When will refugees and SIVs from the emergency evacuations be arriving in Colorado? How many people will be coming here?
We don’t know—US-based resettlement agencies such as ourselves are not involved in the evacuation itself, and there are a lot of uncertainties about timing and logistics right now, as you have surely seen in the news. What we do know is that LFSRM and all the other resettlement agencies are preparing for when they do arrive. And Afghan refugees and SIVs have been part of our caseload for years, so we are using that experience to prepare to serve those who are evacuated due to current events as well!
How can I help?
Here are some of the most common ways that we can use the support of our welcoming community (you!):
Donating household items or furniture for new refugee families:
To purchase new household items: we have an Amazon wish list: https://a.co/g8PkY3p. Bedding sets and pot/pan sets are a priority need; items ship to LFSRM staff person.
To donate used household items or furniture: please contact donations coordinator, Luis, at 303-525-5020. His hours are 9am – 3pm. Please allow up to a week for response (we have received many inquiries in this area and we have limited storage space, so please understand that we may not be able to accept your donation; metro Denver area only).
If you have small basic household goods (bedding, towels, kitchen items), you can drop them off at our warehouse at 520 Raritan Way, Denver, 80204 on Monday 8/23 from 8:00-5:00. We are working to set up additional drop offs for the coming weeks.
Clothing: we are working with local partners (military and faith communities) to ship donated clothing and shoes to Afghan evacuees in Qatar. Please contact Brannon at brannonmaeaviation@gmail.com for more information. Volunteer:
We are in need of Cultural Mentor volunteers. Each mentor team of 4-6 volunteers is matched with a new refugee family in the Metro Denver area (mostly Aurora and Thornton) or Colorado Springs. Mentors make a commitment of 6 months/ with a minimum of 4 -6 hours per month, but more hours are appreciated.
Register for a volunteer informational session here: https://www.lfsrm.org/get- involved/volunteer/ Financial support:
We will need rental support for new refugee families. Contribute here (https://www.lfsrm.org/give-now/donate/) and select “Refugee and Asylee Programs;” if desired, you can indicate “Afghanistan response” or “refugee rental assistance” in the comment field; if you do not write a comment, funds will support our refugee programs in general (items such as case management, employment services, and purchasing household items). Housing:
If you are a landlord and are interested in renting a unit to a refugee family, please email our Housing Coordinator, Danielle.winter@lfsrm.org.
We are currently keeping a list of those interested in providing temporary housing (~2 weeks, free of charge). However, this is a limited need at this time as the timing of arrivals is uncertain. Please email our Housing Coordinator, Danielle.Winter@lfsrm.org, with your contact information, and she will contact you within the next 1-2 weeks. Advocacy:
Write your elected officials to express your support for Afghan refugees and SIVs
Advocacy toolkit: https://www.lirs.org/emergency-evacuation-afghan-allies-action-alert Thank you again for your interest in supporting our Afghan friends and community members!
