We have served 148 resettled households through our Immediate Assistance and Mentorship programs so far this year, and over 325 households in the last 12 months.

Below are a few stories of support we’ve provided to families from Afghanistan, that speak to the value of coming alongside our refugee neighbors.

A few weeks ago, an Afghan father that we’ve been providing support to shared the following with us. He and his wife have five children.

“We came to the United States as refugees. We recently moved to Portland to be close to our family and friends, but you were the first people to visit us, asked for our needs and brought us the necessary items. We did not have anything to sleep on like pillows and blankets, or winter coats. I will never forget the kindness. Now you came and helped us with our first medical appointments, finding clinics and connecting us to volunteers. Thank you for everything!”

Another couple in their 20’s was resettled in mid-April of this year. We first learned about them through their case manager, who was working to find them an apartment. With the complexities of finding a place to live, it would be over a month before they could move into an apartment. Their case manager contacted us sharing the great news and a surprise – the couple was moving in and needed restart kits that day! Our staff responded by preparing these kits and they were delivered to the family that afternoon.

One resettled family of 12 were paired with a community group of 11 people who would be providing family mentorship. The elderly mother and her adult daughters and daughters-in-law hoped to have female mentors teach them English. After learning that one of the daughters wasn’t leaving her home because she didn’t have a way to transport her youngest children, one of the mentors provided a stroller to meet this need. Over dinner, the mentor team learned that one of the family members was a skilled craftsperson and they’re now working to find ways to help him sell his work in Oregon.

With hundreds of households having arrived from Afghanistan 2021-2023, this makes up a large part of our work today. In addition, our Immediate Assistance and Mentorship programs have extended to those newly arriving (or who were resettled in recent years) from countries across the world, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Myanmar, Syria, and Ukraine.

Consider supporting these families through filling out our Volunteer Form. We’re in need of restart kits and volunteer mentors throughout the city. Or, give to support this work here.