On a blistering late July morning, about a dozen elementary and middle school-aged kids were busy washing and chopping vegetables at a farm southwest of Chapel Hill.
As they rinsed water spinach and chopped shallots, squashes and a large water gourd, an adult supervising them, Hsar Ree Ree Wei, loudly directed volunteers to stir fry the vegetables and cook fried rice. The group is cooking meals for refugee families who earlier this month had to evacuate their homes at the public housing complex on South Estes Drive in Chapel Hill due to flooding from Tropical Storm Chantal. The young volunteers also identify as first and second generation refugees and are neighbors of the families they’re helping.
Wei poured a fresh batch of stir-fried squash and water gourd into a Tupperware container, telling the volunteers which family will receive it…