Oklahoma

Why Oklahoma Afghan refugees need more than item donations

Published

3 years ago

June 19, 2022

Why Oklahoma Afghan refugees need more than item donations

Since September 2021, Catholic Charities has moved roughly 90% of Afghan households into everlasting housing — that’s almost 900 people resettling in flats and houses throughout the Oklahoma Metropolis metro space.  As the ultimate group of Afghan households arrived this spring, Afghan neighbors and supporters alike started to surprise: How will we create a spirit of welcome and belonging right here in Oklahoma Metropolis? How can we meet, kind trusting relationships, have interaction in mutual studying and share our lives — in different phrases, how will we construct neighborhood collectively?  

Earlier than arriving in Oklahoma Metropolis, many Afghan households skilled extreme trauma, having witnessed acts of violence and the overall disruption of their lives and houses, even in comparison with the chaos of dwelling by 4 many years of battle of their nation. Between having to flee in a single day with few to no private possessions, being housed on army bases for weeks or months awaiting safety processing, and having to dwell in a number of non permanent areas, Afghan households settling completely in OKC have needed to depend on others for primary wants and place their belief in full strangers.  

The generosity of the Oklahoma household in responding to this historic challenge has been almost overwhelming, flooding the Council on American Islamic Relations-Oklahoma workplace with every day calls and emails asking “What can I donate? The place can I serve? How can I assist?”  

Cash, volunteer service and donated objects are all important to defraying the bills in Afghan households in the course of the means of constructing lives right here in Oklahoma. Simply as necessary, nonetheless, are the non-public connections made as neighbors, colleagues and buddies. 

CAIR-OK volunteers have been first launched to Afghan neighbors whereas delivering halal welcome meals and baskets stuffed with hygiene merchandise, cultural and spiritual objects, in addition to toys and video games. Behind the scenes, supporters of CAIR-OK both donated cash or bought these distributed objects, in addition to culturally acquainted clothes.  

And that’s how neighborly relationships usually start — a easy greeting, a smile and a housewarming reward.  

Over the previous 9 months, a neighborhood amongst Afghan neighbors, volunteers and employees from coalition organizations continues to slowly develop as we belief each other extra deeply, share our considerations and brainstorm options to difficult points collectively. Our volunteers have made it very clear that what has made essentially the most important influence on their lives is attending to know their neighbors. And that’s as a result of these aren’t one-way exchanges of welcome, however alternatives for mutual studying about hospitality.

Volunteers are at all times greeted with peace and a smile, and are sometimes welcomed in for tea. They’ve been launched to members of the family and neighbors, and have shared tales and footage of household, considered hometowns on Google maps, realized phrases in Pashto and Dari — and all of that is usually completed with out talking the identical languages. 

As the fabric wants lower, CAIR-OK invitations you to enter this neighbor-building effort, an effort that begins with a need to be taught from and be related to your neighbors and requires nothing greater than endurance, kindness, and time. Organizations like CAIR-OK, The Spero Undertaking and Catholic Charities will provide you with steerage and any crucial coaching to introduce your self and to get to know each other in a secure and neighborly means. We promise that your efforts can be life-changing — not just for the households you join with, however for your self and your personal neighborhood as we be taught and develop collectively. 

Jen Hund manages the CAIR Refugee Useful resource Middle and a workforce of volunteers to supply help to Afghan neighbors within the OKC metro space.

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Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA STANDARD: Neighbors help clear driveways and streets after snowstorm

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

OKLAHOMA STANDARD: Neighbors help clear driveways and streets after snowstorm

TULSA, Okla — Ryder Tackett is a lifelong resident of Tulsa, and he’s happy to enjoy a little snow—but he also doesn’t mind clearing it up for drivers.

“I don’t want my parents slipping out onto the road,” he said.

He told 2News Oklahoma’s Isabel Flores about how he plows his driveway to make sure his parents stay safe after every snowfall.

This year, he said he’d ask his neighbors if they’d like their driveways plowed, too.

FLORES: “Have you seen anyone or have you yourself gone to other houses?”
TACKETT: “Uh no, I think I’m gonna do that actually. I just started.”
FLORES: “Oh wow! So you’re gonna go around?”
TACKETT: “Yeah, I think so, yeah.”

PJ Turner was also outside salting and plowing driveways.

He’s the Land Service Manager with Rancho Flores, a company that specializes in all kinds of yard work.

After all the fallen snow, Turner said it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation.

“We need a community of people, it takes a herd,” he said. “I think the more we help each other out, the better it is for our community. Plus, we can get out here in this fresh air.”

Turner said Rancho Flores plows and sands between one and two hundred driveways in midtown Tulsa and is happy to lend a helping hand.

“It’s a good feeling to be able to help people out, to be able to bring some peace of mind to them,” he said.

Sharing the same sentiment, Ryder said he wants to make sure to keep people safe too.

“I think the importance of cleaning after the snow is probably to make sure no one slides into the road probably, no one gets hit by a car,” he said.

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Oklahoma

Oklahoma State LB Jeff Roberson Headed to Big 10 School

Published

16 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma State LB Jeff Roberson Headed to Big 10 School

Oklahoma State’s most recent transfer portal departure has already found a new home.

On Monday, OSU linebacker Jeff Roberson announced he was entering the transfer portal and looking to close his career elsewhere. Roberson wasted no time finding his next school, as he committed to Minnesota on Thursday.

Roberson began his career at OSU in 2020 and mostly played on special teams and as a backup throughout the first few years of his career. After missing the entire 2022 season with an injury, he came back in 2023 to play largely the same role.

However, his luck changed in 2024. With so many injuries throughout the OSU defense, the Cowboys needed players to step up at every position, and Roberson took advantage. In 2024, Roberson played in every game and finished with 58 tackles, nine tackles for loss and an interception. Before entering the transfer portal, Roberson’s numbers from 2024 would have made him OSU’s leading returning tackler.

Roberson’s departure was about as surprising as any move at OSU this offseason. Considering he had spent the first five seasons of his career in Stillwater and finally carved out a sizeable role last season, it appeared Roberson would carry that momentum into 2025 as a leader of the OSU defense.

Instead, he used his extra opportunity and leap to find a better situation as OSU overhauled its coaching staff and continues to bring in various defensive players through the transfer portal. However, going to Minnesota was the second surprising part of his decision. Early predictions were for Roberson, a Choctaw native, to stay in his home state and play at Oklahoma next season. As he makes his way north to play for PJ Fleck’s team next season, there is no doubt Roberson can have an impact to finish his career.

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Oklahoma

Gophers help fill need on defense with Oklahoma State linebacker

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Gophers help fill need on defense with Oklahoma State linebacker

The Gophers football program addressed a need in the middle of its defense for the 2025 season with Oklahoma State linebacker Jeff Roberson on Thursday night.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound graduate transfer from Choctaw, Okla., totaled 58 tackles, including 8.5 for lost yards, three sacks and one interception in 12 games in 2024. He had a middling 57.7 grade from Pro Football Focus, along with 19 pressures, but also 11 missed tackles last season.

Roberson played 670 snaps last season, but only 107 across 2021 and 2023. He played special teams as a freshman in 2020 and missed the 2022 season with injury.

Roberson will help fill the void left by leading tackler Cody Lindenberg; the Anoka native declared for the NFL draft after the regular season and skipped the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams top the U’s depth chart at linebacker going into next season.

The Gophers have added 15 total players via the NCAA transfer portal since early December and are still looking for help at cornerback and possibly defensive line.

Originally Published: January 10, 2025 at 12:00 AM CST

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