Port resident offers a warm welcome to Afghan women

Sep. 29—NEWBURYPORT — A local woman has spent most of 2022 offering a friendly face to local Afghan evacuees and her congressman has taken notice.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, awards the Peter J. Gomes Service Award to constituents of the 6th Congressional District who exemplify the qualities of integrity, compassion and unwavering commitment to their community.

Shandel Drive resident Shelia Trieff is one of six nominees for the Gomes Service Award with the winner to be announced Friday in Salem.

Trieff came to Moulton's attention for her efforts in helping to resettle roughly 40 Afghan evacuees in Newburyport since January and said she has been one of at least 60 local volunteers who have been working with the assistance of churches in Newburyport and West Newbury to get the job done.

Moulton said in an email that Trieff has done "remarkable work" supporting Afghan women in Newburyport.

"She has gone above and beyond the call of duty and truly makes a positive impact on the lives of others each day," the congressman said. "It's a true privilege to publicly recognize Sheila's commitment to service. We're all grateful for her continued dedication to this challenging work and I hope she keeps at it."

Trieff, a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, heard about the refugees coming to the city late last year and was concerned they may arrive under duress.

"These were not people who were looking to go to the United States," she said. "They had to be evacuated because their lives and their families' lives were at risk."

The clinical therapist called upon her experience working with grief and trauma to form a weekly women's group that provides the Afghan women friendship, conversation and a sense of community.

"I personally believe that, if women do better, families do better," she said.

Finding a Dari-speaking translator was one of Trieff's first missions when forming her women's group. The Afghan women would settle on sewing as a primary activity for their weekly meetings. But Trieff said the sewing machines would eventually be set aside for some basic chitchat.

"These women wouldn't necessarily see each other for the rest of the week but they would come to group and just chat," she said. "Talk, talk, talk. With benefit of the interpreter, we could get an idea of what they were talking about."

From those conversations, Trieff and fellow volunteers were able to ascertain what the newcomers needed or missed. They were also able to get some firsthand accounts of the women's recent experiences.

"We heard some very poignant stories about what it was like to leave," Trieff said. "How do you leave a country you have grown up in with three hours of preparation to make your goodbyes and get nine children to the airport? All the while, they were going through Taliban checkpoints."

Learning from the newcomers has been "a lovely opportunity," she said.

"It has been really eye-opening for me and has helped me understand the context of what these women are concerned about, what they are pleased about," Trieff said. "They have been through a really tough time. So, of course, they would be feeling sad or homesick or uncertain. They are in touch with their families in Afghanistan and they hear terrible things about what is going on there and they share that."

Trieff said she is happy to help in any way she can and added that there have been plenty of English tutors, doctors, dentists, barbers and hairdressers who have also offered their services to the newcomers as well.

"So many people have helped and continue to help," she said.

The women's group continues to meet weekly and has been working on a social enterprise program with the New American Association of Massachusetts that teaches them how to make crafts they may be able to sell.

"All the fathers are working but they are hoping to help contribute to their families' incomes," she said.

Trieff joins Hannah Finn and Claudia Mintz of Andover, Lyn Freeman of Salem, Erica McNamara of Reading and Gordon Shepard of Saugus as the Peter J. Gomes Service Award nominees and the winner will be announced at the Old Town Hall in Salem on Friday afternoon.

People interested in helping the Afghan newcomers can reach out to the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist of Newburyport, Central Congregational Church in Newburyport or West Newbury Congregational Church to learn more.

"If this award would be given to me, it would have to be given to about 100 other people," Trieff said. "I couldn't do what I do and the families couldn't do what they do without all of the volunteers."

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Newburyport for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.