The Call to Serve Afghan Refugees
Pin It!As crises happen around the world, The Brigade of Mercy (BOM) always longs to help. We seize the opportunity to help since our mission is to provide humanitarian relief to the destitute, homeless, orphans, refugees, and victims of war and other calamities.
We started hearing about Afghanistan when President Biden announced that he would be pulling all American troops from Afghanistan, while trying to evacuate thousands of local Afghans who helped the U.S. over the past two decades. In the summer of 2021, BOM heard that Afghan families would be arriving in massive numbers at various locations in the U.S., including Dulles Airport, in the Northern Virginia area.
I received a call from someone with the State Department, who I was referred to from a mutual friend. The federal employee asked if BOM could step in to help Afghan families at the local hotels where they were staying. She wanted a discreet non-profit with a low profile to operate quietly, away from media and publicity. I was pleasantly surprised when I got the call since I could not believe that the State Department was asking BOM to help. I immediately jumped on my feet and said “yes” to everything she was saying. This contact put me in touch with another local Afghan lady who was on the ground at two of the hotels. From that point on, our journey started for the next 3 months.
I contacted my board members quickly, as I was getting in the car to go shopping for immediate needs which were shared with me. My husband and I arrived at one of the hotels’ courtyards. As soon as we opened our vehicle, a massive crowd of men, women and children of all ages suddenly ran out of their rooms to come and meet us. They started grabbing whatever they could get their hands on: undergarments, clothes, shoes, luggage, etc. I had no idea what to expect when I got there, but this was a surreal scene.
We met so many people who asked for specific items. The demand was overwhelming. We quickly jotted down some requests for families; mostly clothing and luggage. We came back every day with supplies and took orders for more through August, September, and early October 2021. Besides bringing items, BOM brought hope, and smiles to these families. Some were highly educated. We met an activist and her journalist husband who had a very high profile back in Afghanistan. They had no clothes to change in. They had nothing for their two young daughters. They felt embarrassed asking for anything, but we insisted on helping. Some were people from villages still wearing their local garb and keeping their women out of sight. All they needed were copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, and clean clothes so they could continue practicing their religion and continue being who they are. We met a family whose men never wore western clothes. By the time we provided them with clothing of their size, they were very grateful. We met a young 21-year-old who was a member of a family of 7. He’s now in Sacramento with his family. BOM is keeping in touch with them and helping them get settled. BOM provided them a laptop so the son could continue his education, as well as a sewing machine. This was so the father who had back problems could provide for his family by continuing to be a tailor in this country like he was back home.
Our tasks were growing bigger every day. At some point, we were providing for a hotel with over 500 people, where some of them had been quarantining due to a measles outbreak. BOM provided clothing, prayer rugs, lice treatment, and hundreds of pieces of luggage. Throughout this process, we reached out to our community supporters to help us with donations. People came in hundreds to donate. This continued until early October when the U.S. stopped more flights from coming in.
Next, BOM found out that Fort Lee needed help. Fort Lee had the smallest number of Afghan refugees, which was approximately 1,700. After we initiated contact and learned what was needed, BOM collected over $10,000 worth of goods, ranging from: clothing for all ages, undergarments, shoes, men belts, winter coats, baby items, luggage, and more. This was done over a period of two weeks. In late October 2021, BOM drove to Fort Lee to deliver a truck full of items. BOM meticulously packed all the items with labels included. We brought exactly what was needed. The military personnel went on to say that this was one of the best deliveries they have ever received. We were thanked by the Colonel in charge, who expressed his gratitude. This made us feel so humble and proud as we take pride in the work we do. Today, the Afghan families have mostly left the military camps and are settling in their designated areas. BOM is continuing to help them with their needs as we meet new families on a weekly basis. We are humbled by their politeness and warmth. We strive to continue giving them hope and a sense of security that they can count on BOM. We hope for a great future for them in the land of freedom and opportunity.
