Update: August 2021 Afghan Refugee Support
Supplies gathered through Amazon and physical donations at Houndstooth
In the coming months, Texas is expected to receive nearly 4,000 Afghan refugees as a result of the crisis in Afghanistan, with 560 refugees having already been resettled in Texas. However, these numbers could substantially increase, as the U.S. has provided funding for the resettlement of up to 95,000 refugees total in the coming fiscal years. And if the numbers follow their current trend, the DFW area will receive a large portion of these refugees.
What began as a post on the DRP Instagram that reached roughly 2,800 people, culminated in an outpouring of donations from the Dallas community. These donations consisted of diapers, clothes, shoes, and food, and were desperately needed by families who, merely days before, were uprooted from their only homes. These donations came in such a flood, that they quickly overran the limited storage of DRP, “It was a bit overwhelming at first, but our focus was kept on the refugees and their needs — and seeing their faces made it all worth it,” says Executive Director of the Dallas Refugee Project, Aubrey Wieberg.
Thanks to generous organizations that stepped in such as DFW Refugee Outreach Services, and Houndstooth Coffee, these donations were able to be stored until they could be distributed. Additionally, hundreds of donations were sent to the University of Dallas mailroom, causing a backlog and requiring hours of work to unload.
One of the many loads from the generosity of donors via Amazon. Special thanks to Mr. Hanson at the University of Dallas Post Office.
However, material donations were not the end of it - DRP has also received over $9,000 in purely monetary donations. This money is being put to use for any urgent needs that these families might have. For the refugees, the generous outpouring of support by the Dallas community is crucial until they find their stride in this new environment. In the span of 13 days — between August 17th and August 30th — DRP raised over $15,000 in both cash and material donations.
In the following months, long-term support for refugees is hoped to be achieved through weekly tutoring for any children who are in need, and more frequent, as well as efficient, supply drives. These drives will be tailored to the custom needs of each family who is in need. The hope is not just to be a seasonal presence for these families, but to actively provide them with resources to become the best they can be.
“The hope is not just to be a seasonal presence for these families, but to actively provide them with resources to become the best they can be. ”
Children learning multiplication by 2s with Ava LeJeune, one of the college tutors with the DRP’s “Reach for Success” tutoring program.
This tangible support for refugees comes at a vital moment in international politics.
America has wholly lost its grip on Afghanistan, causing one of the biggest humanitarian crises of the 21st century. Afghan citizens are leaving their native land in record numbers, joining the number of Afghan refugees in the U.S. that have doubled within the last decade. Since August 14th, 2021, more than 113,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban’s ruthless takeover. The U.S. has accepted around 24,000 Afghan refugees as of September 1st; however, the final number could be substantially larger, as Biden has raised the ceiling of immigration to 125,000. When all is said and done, roughly 33% of all Afghan immigrants would have arrived as a result of the recent Taliban takeover.
“This crisis, far from driving a political wedge between one another, should bring out a genuine, authentic kindness and compassion from us.”
This crisis, far from driving a political wedge between one another, should bring out a genuine, authentic kindness and compassion from us, towards refugees who have had their world stolen from them. There is nothing we can do that is too small - every act of kindness has value.
