Resettling Afghans

In the fall of 2021, nearly 74,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban with little more than the clothes on their backs arrived at eight U.S. military bases.. For months, they were vetted, vaccinated and processed for resettlement across the country. We have been welcoming our new Afghan neighbors with housing, food, language learning, employment, and education. Thanks to support from volunteers and donors, the families we resettled and continue to welcome are thriving and well on their way to independence.

*Special Immigrant Visa Program: Five Years of Advocacy 

Since 2016, Hearts & Homes has been calling on every Administration to fulfill the promise the U.S. made to get our allies to safety through the SIV program.  These Afghans worked for the U.S. Government, supporting our military and putting their own lives at risk by protecting our troops.  Some Afghan SIV families have been fortunate to resettle here in our communities for the last five years. Many of our new neighbors have families in Afghanistan that the Taliban has targeted.  And there are tens of thousands more whose lives hang in the balance still hoping we fulfill our commitment.

In April 2022 we joined our friends at  Keeping our Promise, onboarding and training volunteers to assist SIV-eligible allies in Afghanistan complete the required paperwork. This grew into an informal national network of U.S. citizens, veterans and military networks, working day and night to help with evacuations and safe passage for our allies and other at-risk Afghans.  It is through this effort known as Digital Dunkirk that families are holding on to hope, relying on us and in a few instances, have been successfully evacuated.  For more details, read here: #DigitalDunkirk & Hearts & Homes for Refugees.

*What is an SIV?

SIV refers to Special Immigration Visa (SIV) holders from Iraq and Afghanistan. For their service to the U.S. troops and government, certain Iraqis and Afghans are granted Special Immigrant status overseas by the U.S. Department of State and are admitted to the U.S. by the Department of Homeland Security.

We have failed to honor our promise to protect our allies and instead, have abandoned them to those who will seek revenge for their commitment to the U.S. We are not giving up.  

Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for ALL Refugees

Community Sponsorship

The U.S. is building back and reimagining its Refugee Resettlement Program, ready to provide safety for those forced to flee their homes, vetted, documented and approved to seek a safe place to rebuild their lives.

Hearts & Homes is resettling these newcomers by building, mentoring and supporting teams of volunteers throughout the Lower Hudson Valley. This highly rewarding commitment provides a leg up to our new neighbors and offers opportunities for their independence and long-term success.

Welcoming a Family of 7

It was a memorable and beautiful Sunday afternoon in the fall of 2021 when we turned over the keys to our first new Afghan neighbors -- a family of 7 who had arrived as evacuees with SIV status. Volunteers had been scrubbing and furnishing and preparing the home. Gifts and food, including a culturally appropriate warm meal, awaited. 

We are recruiting new Community Sponsors, always on the lookout for housing and looking for housing and enthusiastic volunteers to sign up with us.  Community Sponsors commit to up to 12 months of support which includes a furnished apartment, rental assistance, securing employment, enrolling children in school, helping to navigate the health system, teaching English, community orientation and more. A leg up from Community Sponsors enables our new neighbors to reach their goal of independence and ensures positive long-term outcomes for our new neighbors.

Your support of Hearts & Homes for Refugees will help not only Afghans, but Ukrainians as well as refugees from all over the globe.