Under the auspices of the Faith in Action Committee, the parish is helping a refugee family from Afghanistan settle and integrate themselves in their new home in the U.S. The Azamis are a family of nine – a mother and father with seven children ranging in age from 7 to 22. They are living in an apartment in Prince George’s County not far over the D.C. line.
The Azamis’ transition to the U.S. is all the more difficult since the Trump administration has been severely cutting both the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. and the federal government’s financial support to contracted agencies for resettling refugees, such as the one we are working with for this family (Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, which is a local refugee-resettlement agency of Global Refuge, which is also Lutheran-affiliated).
What sort of help are we providing?
The family had been in the U.S. for several months before their relationship with St. Margaret’s began, so they had already received assistance for and been connected to resources for their basic needs of housing, furniture and food. Our parish’s commitment is for several months during 2025. So at this point in their resettlement process, they will be needing assistance with the next level of support, such as acquiring jobs and English language skills. However, there is a variety of ways members of our parish can engage with and support the family. The types of assistance they need can be sorted into a variety of categories as described below and require different time commitments and different amounts of effort. Sometimes the type of assistance crosses categories, which makes it all the more useful to the family.
Check out the types of assistance that are needed now and that are anticipated in the near future. For more information now, email Penny Anderson, who is leading the group that is overseeing the St. M’s refugee family support.
Financial support
Your monetary support to the family can be given through St. Margaret’s by donating via Realm and selecting “Afghan Refugee Support” in the dropdown menu.
Funds given to this account will be used for:
- Making rent payments on the family’s apartment, which will address their housing needs while those old enough to work look for employment
- Transportation expenses – Metro or ride-share trips to medical appointments
- Fees for summer camp for the children
Help with learning English
Content coming soon
Help with finding jobs
Content coming soon
Help with transportation
Content coming soon
Cultural experiences and excursions
Content coming soon
Something else – creativity encouraged!
Content coming soon
