Nebraska has a long history of welcoming refugees, even having the nation’s largest per capita refugee resettlement rate in 2016. As events unfold in Afghanistan, we stand with our Afghan neighbors who call Nebraska home and make our communities strong and vibrant.
We support the rapid processing and resettlement of Afghan individuals and families seeking safety, and those who—like the Laotians, Vietnamese, Iraqis, and others before them—protected and worked alongside Americans as translators, engineers, security guards, embassy clerks, and cultural advisors. Evacuations must continue until they are complete, not interrupted or halted by an arbitrary deadline. As we prepare to welcome our new neighbors, we know that belonging begins with us, and we can each do our part to help them feel they belong here.
How to Best Support Refugee Resettlement Agencies RIGHT Now:
- Act – Volunteer to help with services like airport pick-ups, apartment set-ups, bringing meals, etc. for our new neighbors.
- Donate – Local resettlement agencies are in need of household items to set up homes and apartments for our new neighbors, and donations to purchase appropriate items.
- Teach – Read and/or share resources about Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) recipients to learn about the stories of the people behind the headlines. Here are some places to start:
- Help Our Afghan Allies by LIRS
- Evacuations from Afghanistan: What is the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program? By CWS
- Round-up of resources for Afghan Evacuees for more resources and ways to help locally and nationally
Contact Catholic Social Services, Lutheran Family Services, Refugee Empowerment Center, and other local agencies for donation and volunteer opportunities. *Note that response times may be delayed because of the uptick in interest.