As we watched in horror while Afghans fled their homes during the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, our sadness was mixed with a sense that our fates are interwoven with theirs. Whether through military service (one’s own or that of a loved one) or simply by paying your taxes, we have contributed to America’s presence in Afghanistan. We have all been part of the story leading to those hopeless scenes of desperate hands clinging to speeding planes trying to lift-off.

But this story is far from over.

Over the next several months, thousands of Afghan families will enter the U.S. as they flee for their lives. Like so many refugees and asylum-seekers crossing our borders, many will be left with little to no resources to establish even a basic livelihood in this new home away from home. While this surely is desperate, it presents each of us with the opportunity to take responsibility for the parts we have played in this story by taking a more active, conscious role moving forward.

We, SBU Asylee Advocate Group, are in an especially good position to take up this responsibility. For the last three years, we have worked directly with asylum-seekers who were recent immigrants to the NYC-area, doing what we could to help them find housing, work, and the beginnings of a stable life in the US. Following the crisis in Afghanistan, the refugee-support community is potentially facing its biggest challenge yet, and we are determined to do our part.

Through the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a number of us may be paired with a single Afghan family fleeing the current crisis. Together, we will work to provide them with basic essentials necessary for adjusting to life in the city (from masks, to cookware, to winter clothes). More substantially, though, we will help them in finding stable housing, income and the security of knowing they have the legal documents they need. In order to be put in contact with a family, IRC requires that we raise enough money to show we can serve as this bedrock of support.

Please be a part of this family's story by making a donation to ensure we can provide them the security and quiet moments of peace they deserve! All of the money raised will go directly to supporting them during this momentous point in their lives.

Alex Forsberg, Founding Member of the Stony Brook Asylee Advocate Group