5 Ways You Can Help Afghan Refugees Right Now

Prepared by Chesna E. Hinkley - Director of Christian Education & Outreach

Courtesy of the New York Times

1. Donate money

International Refugee Assistance Project – a “virtual public interest law firm” providing free legal aid to displaced persons seeking asylum. https://refugeerights.org/donate

International Rescue Committee – provides services to refugees already in the US: resettlement, economic empowerment, mental and physical healthcare, food security, citizenship, youth services, AND works on the ground in Afghanistan to provide shelter, cash assistance, healthcare, education, information on asylum, and necessities. https://help.rescue.org/donate/afghanistan?ms=gs_ppc_fy21_afghanistan_dmusa_aug&initialms=gs_ppc_fy21_afghanistan_dmusa_aug&gclid=CjwKCAjw1JeJBhB9EiwAV612y6fqWAtjhonH20wLcZ6a7Wt4VA3Ew5-5-AIKjccUbI8pH5QOqDyy3BoCSw8QAvD_BwE

Welcome Home Jersey City – supports refugees in Jersey City with employment services, education, housing, food, clothing, and healthcare. Currently partnering with the International Rescue Committee to prepare for refugees who will soon fly into Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and resettle in northern New Jersey. https://welcomehomerefugees.org/campaigns/afghan-siv-refugee-support/

World Vision – provides humanitarian aid all over the world, including in Afghanistan. These funds will not go exclusively to Afghans:

a.     Refugee Children’s Crisis Fund – multiplies for four times the impact. https://donate.worldvision.org/give/refugee-childrens-crisis-fund

b.     Girls and Women in Crisis Fund. https://donate.worldvision.org/give/girls-women-in-crisis

c.      Where Most Needed. https://www.worldvision.org/donate

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society – resettles and provides legal support for refugees (not exclusively Afghans). https://act.hias.org/page/31034/donate/1

Ruth’s Refuge – partially or fully furnish an apartment for a refugee (not exclusively Afghans). https://donorbox.org/making-home-a-reality-ruth-s-refuge-ongoing-support.

2. Donate in-kind

For families with children: be a New Neighborhoods Partnership “partner family” to a family with slightly younger children and commit to providing 2-3 packages of hand-me-down clothing in a year. https://www.newneighborspartnership.org/

HIAS is looking for Uber gift cards for refugees (will not go exclusively to Afghans). Purchase here: https://uberus.launchgiftcards.com/?uclick_id=71cb43d4-7b49-416f-90c3-ffab77b7f48b and email the code to inkinddonations@hias.org.

Donate airline miles, points, vouchers, or cash (supports “most urgent flight requests, which includes, but is not limited to, Afghanistan). https://miles4migrants.org/donate/ Lonely Planet is matching up to $20,000 in donations via this page: https://miles4migrants.org/campaign-pointsguy/?utm_source=corporate_partner&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=thepointsguy&utm_term=7013i000000d3m5aak

Ruth’s Refuge collects and purchases furniture for refugees. You can donate certain items from a pet, smoke, and bug-free home by sending a picture to leah@ruthsrefuge.org. See a list of accepted items here: https://ruthsrefuge.org/donate-items. Items must be delivered to Park Slope. You can also shop from their Target wish list here: https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift-giver?occasionType=CHARITY&ref=reg_home_friends_fam&registryId=9b4f8040-8938-11eb-ba36-ed64c62c153d&type=CHARITY.

Welcome Home Jersey City is looking for bikes, laptops, and cell phones. https://welcomehomerefugees.org/donate-items/

If you host an apartment on Airbnb, learn about opening it to a refugee family here: https://www.airbnb.org/get-involved?locale=en. To donate to Airbnb stays, click here: https://www.airbnb.com/for-airbnb-org/donate?ref=airbnb_org_site_get_involved.

3. Work

The International Rescue Committee is seeking a paid Volunteer Coordinator in New York. https://www.rescue.org/volunteer/volunteer-coordinator-civic-corps-paid

Help asylum seekers fill out Immigration Forms (remote). https://www.catholiccharitiesnyvolunteer.org/opportunity/a0C6T000013urZcUAI?layoutViewMode=tablet

A task force at Welcome Home Jersey City is looking for someone with expertise in residential rental properties and issues to provide some consulting on their housing work. Contact Chesna (ceh@mapc.com) to be put in touch.

Translate or interpret from Russian, Ukrainian, Dari, Pashto, Farsi, Sri Lankan Tamil, Arabic, French or Spanish. Immigration Court Help Desk Information Sessions: https://www.catholiccharitiesnyvolunteer.org/opportunity/a0C6T000013mRm8UAE?layoutViewMode=tablet Various appointments: https://www.hias.org/volunteer/nyc

Serve as a Career Mentor (two hours per week for five months). https://www.hias.org/volunteer/nyc

Serve as a Cultural Orientation Facilitator (requires professional expertise). https://app.betterimpact.com/PublicOrganization/ad512449-4ba6-40b7-b03b-8063db695f6d/Gvi/a552c51b-4699-4ae5-b862-b31e827a9b1b/2

Various virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities at Welcome Home Jersey City. https://welcomehomerefugees.org/volunteer/

Donate pro bono legal services (remote). https://www.hias.org/what/pro-bono-program-us

Help your company develop a relationship with the Refugee Employment Partnership, cosponsored by Congregation B’nai Jeshurun and Rutgers Presbyterian Church. This group helps refugees find employment. They connect with several other NGOs to find clients ready for work and assist them in interviewing skills and resume writing. They are also developing a network of NYC companies particularly interested in hiring refugees. https://www.refugeeemployment.org/

4. Advocate

Get help contacting members of Congress at https://vfai.quorum.us/campaign/32678/ 

5. Pray

For physical safety.

For justice, education, healthcare, and freedom of movement for girls and women.

That families would remain intact.

For protection for religious minorities, LGBT people, political dissidents, and journalists.

For the safety and witness of Afghan Christians.