A family of five has just arrived in America after escaping from Afghanistan and surviving in a refugee camp since October. You can help them start their new life by making a donation and sharing this message with your friends, family, and networks.

My name is Maggie Thielen, and I have been helping Laila, an Afghan immigrant, for the past year and a half, guiding her through our bureaucratic quagmire of support systems and assisting her in getting five members of her family out of Afghanistan. I have done this as part of a team of supporters, including Hannah Koilpillai, Homes Not Borders and Nova Friends of Refugees.

Here’s how you can help.

Donate and share this GoFundMe site with friends and family. Your action can make a difference as this family transitions from refugee status to U.S. citizenship.

Our team has set a goal of $50,000 to pay for urgent medical care, food, transportation, and the first 12 months of rent for Laila’s family. This is an urgent need as the family just arrived on August 1, 2022. All donations go directly to a special bank account set up specifically to support Laila’s family.

When the U.S. left Afghanistan and the Taliban took power last year, Laila’s family remained in Afghanistan and went into hiding after the Taliban bombed their home. Five of Laila’s family members, including her mother, sister, brother, niece and sister-in-law, were evacuated and detained in a refugee camp in the United Arab Emirates last October. More than nine months later, they were finally approved for departure and arrived in Arlington, VA, on August 1st. This family reunification brings great joy, but also enormous costs not covered by resettlement funds due to the high cost of living in the Washington area. While Laila is employed, she does not have enough income to cover the expenses of her family members' immediate needs for medical care and long-term housing. Landlords in the Washington DC area require refugees to show they have 6 months' rent in a bank account before agreeing to lease long-term housing.

Please look for regular updates here to see how your donations are helping this family adjust to their new life.

WE SEND OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE FOR ANY AMOUNT YOU CAN GIVE, AND FOR SHARING THIS GoFundMe SITE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

More information on the family:

Laila is a physician but cannot practice here until she completes the requirements to become licensed in the U.S. Her brother was in his 2nd year of dental school when they fled Afghanistan. Her mother was illiterate when she left Afghanistan, however, she made good use of her time in the refugee camp, learning to speak, read and write English. Her niece was a star on the Afghan Women’s National Football Team until the Taliban forbade it. This is a hard-working, educated family, and everyone looks forward to continuing their education and becoming productive, tax-paying U.S. citizens.