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Afghans helping Afghans: Case workers in Burlington outline their struggle to respond to federal funding freeze – VTDigger

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2025

Afghans helping Afghans: Case workers in Burlington outline their struggle to respond to federal funding freeze – VTDigger

Drukhshan Farhad is a program worker at the Vermont Afghan Alliance in Burlington. Seen on Thursday, Feb. 20. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger

BURLINGTON— At 17, he was on the front lines in Afghanistan, shoulder to shoulder with foreign soldiers, fighting America’s longest war.

Now he is a case worker at the Vermont Afghan Alliance teaching new refugees how to drive and helping with translation and interpretation.

Originally from Herat in Afghanistan, Hamed Noorzai didn’t know how to drive when he arrived in the United States in October 2023. But when he saw a driving instructor job advertised by the alliance, he applied. Then he hopped into the Toyota Corolla the alliance uses for training, learned the ropes and got his license.

Since then he has helped roughly 40 people secure their driver licenses in Vermont.

That driving program stalled last month in the aftermath of a Jan. 21 White House memo freezing federal funding for refugee support.

“Since then, we’ve faced a rollercoaster of uncertainty,” said Molly Gray, executive director of the Afghan Alliance, a small Burlington-based nonprofit. “We’ve had to prepare for a future where we go without federal funding. We’ve had to revise our budget for 2025, let a staff member go, and urgently seek new sources of funding.”

The organization, which started in 2022 as a scrappy volunteer-led effort with locally raised dollars, was one of 15 nationwide to win a three-year $256,000 Ethnic Community Self Help grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2023. That money helped open an office, hire Afghan program officers and provide direct services to the Afghan community statewide, Gray said. The alliance now has seven paid staff offering services ranging from English and driving lessons to training on legal rights and citizenship. And, Gray estimated, it has helped more than 200 of the estimated 600 Afghans relocated in Vermont.

The Trump administration’s recent halt on refugee arrivals from Afghanistan and Pakistan and the funding freeze represent “a shameful, systematic abandonment of those who risked their lives in support of U.S. military and diplomatic missions,” Gray said in an email today.

She learned of the funding freeze when she tried to log into the federal payment management system on Jan. 28.

They weren’t able to access the system for three weeks, she said Thursday. Access has since resumed thanks to a temporary restraining order put in place by a federal court judge in Rhode Island. A hearing on the case — in which Vermont is a plaintiff along with more than 20 other states — took place Friday, though the judge’s order is not expected immediately.

Meanwhile, the future is uncertain for initiatives such as the driving program, which helped 35 Afghans get their licenses last year, 10 of whom were women.

On the front lines

For Noorzai, the Trump administration’s actions are a slap in the face. But he chose his words carefully during an interview this week. He talked about honor. And he talked about betrayal.

“I was a good fighter. I was translating Taliban passwords in radio chats,” he said. His work on the frontlines in Kandahar helped save dozens of American lives, he estimated.

Afghans like himself supported America for two decades so helping the Afghans who have made huge sacrifices and are here now would be the honorable thing for America to do, he said.

Noorzai, 32, didn’t finish school and his family didn’t know he had joined the military. And it was his American brothers in the military who helped him escape after the country was overtaken by the Taliban, he said.

He said he loves his American friends. That feeling doesn’t extend to the current federal government.

He once dreamed of being a doctor. Someday he hopes he can follow that dream. For now, Noorzai said he is happy he is helping other Afghans improve their lives and take a step towards independence by learning how to drive in Vermont.

His colleague at the Afghan Alliance, Drukhshan Farhad, also takes deep pride in the work she does to help fellow Afghans. Again, it is not without some conflict.

“There are days when I think, is my work really helping people or am I making them co-dependent,” said the 27-year-old program officer.

Suspension of federal funding hits Vermont refugee resettlement agencies and dozens of new arrivals

“Then there are days where I’m like, oh my goodness if I got hit by a truck today, how many people will lose their minds tomorrow? Because their livelihood depends on me. Basically, I am their eyes and ears, sometimes in the most important ways,” she said.

