Finding home at The Sound on 76th

Ali’s remarks from The Sound on 76th grand opening:

Hello everyone, thank you for being here today. My name is Ali, and I moved into the Sound on 76th in April with my wife and two of my children. So far, it has been a wonderful experience. And while we are still making the transition to our new home, we are so glad to be here.

I was born in Somalia in 1950, and I moved to Italy to complete my high school. I studied there through university, and ultimately got a master’s degree in chemistry for textiles. After that, I moved back to Somalia and began working at a textile company. And I started to build a family.

But in 1991, the civil war in Somalia made it dangerous to continue to live there. All Somalis have been displaced by the civil war.

Some went into the rural area, some went to different countries – in East Africa, Arab countries, Europe, Australia, the United States, etc. I fled with my wife and our children, south to the Kenya border. And for nine years, we were transferred from refugee camp to refugee camp.

In 1999, I found out about a program that would allow us to resettle in the United States. We were placed in Lansing, Michigan.

None of my experience in textiles applied. All the jobs were in the automotive industry. I had to earn a minimum wage working in the factories there. The transition was very difficult for all my family.

We had some relatives in Minnesota, and they told us that this would be a great place for us.
And as we get older, we need to be closer to our family members.

Finding an affordable place to live is hard. One of my nine children, now grown up with her own family, lived at another Aeon property.
She told us this company cared about helping people, and it kept the rent affordable. She told us that this is the company to trust.
So, we applied to live at a new Aeon property that opened in September. We didn’t get into that building, but they transferred our application here, to the Sound. And we got it!

Now, my wife and my two youngest children live with me here. And we’re close to our other family who live in Minneapolis.
This is a wonderful place to live. The schools are strong and so supportive of my youngest daughter, who has a chromosome disorder and developmental disabilities.

We are close to various resources, like stores, health institutions, schools, highways, and more. And we are close to family.

And the management! Miss Margaret – she’s my good news lady. The day she called me to tell me we were accepted was one of the happiest days! We have been received with respect and friendship. Miss Margaret is now a part of our community.

We have found a place in this country where we feel most comfortable. We have found a new home. We would like to stay here forever.

I would like to thank all the people here who helped support The Sound. You have helped us feel a sense of stability in a world that is always changing. Now it is our responsibility to be cooperative in maintaining this building, and in taking care of all these resources.

I am just one of the people you have helped by supporting this building. We all have different stories, but we all have found a home here at the Sound. This home is a blessing, and I am so grateful.

Thank you.