By: Ryan Duey

Ana Mendonca, executive director of the Manhattan Area Resettlement Team (MART), spoke emotionally at the second annual block party hosted by the organization in Blue Earth Plaza on September 21st. She highlighted how community support is improving lives, saying, “People are helping each other, and it’s making this world much better.”

Local leaders like state Sen. Usha Reddi and Manhattan Mayor Susan Adamchak also attended. Reddi praised efforts to integrate children from resettled families into local schools.

Since MART’s founding in 2021, it has helped over 200 Afghans settle in Manhattan, with more refugees from countries like Venezuela and Guatemala expected. The Shakoory family, who arrived in late 2021, will soon move into their new home in Omaha. Afghan adults have received technical training, including beekeeping certifications. MART’s efforts have been nationally recognized as a model for refugee resettlement.