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While countless people continue to help Afghan evacuees resettle in their new communities, many others are helping vulnerable immigrant families gravely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some of our favorite stories of welcome and generosity we found via our field mobilizers and news stories this year.
In a recent Only in America episode, we spoke with Debra Lang, Executive Director of KindWorks, and Russell Smith, CEO of Refugee Services of Texas, to learn about their efforts in helping to resettle Afghan individuals and families. Both Debra and Russell share that despite the drop in refugee resettlement numbers in the past couple of years, they continue to see enormous support for refugees from the broader community. Listen to the episode here.
Matt Carpenter and Rick Stockburger, two veterans who helped Afghan evacuees find safety and build new lives in Ohio using mostly social media and fundraising sites, share their mission to help 150 people evacuate Afghanistan this past fall. They also describe what some of these evacuees are facing coming to the U.S. as well as stories of working and fighting alongside Afghan nationals in the hopes of building a more democratic Afghanistan. You can watch the full conversation here.
2021 Tulsan of the Year, Cynthia Jasso, set up the Tulsa Immigrant Relief Fund to support undocumented families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since launching, with the help of the Tulsa Community Foundation, she’s helped raise $2.6 million for nearly 4,000 families in the county of Tulsa. You can read more about Jasso’s work serving immigrant populations here.
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