Labor of Love Walk, helps raise money for refugees and immigrants

It’s called the Labor for Love Walk, and some local families used their day off from school or work to walk Monday to benefit the school liaison program of Refugee and Immigration Services.  The office helps refugees and immigrants who have moved into the Roanoke Valley, looking for a better life.
The students come from many different countries.  Some have been in America 5 years or more, others less than a year. 
“One of the challenges we are trying to address here, is for the kids it is a big gap between where their life has been, and where they find themselves when they come to Roanoke.  It takes 5 years to learn a language, but we drop them into school in a year and expect them to catch up.  They may never have attended school before”, says Beth Lutjen, Regional Director of Refugee and Immigration Services.
All the money raised during the walk will help school liaison personnel find the students a better quality of life in our area.  Lutjen says,“We need to raise money for all the other expenses that we have to help refugee and immigrant children.  Helping them be successful in school.“
Hoping the schooling advantages these kids can find in our area, will help them become whatever they want to be.  “It’s just special when you know where they came from, and know the future they did not have.  Now, they have all of these opportunities in front of them”, said Lutjen.
This was the first year for the Labor of Love Walk, but organizers hope it will be an annual event.