Donate to Welcome This Afghan Refugee Family to Milwaukee

Meet Samira, our Afghan friend whose family is in need:

“My name is Samira. I had to leave my family in Afghanistan without even saying goodbye! My flight with 150 other girls ended in putting my family in danger with the Taliban. My family had to flee to Pakistan. My life in the USA brought me to Milwaukee where I met lots of great people. A group of these friends have volunteered through Welcome Corps to sponsor my family so we can finally be together again.”

Samira's family members were separated while escaping for their lives. A group of her friends have applied via Welcome Corps to help her family establish a new life in the United States. The family members include Mohammed Panahi (Samira's brother), Najibulla Panahi (brother), Fatima Rezaie (mother), Fatima Panahi (sister), and Rajab Panahi (brother). Their journey from their home in Afghanistan toward safety and stability in the United States has been dangerous and has ultimately pulled them apart. The need is greater than the nonprofit resettlement agencies can handle, so we are asking for your help.

(For more on Samira's story, see the article link below.)

Welcome Corps, a program of the US Department of State, guides sponsorship groups to assist families who have lost everything through war or natural disasters to begin a new life with hope and a sense of belonging. As sponsors, we are everyday Americans living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who have committed to partner with Welcome Corps in reuniting our friend's family. From the moment they land at Mitchell International Airport, we will greet our new family and begin a process of learning from each other how best to address all aspects of their new life in the US.

We will directly help the Panahi family under the guidance of Welcome Corps to integrate the family into our beloved Milwaukee community. Welcome Corps requires us to provide $2,425 per refugee to cover expenses for their first three months in the US. This includes finding them a place to live and paying for the first three months, as well as covering the security deposit. We will help them learn English in an immersion environment, as they will need to find employment opportunities. We will be teaching them how to use the bus system and find their way around their new home. We will help them sign up for healthcare, enroll their children in school, open a bank account, navigate grocery aisles, and learn how to manage essential bills. We look forward to supporting them in many other ways, and as new Milwaukeeans and community members, they will enrich our city for years to come.

Please help us reunite the Panahi family by donating today. A contribution of any amount will be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

UW-Milwaukee Afghan students fight for education after evacuation:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2022/05/13/uw-milwaukee-afghan-students-fight-education-after-evacuation-university-wisconsin/7421618001/

www.welcomecorps.org