Our Response to the Needs of Afghan Refugees

Our organization is offering support to individuals and families from Afghanistan that have received humanitarian parole due to the crisis in their country. Our supportive case managers and employees have been trained to identify and deal with the impact of trauma and high-stress situations that our clients are experiencing as they arrive at our communities. Our employees are also familiar with separation and a sense of loss and provide meaningful case management to support them throughout the resettlement and acclimatization process. The Somali-American United Council team welcomes our brothers and sisters from Afghanistan to help them establish a sense of safety by communicating with them in their language through our interpreters and by building trust. We listen to their fears, their needs, and their dreams. We utilize the HELP tool for communication:

Hope
Empathy
Language and Loyalty
Permission, Partnership, Plan

The Somali-American United Council is a place of gathering for the Afghan community. In our center they find the human connection, communication in their language, they can see other people from their country, and they find support to develop their English language skills, find kind-hearted case managers that help them with their most urgent needs such as school enrollment, driver license education, permit test preparation, law enforcement, personal and family finances, budgeting, nutrition, employment support, parenting, housing, civic engagement, health, and mental health referrals. They can also participate in our Women Empowerment Program, Youth Enrichment and Development, Cultural Adaptation seminars, and mentoring program.

To provide better services we are partnering with the ALL AMERICAN COALITION.

HOPE

Our kind-hearted case managers and volunteers help identify the needs of our clients and develop a realistic plan to help them achieve their most immediate needs. They help them set goals and support them to achieve them establishing a timeline to help them with the process. We help them see that there is hope in our communities for a better, safer, and self-sufficient life.

EMPATHY

Our case managers and some volunteers have lived the resettlement process first hand and provide their experiences and expertise to guide our clients through the resettlement process. We are trained to listen and communicate with empathy and understanding. We kindly invite our clients to participate in our programs and we provide them with bus passes to be able to travel to ur facilities.

LANGUAGE AND LOYALTY

We have two interpreters of Farsi and Dari that provide interpretation and translation support for our clients. Our interpreters as our clients are refugees original from Afghanistan. They have experienced the process of being resettled and they offer understanding and empathy as they help us build a bridge of communication with Afghan individuals and families.

We provide a safe environment where Afghan refugees can meet to learn, find answers to their needs, and also to socialize with other Afghani families that have been in the country for a longer time.

Afghani clients who practice Islam are welcome to utilize the prayer rooms that are adjacent to our facilities. They are welcome by Ilyas Sheikh Mohamed who is a Muslim religious leader and is also a case manager in our organization. In that way Afghan refugees can keep their loyalty to their religion and worshiping practices in a safe and welcoming environment.

PERMISSION, PARTNERSHIP, PLAN

Our case managers utilize intake forms to assess the needs of our clients and collect signatures and permissions to provide the necessary help and support. As we prioritize their needs our clients are referred to community service organizations such as school districts, clinics, Gathering Humanity, refugee resettlement agencies, food banks, etc. We guide and plan together with our clients their short term and long term goals to achieve their dream of self-sufficiency in this country. Together with Gathering Humanity we organize and provide mentors to help them navigate the different systems of our community such as the transportation system, education system, health system, law enforcement, parenting, etc.

We receive the support and mentorship of the WE ARE ALL AMERICAN COALITION to guide our efforts and partner with the ARIZONA REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM and the OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT.

What our clients are saying

"I am thankful to the Somali-American United Council for helping me during the first months after my arrival to Arizona. Julianna has been helping me so much with my English, my apartment, and to find a part time job. I cannot thank you enough."