I can’t seem to get past how amazing an opportunity, how grave a responsibility, this current influx of Afghans presents for us. Maybe you’re already up to your ears in efforts to serve these new comers. Good for you!
According to the New York Times, “As of Sept. 14, about 64,000 evacuees from Afghanistan had arrived in the United States. . . .Nearly 49,000 are living on eight domestic military bases, waiting to be resettled in the US.”
This week I’d like to offer you two ideas that are quick to read about, but will take a bit of time to implement.
Invite an Afghan family to their first American Thanksgiving Dinner.
This November 25, some American families will enjoy the rare privilege of extending Thanksgiving hospitality to some who’ve only been in the U.S. for a couple of months.
The first issue is to find a family to invite. Check with a local refugee resettlement agency or start at welcome.us and drill down.
Secondly, assuming you’ve found a candidate family, you may honestly ask yourself, “What in the world do we do now?!?” Good question. Check this previous Muslim Connect and then reach out to me if you have further concerns.
Let AirBnB.org make your guest room available for Afghan refugees.
No, really! This is a thing. As the tens of thousands of Afghans begin to move off Army bases, there is serious concern about where they’ll live. Maybe you’ve sold a house in recent months (or tried to buy one!): It’s a tough time to find housing for a city-sized group of people. Further, in the America cities Afghans already live, housing is particularly tight.
What about your house? What about your camper? This is a big step, with implications that must be considered. Even so, should God nudge you, go to airbnb.org and sign up. I did. It took five minutes. To be fair, I live in the middle of nowhere and am not likely to be asked to house a family. Maybe though! Please let me know if you do this.