How Elon University Students Can Help Refugees Coming to North Carolina

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels.

America’s abrupt exit from Afghanistan led to chaos and panic overseas. Following the government’s collapse and Taliban takeover, thousands of Afghans have attempted to flee the country. Dramatic scenes at the airport in Kabul show families desperate to escape the many unknowns of the Taliban’s new rule. 

With a mass of Afghan refugees fleeing their country, this population will now be spread across the world, with a significant portion soon arriving in the United States. And, after their sudden military evacuation, many will actually be starting their new lives near Elon, in various communities around North Carolina. 

Many of those arriving have spent their own efforts helping the United States over its nearly 20 year tenure in Afghanistan, putting them in immediate danger of the Taliban’s regime taking control of the country. Therefore, it was pertinent that they leave Afghanistan quickly.

Nearly 1,200 refugees will be spread across Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville, and other cities across the state in resettlements according to Charlotte Axios. Over the last decade, North Carolina has welcomed about a thousand refugees in total. This new group will be arriving over just a few months. 

Carla West, senior director for economic security at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, feels confident that the state and her department are equipped for this transition. 

“There has been support from all areas—non-partisan support—to ensure we are welcoming those refugees from Afghanistan,” she tells Axios. “It’s a national effort, not just in North Carolina.” 

On a more local level, the Triangle will be receiving most of the 1,200 Afghans on their way to North Carolina. Founder of Carolina Peace Resource Center, Faisal Khan, quickly started preparing for their arrival, reaching out to organizations and activists in the area. 

Most notably, Khan, along with the help of volunteers, created a donation drive, to collect essential items and supplies for the refugees. They instantly amassed more donations than expected, compiling furniture, appliances, clothes, and more at a rapid rate. A temporary center officially opened on August 28, and will accept donations until the end of October. 

Since the sudden evacuation in early August, it’s clear that the American people want to help. The stream of social media posts and campaigns to aid the fleeing refugees has been prominent, and moving. And seeing the desperate images of those evacuating or the Taliban’s forceful changes across the country were difficult to absorb. Sitting at home or around campus without the means to offer first-hand assistance to the Afghan people felt, in a word, helpless. 

But, with so many refugees coming to North Carolina, there are now many opportunities for Elon students to volunteer or help, even in small ways. 

You can easily connect with Khan and other organizers around the area on this Facebook page and here is an Amazon Wishlist created by local volunteers for the incoming refugees.  

For more hands-on work helping refugees in the area, visit Church World Service in Greensboro, where there are countless opportunities to volunteer in these resettlement communities. 

Although these actions might seem small, they are incredibly helpful and they will hopefully make a refugee’s intense experience of arriving in the United States a little bit brighter.