Afghan Crisis Support

by Matt Bentley

DEAR CHURCH FAMILY,
I hope you all are doing well. I wanted to alert you all about a rapidly emerging need and service opportunity in our community.

Due to the recent destabilization of Afghanistan and rapid relocation of refugees and evacuees - many of whom served directly with our armed forces - there are nearly 100,000 Afghan evacuees who are expected to be relocated/resettled in the US, mostly expected by the end of the year. Our state will see a significant influx of refugees (estimated at 1000-2000), likely starting in earnest in a couple of weeks. Most of the Afghan evacuees resettled in CO will be in the Denver metro area (including Boulder), and our local resettlement agencies need help to meet this urgent need.

There are a few ways that individuals can get involved:

1. Volunteering (many different volunteer opportunities will be available)
2. Housing (renting a property to a refugee family)
3. Employment (hiring a refugee/evacuee, many of whom have administrative and other skills that supported our military)
4. Donation (monetary, in-kind, and airline miles)
5. Law (immigration lawyers are needed for visa concerns)

One of the biggest immediate needs is for homeowners/landlords who would be willing to rent to Afghan families. Right now, we know of a couple families moving to Boulder, the first of which is a family of 10, and they need housing. If you have any leads on housing for this family of 10, please reach out ASAP! Refugee resettlement agencies are paying for the first 6 months of rent while refugees get settled and find work. Other needs include monetary and in-kind donations and volunteering for airport pickups, transportation, mentorship, tutoring, English and job training, etc.

This is a strategic opportunity for our church to follow the example of Jesus and love our new neighbors, giving them an opportunity to experience the love and truth of Christ as we serve and share with them. In addition, our church is currently leading the response here in Boulder, which gives us the opportunity to serve Afghan families alongside other Boulderites who are not (yet) followers of Christ. This is an awesome opportunity for us to be salt and light in our city and serve our new Afghan neighbors.

Please feel free to share the form above in your circles outside of The Well, whether that be social media, work, school, neighborhood, etc. Link - https://forms.gle/gKVUfWmJdTCmbLbG6

Also, please feel free to reach out to me, Matt Bentley, with any questions you have at bentleymaja@gmail.com (please keep in mind I may be slow to respond). You can also find more information about the CO coordinated response and ways you can help via the following resources provided by Denver-based resettlement agencies:

• bit.ly/COhelpsAfghans
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wSdyYc7IEygHW4Akhh4u1osH0Qqo9Hh/view?usp=sharing
• https://www.lfsrm.org/partnerwithlfsrm/

Thanks,

Matt Bentley
Elder Candidate | The Well Church