The Eureka Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is inviting the public to attend a special Feb. 23 service at the church at 17 Elk St. to hear from Khalid Ahmadzai, a native Afghan who has worked in numerous aid organizations before joining Canopy Northwest Arkansas, a non-profit working to help support Afghan refugees whose assistance to relocate was recently cut off by President Donald Trump.
Attendance at the event that starts at 11 a.m. is by a goodwill donation. Ahmadzai will talk about the challenges faced by the Afghans who worked with the U.S. government before being forced to flee after the Taliban took over the government. The program will also feature traditional Afghan food and music.
“We will raffle a tribal kilim rug made by a woman artisan from northern Afghanistan,” Kate McCarthy, secretary/president-elect of the EUUF, said. “It has a retail value of $500. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. It took three months for this artisan to craft the rug. Raffle tickets are $5 for one or five for $20. The food is being prepared for us by refugees, as is the music.”
All money from the event will go directly to Canopy NWA to support 25 newly-arrived Afghan families, who followed every legal process to get here and are living in our community. They fled from their war-torn country, hoping to rebuild their lives in peace and safety in America.
The reason Canopy NWA launched a fundraising campaign to get them food, shelter and medical care is because on Jan. 24 the organization received a Stop Work Order from the presidential administration for their Refugee Resettlement Reception and Placement Program. This program previously supplied all services to refugees during their first weeks in the United States, for a maximum of 90 days.
McCarthy said the EUUF goal is to raise at least $2,000, which will support one individual plus add a bit more towards support of another. She said these folks were vetted by the U.S. government and are here legally. They worked for the U.S. while in Afghanistan and their lives would be in danger if they returned to Afghanistan.
Joanna Krause, executive director of Canopy Northwest Arkansas, said the federal government, and in turn Canopy, promised the 25 refugee families welcomed during the last three months that we would provide navigation services and assistance for 90 days.
“These families followed every step of the complex and lengthy legal resettlement process after being forced to flee their homes,” Krause said. “Now, we have been instructed to abandon them, effective immediately. For the new refugees in our community, we are not supposed to help them get groceries. We are not supposed to help them with housing. If someone is sick, we should not help them go to the doctor.
“This directive comes as a complete shock. There is no precedent for the federal government to stop assistance to people who followed every legal process, who are already in our community.”
The amount of funding provided to support one refugee for up to 90 days is $1,650. That goes to pay the first month’s rent and deposit for an apartment and to buy home furnishings that aren’t donated. Refugees arrive with all their belongings in the world in one or two suitcases. They need clothing and food. That amount is exceptionally low, especially considering the amount refugees end up paying into communities through taxes and business creation. Now, Canopy cannot use those funds to pay for any direct needs.
Canopy has 25 families – 65 individuals – still within their initial 90-day resettlement period. Krause said they will not abandon these families in our community. Since the Stop Work Order, Canopy cannot use federal dollars awarded for initial resettlement, but the Canopy team will not go back on the promises made to each family at the airport to ensure they are appropriately and safely settled.
“Canopy will help them get food, shelter and medical care. But, in order to do this, we need your support now,” Krause said. “To our community, I want you to know that we read each and every email and all the comments on our social media. It is disheartening how ugly and hateful some people can be, especially behind a keyboard. But the vast majority of the messages we receive are words of support. Your words are a gift and are uplifting the Canopy team during this tough time. Keep them coming.”
People can help by purchasing a raffle ticket to the EUUF event, becoming a monthly donor, hosting a fundraiser and forwarding information to friends and family. Online donations can be made at canopynwa.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate/. Canopy accepts currency, coins, money orders, bank drafts and bank wires. It also welcomes your check, payable to the Canopy NWA. Please mail or deliver your gift to: Canopy Northwest Arkansas, 1142 N. Futrall Drive, Fayetteville, AR 72703.