The Library’s Welcome to America team wants to help our partner agencies in supporting refugees to America. Right now, you’re probably thinking about how you can help people who might come to Tucson from Afghanistan.
Most of the people coming from Afghanistan right now will be going to states with large Afghan populations, like Texas, California, Washington, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Ideally, people are resettled into a community where they already have friends or family. If people do not have a U.S. tie, they might be welcomed into Arizona’s community.
Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest, one of Tucson's official refugee resettlement agencies, has not heard yet if people from Afghanistan will come to Tucson. They continue to resettle refugees from other countries, and currently have 15 people scheduled to arrive in September from Syria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Help is always needed to support all refugee populations. If you’re interested, please volunteer!
Local resettlement agencies will need volunteers to help with:
- Co-sponsoring newly arrived refugees. Co-sponsorship includes welcoming refugees at the airport, tutoring in English language and American culture, teaching people how to use public transportation, and essentially being a refugee’s “first American friend.”
- Finding affordable rental housing in Tucson
- Setting up refugee apartments
- Mentoring refugee youth
If you’d like to help refugees from Afghanistan, please sign up here. They will help you get the training you need, so don't worry if you have no experience.
If you’d like to volunteer in general to help anyone in need, please visit the LSS volunteer page.
