Helping Our Afghan Allies

Helping Our Afghan Allies

From Elisabeth Foster

Our Afghan Allies have begun arriving in the U.S. and are awaiting relocation with their families. We are fundraising to provide all setup for their new home including furniture, food, and other supplies.

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Update #1

over 2 years ago

We are thrilled to note that we have added an additional $400 from donations outside of the Fundly platform, bringing us to 30% of our goal. Please help us spread the word so that we can provide a warm welcome to our Afghan Allies in their new home.

More Info

Our Afghan Allies have begun arriving at Fort Lee, Virginia and are awaiting relocation with their families. The DMV area will be welcoming over 2,500 individuals in less than six weeks. Through the leadership of Lutheran Social Services National Capital Area (LSSNCA), we are fundraising to provide transportation, housing, food, and other basic needs to our new neighbors, many of whom have received just a few days’ notice of their departure to the United States. LSSNCA was founded in 1917 and has since mobilized hundreds of community partners to provide critical services for refugees.

We have pledged to offer a variety of services that will help ease the transition for these new arrivals. We will be collecting donations for transportation and basic supplies, as well as arranging an organized home setup for a new arrival family. This means that we will be fundraising, collecting donations, and shopping to ensure our Afghan Allies' new home is furnished, has basic necessities, and has a week's worth of culturally appropriate meals/groceries. Some of the items we will be purchasing include: mattresses, towels, linens, clothing, pots and pans, blankets, cleaning supplies, car seats, children's toys and much more. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to make a family's new home special.

If you are located in the DMV area, and would like to donate physical household items directly, please contact Elisabeth through the GoFundMe platform messaging. 

 

The Current Situation

Since 2002, the U.S. government has employed Afghan Allies to serve alongside its troops, diplomats, and other government employees to advance U.S. military and diplomatic goals. As a result of their affiliation, these individuals and their families suffer direct threats to their safety as they have become the targets of anti-American violence. As a result of the continuing violence towards Afghan Allies, the Biden Administration has begun evacuating approximately 2,500 individuals and their families.

Once evacuated, Afghan Allies and their families are paroled into the United States and housed briefly at Ft. Lee, located outside of Richmond, VA. Once all immigration paperwork and medical screenings are complete, their status is adjusted to Special Immigrant Visa and then transported to their final destination. The majority of SIV holders are expected to resettle in the D.C. Metro Area, and be served by the network of local resettlement agencies including LSSNCA. For more information on the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and the current state of affairs: https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan?utm_source=dailybrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyBrief2021Aug16&utm_term=DailyNewsBrief

 

Welcoming New Neighbors

When a refugee or SIV family is assured with LSSNCA, they are assigned a case manager through the Reception & Placement (R&P) program, which is funded by the U.S. State Department. The R&P program provides initial support, including:

  • securing housing for the family
  • picking up the family at the airport (or Fort Lee)
  • arranging a home setup
  • ensuring a culturally appropriate meal and a week’s worth of groceries are ready for the family in the home when they arrive

 

For more information about the services that LSSNCA is offering incoming Afghan refugees, feel free to explore their website: https://lssnca.org/take_action/afghan-allies.html

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Elisabeth Foster posted a new update:
over 2 years ago

Update #1

We are thrilled to note that we have added an additional $400 from donations outside of the Fundly platform, bringing us to 30% of our goal. Please help us spread the word so that we can provide a warm welcome to our Afghan Allies in their new home.

Join the Conversation

Sign in with your Facebook account or

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