Hello Dear Friends & Supporters,

Since February 2022, the Afghan Circle of the Hudson Valley has been working tirelessly to welcome, resettle and integrate Afghan refugees into our community. In that short time we have successfully achieved the first two phases. Now the third, the “integration into our community” phase has begun. It’s perhaps the most difficult but the most rewarding part of what we do, as this phase will help our families take the first steps to achieving independence here and the American Dream.

Please understand that after a delay of nine months, the U.S. Government has finally created a path for Afghan refugees in this country to attain “Temporary Protected Status” (TPS), which allows them to apply for work permits and protects them from random detention and deportation. While this is a great step forward for the nearly 100,000 Afghans here, it does not help them to live here on a day-to-day basis.

Like nearly 300 other Sponsor Circles throughout the country, and about ten in this region, the Afghan Circle of the Hudson Valley continues to offer our families food, housing, medical care, English instruction and school for their children. With no government funding or benefits whatsoever, we are now preparing these highly motivated, professional-class people to join the work force. The challenges include their need for vehicles to get them to career training, college classes, job interviews, ESL classes…and work.  Although there are taxis and Uber, and limited bus service, these folks need to get to appointments,  to become independent, and move forward toward attaining the American Dream by finding employment.

Therefore, we look to our friends and supporters like you to consider donating a used car, or to fund our purchase of one. Then these motivated families can get to school and work on their own. So if you have an extra vehicle sitting in the shed, or funds to help them get a leg up, please contact  www.afghancirclehudsonvalley.org.

Tash akur (Thank you in Dari)

-Harv Hilowitz
Afghan Circle of the Hudson Valley
afghan100harv@gmail.com