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.