New Hampshire’s Immigration Story includes the stories of many refugees, people who come to the United States because they can't stay in their native countries, due to violence or famine.

Many of those refugees are resettled in Manchester, but the city’s mayor, Ted Gatsas, says that needs to change. He wants a moratorium on new placements to avoid straining city services.

This week All Things Considered host Brady Carlson talked with Carolyn Benedict-Drew, the president and CEO of the International Institute of New England, which resettles refugees in New Hampshire. She says Manchester can accommodate more refugees even in a tough economy and with tight city budgets.

Pastor Joel Kruggel of the Bethany Covenant Church in Bedford talks about his congregation's work providing Sudanese refugees with their own place of worship, as well as computer literacy classes and computers.

It takes a lot of effort, determination, and bravery to come to a new country as a refugee and learn not only a new language but a new culture.

One could compare it to climbing a mountain.

A Manchester resident is going to climb a few mountains himself to raise money for the city’s refugees.

Starting tomorrow, Dan Szczesny aims to climb New Hampshire’s 4000 foot peaks… all 48 of them… in a month.

But first he joins us in the studio to talk about the project.

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In 2009, we spoke with new York Times reporter Warren St. John about his book Outcasts United– which tells the story of the Fugees soccer team and the growth of community around them.  The book is currently being featured in the Concord Reads program at the Concord Public Library.  Concord is a city that has experienced its own influx of refugees from war torn countries in recent years.  Here is what Warren had to say about the Fugees' inspiring story.

Links:

• Outcasts United
• Concord Reads

From Burundi to Burma, from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan, refugees from around the globe have been placed in New Hampshire to start their lives anew.  Here they find new freedoms and far less dangers but new challenges as well.  Many have to learn English, the American laws, become educated and find work.  Federal programs help a lot but so do the cities and towns in which they are placed.  Now Manchester wants to put a moratorium on any new refugees resettling here.  City officials worry that they currently don't have enough resources to assist its current residents and with tight budgets getting tighter, the problem could become worse.  Today we'll look at New Hampshire's current refugee populations, what's being done to get them settled, the challenges they face and look at both sides o