Afghan evacuations are still underway in the wake of a full military and diplomatic withdrawal from Afghanistan by the United States. As Afghans begin to end their processing through government facilities, they are heading into American communities. There are tens of thousands of Afghans in the evacuation and resettlement process right now, so expect the need for resources to increase rapidly as more enter the United States and move to various towns and cities.
Top Organizations To Help Support Afghan Evacuees
Here are just some of the hundreds of organizations that are taking part in helping Afghans resettle in America. You can help by donating your time or money to them. Some below are veteran owned or fueled, and others are very active and experienced in this mission. Many people are asking me personally how to assist; these are some of the many ways.
1. World Relief
“For over 75 years, across 100 countries, we’ve been tackling the world’s greatest problems with sustainable solutions, transforming communities from the inside out.”
World Relief has offices throughout the United States, and they are seeking volunteers and donors right now. You can follow either of these links to find out how you can assist World Relief.
https://worldrelief.org/volunteer/ or https://worldrelief.org/respond/
2. Team Rubicon Disaster Response
Team Rubicon’s grey shirts are now synonymous with disaster volunteerism. They believe that Veterans “unique skills, experience, and passion for serving others make them America’s greatest national resource.”
They are supporting State and DoD efforts at Wisconsin: Volk Field and Fort McCoy, in New Jersey: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, in New Mexico: Dona Ana Range / Holloman Air Force Base, and in New Mexico/Texas: Fort Bliss, in Virginia: Quantico and Fort Pickett, and in Indiana: Camp Atterbury.
“Team Rubicon is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that utilizes the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams, founded in 2010.”
You can learn more about how to help here at https://teamrubiconusa.org/resettlement and see the items they are seeking here https://rollcall.teamrubiconusa.org/Team-Rubicons-Afghan-Resettlement-Support-and-Needs.pdf .
3. The City of Fremont California
Fremont California is one of the largest Afghan-American populated cities in the U.S. Fremont’s Human Services Department is raising money to provide direct assistance to Afghan refugees who are arriving to the Tri-City area. They are seeking volunteers, donation items, funding for their relief fund, and arranging housing right now.
You can learn more here. https://www.fremont.gov/ARHelp
4. Camp Resilient North Carolina
Camp Resilient provides outdoor therapy programs to help people cope with traumas associated with military service. They already serve active-duty service-members, veterans, and their families in North Carolina. Now they are building programs to allow soldiers and their former interpreters to go through therapy together and offering additional programs for Afghans being resettled in North Carolina. You can learn more about their programs and make donations here to help them expand their efforts to assist Afghans. https://campresilientnc.org/what-we-offer/
5. AirBnB
For eight years now Airbnb has helped people in times of crisis through their Open Homes initiative. Airbnb.org is the next stage of their efforts. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. “In an emergency, you can show up for your community by offering people in crisis a place to stay, including Afghan refugees.” One of the top priorities for Afghans will be a place to stay. Find out more here.
https://www.airbnb.org/get-involved?locale=en
6. HIAS
Founded as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in 1881 to assist Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia and Eastern Europe, HIAS welcomes all who have fled persecution. And they are working to help Afghans right now. You can learn how to help here https://www.hias.org/afghan-refugee-crisis-how-you-can-help and find out where their affiliates are across America here https://www.hias.org/what/resettlement-partners .
7. No One Left Behind
No One Left Behind is a nation-wide association of wartime allies headquartered in the United States that is “dedicated to ensuring that America keeps its promise to our interpreters from Iraq and Afghanistan.” Their vision is to ensure “that each wartime ally is honored for his or her courageous service. We want their families to achieve the American Dream.” They are very active right now in the evacuation and resettlement efforts for former Afghan interpreters and their families. Here are some of the many ways that SIV holders can be helped https://nooneleft.org/get-help-from-nolb/
Want More Options?
For more ideas about how you can help, talk to your local non-profit groups, watch your local news, and statements from The Office of Refugee Resettlement at the Department of Health and Human Services, and your states refugee agencies here https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/map/find-resources-and-contacts-your-state
These agencies can tell you about the volunteers working to resettle Afghans like this https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/contact-information/state-north-carolina-programs-and-services-locality .
