Let's help a newcomer refugee in our neighborhood

In our town of Lafayette, CA, we are so lucky to be welcoming a newcomer refugee woman and her daughter -- from Afghanistan.  She is a delightful woman, and many of us here want to make sure she has a chance to be successful in her start in the U.S. Here is the story and what is needed...

A few months ago, one of us saw a posting in a local Facebook family group. It was a story about a single mother and daughter (4.5 years old) who had recently escaped Afghanistan. Due to her involvement with American non-profits there, she was threatened by Taliban groups.  They were granted refugee status and legally immigrated, landing themselves in Concord, California. They were connected with local social services and provided clothing and food, but were temporarily sleeping on a blow-up mattress on the floor of an apartment of an old childhood friend. There was a request from the agency assisting them asking if anyone had any connections to low-cost housing, a very challenging request in our high cost San Francisco Bay Area. 

One of our Lafayette families offered this mother and child a long term stay in their in-law cottage, and they all became fast friends!  Friends and neighbors and volunteers have all pitched in over the months to help them get settled.  The mother is university-educated and near-fluent in English.  In Afghanistan, she worked with a government agency on women's empowerment programs.  Shortly after, the mother was finding part time jobs in town, and the daughter has been placed in a local preschool. 

Just this month, so much has changed and grown for them.  They found a studio apartment in downtown Lafayette, for a very reasonable price.  The mother is now working as a teacher's aide with special needs kids in the elementary school, and is also working many odd jobs to make ends meet.  We who know them well feel that they are well on their way to independence and self-support.  The daughter will start Kindergarten at Lafayette Elementary in the Fall. 

Here is what's needed:  Our wonderful housing host, who helped them initially, started this Go Fund Me in an effort to raising enough funds to help pay for preschool for the 4 year old daughter -- at least for enough days so that the mother could find time to work.  This has been so helpful!  We are so appreciative to all who have made this happen.  What we are seeking now is to increase this fund to allow for two things:

1.  More funds for childcare to take them through to Summer.

2. A housing subsidy to help get the mother on her feet.  The full cost of rent (even though it's a great deal) is a little more than her many part time jobs can handle.  We are hoping to be able to subsidize rent for a couple months, while she increases her work load. 


Please consider contributing to help them!  We are so fortunate to see a team of great community members helping them, and empowering this mother to get on her feet.  She is a hard-working, earnest and delightful woman.  We all feel lucky to be able to count her as one of our newest community members in the area. 

We hope to meet our goal, so that they can get the start they need.  We can assure you, this mother is extremely grateful, as she reminds us daily how fortunate she is to have crossed paths with us and the agency that is supporting her. In her words, "This is the first time in my life that I have felt peace when I lay my head down at night."

Thank you.