By Pang Yang

Here’s my family’s story:

Albermarle Street in the 1980s was filled with so much love because of Minnesota Nice. As a refugee family fleeing Laos, living at our Section 8 housing at St. Paul’s North End neighborhood for over a decade, my family was truly loved by our white neighbors. One summer, when asked, they were thrilled to take photos in my mom’s Laotian skirts.

Every Thanksgiving our table was filled with so much love including a hot delicious turkey and American sides dishes made especially for us from our fabulous neighbor. A month later. Christmas stockings were filled with coloring books, crayons, Care Bears and toys; it was more than my parents were ever able to provide for us.

Two doors down, Grandma Lorraine and Grandpa greeted us with a smile every single day after school with a cookie and sometimes even special desserts. The grandparents of Lorraine Michelson, our childhood best friend, loved us just like their own and we even called them “Grandma and Grandpa”. My siblings and I felt so special.

Those are only memories that filled our hearts for the last 20+ years. In 2010, with the help of Facebook, we were reunited with our childhood friends. Sadly, we learned that Grandma Lorraine had Alzheimer’s for the last 10 years and would not remember us. She was our one and only Grandma. In 2013, Grandma Lorraine passed away. For the memories and love our neighbors have given us, we are who we are because of you. Your love taught us to love others less fortunate than us.

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