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Girmay Gebremariam joins St. Paul staff

Welcome Girmay Gebremariam to the St. Paul Staff!
 
Beginning March 1, Girmay will serve as the church custodian.  His duties will include cleaning the church, setting up for events, and locking the building each day.
 
You may recognize Girmay as the patriarch of the family living at The Inn at St. Paul.  He, his wife, and their six children immigrated to the United States through the United States Department of State and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees after living for nine years in a refugee camp in Ethiopia.
 
“I am excited to have Girmay join our staff,” said Pastor David Wells.  “Not only will this job help Girmay provide for his family, I truly believe that Girmay will exceed our expectations as custodian of our church.”
 
Girmay’s first language is Tigrinya, a language in the same family as Hebrew and Arabic.  It is spoken primarily in Eritrea and Ethiopia.  Since coming to the United States in October, Girmay has been taking English and work readiness classes from Catholic Charities.
 
“I’ve spent a good amount of time with him,” said Amy Holliday, a member of the leadership team for The INN at St. Paul.  “He strikes me as very intelligent.  The biggest problem is going to be overcoming the language barrier.  That’s just going to take time.”
 
In the first several days, Girmay will be training with St. Paul’s Housekeeper, Fran Plum and members of the Trustees.  When you see him, be sure to introduce your self and welcome him.