Welcoming Afghans

Photo: Joshua Roberts/Getty Images

Following the fall of Kabul and the evacuation of Afghan friends and allies, an estimated 75,000 Afghans are arriving in the United States to rebuild their lives. They are fleeing retribution or persecution from the Taliban and have one goal: to live in safety. It is in our power to help them meet it.

CWS is one of the key organizations welcoming and resettling newly arriving Afghans. We have worked with newly-arriving Afghans for decades. But today we are facing an unprecedented number of new arrivals.  Our nationwide network is preparing to support these families with housing, legal assistance, case management, mental health support, medical care, school enrollment and community sponsorship. CWS staff have been deployed to designated military bases to assist with immediate processing of arrivals. We cannot do this alone. We need funds, volunteers and community support. We are also in immediate need of facilities that could be used as or converted into living spaces either temporarily or long-term.

The needs that are arising are extraordinary. So is the generosity that is swelling as we stand together to meet them. Will you join us?


Here are a few ways your support could help a newly-arrived Afghan family

$75

can provide a welcome meal for a family

$250

can fill a pantry with groceries

$500

can provide beds and bedding for a family of four

$1,000

can provide a month's rent for a family

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We are ready and willing to welcome Afghan refugees. As our team prepares to receive new families and continues to assist folks who are forced to leave their homes, we are seeing an outpouring of support locally. Our community is stepping up to offer much needed assistance: help finding transitional and permanent housing, organizing donation drives for clothing and household items, and offering to volunteer to help newcomers adjust to life in the United States and recover from the trauma they have experienced.

CWS team in Harrisonburg, VA

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Serving since 2004 as Greater Lexington's CROP Hunger Walk organizer, I quickly learned and deeply appreciated CWS impact on meeting the needs of all God's children near and far. I can't imagine the fear, pain and suffering the Afghan community has endured from the Taliban. I do know CWS will help our arriving refugees find a safe place to live; giving hope and restoring dignity. For that, I am exceedingly grateful! My financial gift, along with my ongoing prayers, is what I must do.

Judy Maxson, Lexington, KY