This includes something as mundane as sorting through their mail to weed out important notices from junk mail, she said.

Originally from a small village in Badakhshan in northeast Afghanistan, Farhad came from a progressive family, didn’t cover her head, went to study alone in Kabul at 17, and attended the American University there which involved going through multiple checkposts daily during the war. There was an outer wall riddled with bullet holes, she recalled, and sometimes they had to pause lessons because of the gunfire raging outside.

A brilliant student, Farhad recounted the many hurdles she overcame to come to the United States on a full scholarship at Norwich University in August 2017. She was the first and only female student from Afghanistan there, she said.

Far away from home and family, the news of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 “felt unreal,” she said, as her family moved to Pakistan to escape the Taliban.

In 2022, she helped the university organize an international event on campus to celebrate Nowroz, the Afghan New Year, as vice president of intercultural student organization on campus. It involved kite flying, henna, Afghan food and music. That’s where she met Gray, Vermont’s former lieutenant general, who would later hire her to work at the alliance

When Gray received news of the federal grant in September 2023, she called Farhad because she knew she would need someone with strong language and translation skills.

Fluent in English, Dari and Pashto, Farhad now helps with interpretation, translation, case management and leads the alliance’s legal rights training and community engagement programs.

Now Farhad’s work is potentially at risk.

“So we now have to move forward without those funds, or at least presume that we will not have consistent access to them,” Gray said.

‘An incredible ambassador’

Sayed Yassin Hashimi, a case worker at the alliance, said it’s always a good feeling to help people, especially, his own.

Last year he closed 92 cases which included helping to connect new Afghan refugees to jobs, English lessons, driving classes. He also helped create a free tax filing clinic and a program through which the alliance can serve as an intermediary between an employer and a new Afghan employee if a problem arises.

Hashimi, 29, was one of many U.S. allies in Afghanistan when Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021. “That was like the darkest night in my life,” he recalled.

With an undergraduate degree in political science, journalism and English literature from an Indian university, Hashimi said he dreamed of being an ambassador to help bring peace and democracy to the world. Originally from Bamyan in central Afghanistan, he helped the U.S. embassy as an interpreter during the war. But that night changed everything.

After months of terror — including the Taliban showing up at his house in Kabul in an effort to track down those who had been helping the U.S. government and being separated from his large family — Hashimi escaped to Washington D.C. in June 2023.

Three months later he moved to Georgia, Vermont for a job at Perrigo, a manufacturer of infant formula. While a far cry from his dreams, Hashimi said he was glad to take it to support his family, who, by then, had fled to Pakistan. “I did not have any other choice,” he said.

Months later he spotted a case worker job at the alliance, applied and joined the organization in January 2023.

“Yassin is an incredible ambassador for the organization and he is also extremely entrepreneurial. When he sees a need in the community, he finds a way to create a program to address the need,” said Gray.

Hashimi said he doesn’t know what to think about the federal freeze and the recent attacks on the country’s most vulnerable under the new Trump administration.

“I think the existence of this organization is a must for this community, and that’s why we are trying our best to keep running and to maintain our existence here in Vermont,” he said.

Noorzai recalls how hard it was for him to navigate a new country and culture, especially with limited language skills. The new Afghan refugees will be lost without help, he said.

“If there is no resettlement agency, they will face lots of problems, especially those Afghans that cannot speak English. It will be like leaving them in the middle of a jungle with nothing,” he said.

Farhad doesn’t know what the future holds for her but she does know that she likes what she is doing. She knows people depend on her and because of that she said she cannot give up.

“I would fight till my last breath to keep things going — like this program,” she said.

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VT Lottery Powerball, Gimme 5 results for May 11, 2026

Published

4 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.

Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.

Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.

Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing

24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Gimme 5 numbers from May 11 drawing

11-15-17-19-27

Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 11 drawing

Day: 4-9-2

Evening: 5-4-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 11 drawing

Day: 4-3-0-3

Evening: 9-4-1-3

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from May 11 drawing

06-07-08-12-27, Megaball: 05

Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 11 drawing

42-45-46-48-56, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.

