed their sympathy and provided comfort and support since his passing. Thank you.
(Photo taken by Jordan, April 2022. If you look closely at the signs you will see a message that is helpful to those who are grieving him.)
The Green Mountain State is home to a quaint combination of vintage towns, agriculture, and public land for the outdoor recreator. The state’s tallest peak, Mount Mansfield, offers spectacular mountain views on your journey to the top, and the view from the summit is nothing short of magical. At the trail, natural beauty begins in the dappled light as you wander through northern hardwood forests. The scenic trail then rises through higher evergreen fir forests, until breaking through to rare alpine-tundra where 360-degree views of the state roll out beneath you. Once you’re in the alpine section of the mountain, be sure to only walk on the rocks to protect this fragile ecosystem.
Trails in Underhill State Park start at around 2,000 feet and take you up to Mount Mansfield’s summit of 4,395 feet. It’s one of the most scenic hiking experiences in New England, regardless of the season. Fall can make for soggy boots, but the maple, beech, and birch trees blanketing the mountain’s lower elevations are ablaze in autumn color from about mid-September to mid-October. A selection of hike-in campsites in the park makes for some great fall camping spots this time of year. For those seeking a blend of challenge, beauty, and solitude, heading up in winter provides a memorable experience — you might need snowshoes, skis, crampons, or poles depending on what route you take. Spring is known as mud season in the Northeast, though it can still be a stunning scene as the hardwood forests begin to show supple, bright green baby leaves while understory flowers break through the debris. Summer in Vermont is hard to beat, though, and it’s easily the best time of year to head to Mount Mansfield. Blitz up this peak, rinse off in one of the area’s swimming holes, and stop by a sugar shack for maple soft serve ice cream on your way through the nearby town of Stowe.
Trails to hike up Mount Mansfield
It’s always a good idea to plan and prepare properly for any day hike like this one. Mount Mansfield is a noodle bowl of trails, and you need to spend a few minutes before setting out deciding which one you’re going to attempt. The summit ridge runs north to south, and its ridgeline features resemble a person’s profile on their back (nose, chin, forehead, Adam’s apple). Vermont’s iconic state-long thru-hike, called the Long Trail, traverses the summit ridge. If you start at the Lower Barnes Lot, you can hike the Long Trail to the Adam’s apple and across the ridgeline, then descend via the Hazleton Trail for a hike that totals 7.8 miles.
Approaching through Underhill State Park, on the mountain’s western side, is ideal because it’s the more remote and undeveloped side. Several classic routes lead toward the summit ridge, including the Sunset Ridge Trail, a 3-mile approach that offers a steady climb and some of the best open ridgeline views in the state. Others take the Laura Cowles Trail, a steeper and shadier route that ascends through moss-covered forest and meets the ridge above the treeline. Looped together, these trails create a perfect 4.5-mile blend of demanding hiking and tranquil scenery.
Whichever trail you take, the ultimate reward of hiking Mt. Mansfield via Underhill is the moment you break through the treeline, where the summit ridge opens into sweeping views. Lake Champlain lies to the west, the Green Mountains continue to the north and south, and on clear days, even the White Mountains of New Hampshire peek out over the horizon. Returning via the Sunset Ridge Trail offers regular vistas of the valley below, aglow with sunset colors if timed right. It’s a nice distraction from your burning thighs and achy feet.
Germany unveils new incentives to boost military recruitment amid growing Russia threat
Mamdani keeps Jessica Tisch as NYPD commissioner
Common spice may beat depression and boost sexual health, doctor says
Pope Leo XIV receives invite to throw out first pitch at White Sox new stadium
Popular TP-Link routers could be banned after risks exposed
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Mamdani keeps Jessica Tisch as NYPD commissioner
Poland to close last Russian consulate over ‘unprecedented act of sabotage’
Analysis: Is Trump a lame duck now? | CNN Politics
How Every House Member Voted to Release the Epstein Files
Lawmakers warned PennDOT of illegal immigrant-CDL crisis before bust; GOP demands answers from Shapiro
-
Vermont1 week agoNorthern Lights to dazzle skies across these US states tonight – from Washington to Vermont to Maine | Today News
-
New Jersey1 week agoPolice investigate car collision, shooting in Orange, New Jersey
-
West Virginia1 week ago
Search for coal miner trapped in flooded West Virginia mine continues for third day
-
Business7 days agoDeveloper plans to add a hotel and hundreds of residences to L.A. Live
-
Business2 days agoFire survivors can use this new portal to rebuild faster and save money
-
World1 week ago
The deadly car explosion in New Delhi is being investigated under an anti-terrorism law
-
Washington, D.C1 week agoBarack Obama surprises veterans on honor flight to DC ahead of Veterans Day
-
Culture1 week agoTest Yourself on the Settings Mentioned in These Novels About Road Trips
