Utah refugees celebrate holidays with help from friends

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Recently settled refugees to the Salt Lake City area enjoy a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Recently settled refugees in the Salt Lake City area enjoy a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Sarah Achir, left, and her mother, Kaldya Al Dif,e enjoy a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. They arrived from Iraq six months ago. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Ringding Latin, a refugee from Myanmar, ponders all the different kinds of food on the buffet line at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish on Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. She and her parents and two other siblings came from Myanmar about a year ago. Her father has found work, her mother is learning English and she and her brother and sister are attending school. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Desire Ramazan, a refugee from Burundi, bites into a slice of pizza at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. He and his mother and five brothers and sisters lived for five years in a Malawi refugee camp before making it to Utah seven months ago. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Mu Su Tee, a refugee from Myanmar, enjoys a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. She spent time in Thailand before finally arriving with her husband and six chidren in the Salt Lake area four months ago. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune
Ian McIntire, 6, and his new friend Zugman Fiidow, 6, bat a ballon around at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. Fiidow is a recently arrived refugee from Somalia. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

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Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Recently settled refugees to the Salt Lake City area enjoy a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Recently settled refugees in the Salt Lake City area enjoy a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Sarah Achir, left, and her mother, Kaldya Al Dif,e enjoy a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. They arrived from Iraq six months ago. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Ringding Latin, a refugee from Myanmar, ponders all the different kinds of food on the buffet line at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish on Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. She and her parents and two other siblings came from Myanmar about a year ago. Her father has found work, her mother is learning English and she and her brother and sister are attending school. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Desire Ramazan, a refugee from Burundi, bites into a slice of pizza at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. He and his mother and five brothers and sisters lived for five years in a Malawi refugee camp before making it to Utah seven months ago. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Mu Su Tee, a refugee from Myanmar, enjoys a feast of traditional and American food at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. She spent time in Thailand before finally arriving with her husband and six chidren in the Salt Lake area four months ago. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party. Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune Ian McIntire, 6, and his new friend Zugman Fiidow, 6, bat a ballon around at the Refugee Christmas Party sponsored by Catholic Community Services of Utah at St. Vincent de Paul Parish Sunday Dec. 8, 2013. Fiidow is a recently arrived refugee from Somalia. Each year, Utah receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world. And each year, Catholic Community Services of Utah (CCS) helps to welcome them with this party.

The Salt Lake Tribune

· December 9, 2013 10:48 am

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Catholic Community Services of Utah hosted its annual Refugee Christmas Party on Sunday at the St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Holladay.

Each year, the state receives approximately 1,200 refugees from all around the world, according to CCS, and the annual party is aimed at welcoming them.

CCS offers numerous services to refugees, including assistance in adapting to their resettlement in Utah, immigration services and foster care for unaccompanied children.

For more information on CCS, go to http://www.ccsutah.org.