For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.

All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.

Vermont Lottery Headquarters

1311 US Route 302, Suite 100

Barre, VT

05641

When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?

Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Commentary | Afonso-Rojas: Who pays when businesses ignore risks?

Published

16 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Commentary | Afonso-Rojas: Who pays when businesses ignore risks?

In 2024, when Vermont passed the nation’s first Climate Superfund law (Act 47), it did something unusual; it sent a bill. After catastrophic flooding that turned roads into rivers, damaged homes and businesses, and strained public budgets, our little green state moved to require major fossil fuel companies, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell USA, and BP America, to help pay for the costs of climate damage. It was a striking moment for policy innovation and corporate accountability. Implicit in the law is a simple idea: these costs were predictable, and someone chose not to plan for them.

For community members across Vermont, and in similar towns nationwide, Vermont’s decision is a call to action. When major companies avoid managing environmental risks, local residents pay the price through higher taxes, damaged homes, disrupted livelihoods, and strained public services. “Good” business should mean safeguarding the communities they rely on, not shifting costs onto neighbors and taxpayers. Every time companies ignore these risks, the burden lands on local taxpayers and community budgets, not just corporate balance sheets.

Thus, community benefit must be proactively built into business models from the start. They must choose prevention over mitigation. Vermont’s Climate Superfund law makes clear that when companies fail to invest in local resilience, the burden shifts to taxpayers and neighbors. Too often, companies take from communities without investing in their strength. When disaster strikes, the community pays first, while corporate donations often arrive too late or are motivated more by public relations than genuine support.

This is inadequate and inefficient, leaving communities vulnerable and weary. Companies that prioritize local hiring, invest in regional supply chains, and partner with community organizations create stronger, more resilient neighborhoods and consumers. Local procurement reduces supply chain disruptions, and partnerships with governments and nonprofits ensure investments address real needs. Embedding community benefit is not charity; it is smart risk management that protects both businesses and residents.

However, purpose without power is empty. Many companies continue to fall into the trap of confusing “purpose” with performance, as mission statements and sustainability pledges have become synonymous with largely symbolic changes. Executives continue to be rewarded for short-term financial gains rather than long-term resilience or community impact. This results in sustainability commitments often being sidelined when they conflict with quarterly targets. If companies are serious about sustainability, they must collaborate, employ, and invest locally to reduce long-term risks and improve communities’ well-being.

Some critics of Act 47 may argue that requiring businesses to invest in sustainability and community resilience imposes unnecessary costs. But these costs do not vanish. When companies fail to manage environmental risks, families pay higher taxes, local governments stretch their budgets, and communities face lasting hardships. Vermont’s Climate Superfund law puts the responsibility back on those who caused the harm, rather than allowing community members to bear the weight.

Addressing these challenges requires companies to work directly with their stakeholders. Multi-stakeholder solutions and collaborations between businesses, governments, NGOs, and labor groups are essential for achieving meaningful impact. For example, working with local governments can improve infrastructure planning, while collaboration with community organizations ensures that projects address real needs. These partnerships transform sustainability from a corporate initiative into a collective effort with broader and more lasting benefits.

Vermont’s Climate Superfund law is, in many ways, a response to communities being left to bear the consequences of unmanaged risks. Companies must embed community benefit into their operations, align incentives with long-term outcomes, and engage in partnerships that extend beyond their own walls. Because when the bill for unmanaged risk comes due, it lands squarely on the community.

Vi Afonso-Rojas is an Honors student at the University of Rhode Island, double-majoring in Supply Chain Management and Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.

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VT Lottery Pick 3, Pick 3 Evening results for May 10, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win

Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.

Just the FAQs, USA TODAY

The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.

Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.

Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 10 drawing

Day: 3-7-1

Evening: 7-1-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing

Day: 5-6-1-9

Evening: 1-7-2-0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing

01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Vermont Lottery Headquarters

1311 US Route 302, Suite 100

Barre, VT

05641

When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily

What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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