Hundreds of Afghan refugees will be arriving in North Texas with Special Immigrant Visas over the coming weeks and months. Organizations are setting up on the ground to help our new neighbors, both through direct aid and other resettlement services. Here, we’ve created a list of efforts to help you help them. We’ll keep this updated as we learn about more.
For over four years, this nonprofit has prioritized mentorship programs to help families readjust. Right now, that means getting stocked up on new, donated goods like shampoo and toothbrushes. (You can find DFWROS Amazon and Walmart wishlist links here.) On September 3, volunteers will be accepting in-person donations from noon to 2 p.m. near North Lake Highlands off Audelia Road. As for today, right this moment, you can donate to the DFWROS GoFundMe.
Another local organization that helps refugees acclimate into their new surroundings through empathy and respect, Dallas Refugee Project is likewise collecting new or like-new items for refugees fleeing Afghanistan. On DRP’s website, you’ll find right at the top a request list of everything from clothing to non-perishable foods. For this active supply drive, you can drop off donations at Houndstooth Coffee (both Henderson Avenue and Sylvan Way locations). If you have a business, you can sign up to become a drop-off location.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
This organization has been working nationally, partnering with cities that have welcomed in the most Afghan refugees. And LIRS is coordinating volunteers across the North Texas region to help with transportation, meal assistance, tutoring, and much more. You can sign up with LIRS here. If you’re not able to volunteer physically, you can do so from home. Read LIRS’ Afghan Allies page for ways to advocate, teach, donate, and share information about Afghan refugees.
Click the link above to see the services Catholic Charities are offering. If making a monetary donation, make sure to contact the nonprofit or note on the donation form that your gift should be routed to refugees.
International Rescue Committee Dallas
The local IRC chapter has a 15-year track record of helping Special Immigrant Visa holders get settled in North Texas. The link above has information on how to donate to the organization’s fund and other ways to help, including buying off an Amazon wishlist.
How could we miss Refugee Services of Texas (RST), a decades-old social-service agency that has helped immigrants, refugees, and other displaced peoples settle in this state. The group is resettling 324 Afghans—28 in Dallas—and scrambling to get them into apartments with food. If you’d like to help their efforts, visit the Make an Impact section of the RST website for more details.
Did we miss other organizing efforts? Shoot me an email and we’ll get yours included.