As the Ukrainian crisis worsens, we at the Afghan Circle of the Hudson Valley hope that America opens its doors to this inevitable wave of new exiles, but also remembers to keep its promise to the Afghan refugees already on our shores. While the US Army bases have been cleared of these refugees, thousands of them are now living in sub-standard housing, without jobs, money or the support of the immigration agencies that initially sponsored them. And as these “tempest tost” families wander the country, seeking to quietly integrate here, thousands more will be coming in from overseas US bases and foreign refugee camps, where many have already been processed and vetted. And promised. None of this is really anyone fault; that’s why it’s a crisis.

Our all-volunteer Circle is expecting an Afghan refugee family shortly, as this has been our focus and mission. We cannot overstate the degree of generous support, material, monetary and moral, that we have received from so many in the mid-Hudson community in just 2 months. Churches, mosques, synagogues, community organizations, government departments and many local citizens have all reached out to www.afghancirclehudsonvalley.org in anticipation of welcoming, resettling and integrating these new immigrants here. To all of them, we give a heartfelt “thank you”. And to those from Ukraine who will soon be joining us, we can tell you that you couldn’t have landed in a better place.

Harv Hilowitz  & Susan Sprachman
Co-Chairs
Afghan Circle of the Hudson Valley