To the BDJ community, Thanks for your kind invitation to explain how the members of B’nai David-Judea might help the Alliance for African Assistance to resettle 510 brave Afghan asylum-seekers in the San Diego area. My wife Beverly and I have a strong connection to B’nai David because we are the proud parents of Laurel Schramm, and proud in-laws of Alec Schramm, and proud Savta and Zaide of Eitan, Tirtza, Aviya and Keshet. I am Chair of the Board of the Alliance for African Assistance . The Alliance founder and President, Walter Lam, is himself a refugee from Uganda. Since 1995, the Alliance has resettled thousands of refugees and asylees from more than 30 countries. We have branch offices in Gulu, Uganda, Nairobi, Kenya, and Rome, Italy, and we recently built and opened a $3 million hospital in Atiak, northern Uganda, in an area with over a million refugees from South Sudan. Our case managers speak many languages, and we provide translation and interpretation services in over 200 languages and dialects. We have years of experience in sensitively introducing immigrants to life in America. The Alliance Health Clinic provides health screening and basic medical and dental services. We also provide assistance with housing, education, mental health, immigration, transportation, employment and economic development, utility advocacy, income taxes, and much more. The Alliance has been tasked with resettling 510 Afghan asylum-seekers who are in the process of seeking refugee status. Because these folks have not yet been approved as “refugees,” they are not eligible for government benefits, and they are not authorized to work. As a result, all refugee agencies, including the Alliance, have been asked to raise private funds to resettle them until they are approved as refugees. Americans are very generous, and we have been overwhelmed with “in-kind” donations of clothing, toiletries, and kitchen and household goods. But frankly, our most pressing need is for cash for temporary hotel rooms for a few days, and first and last month’s rent for their first apartment. A two-bedroom apartment rents for around $2,000 a month, and a 3 bedroom apartment for $2,600. This means that a typical Afghan family will need around $4,500 just to get initially settled. Let me tell you about one of our Afghan families. The husband/father Ali worked for the American Embassy in Kabul and was stationed at the Afghan Government office Central Investigation Agency (CIA). He was in charge of collecting data for the US Embassy from all local ministries. The Taliban threatened his wife and children that they were coming back to kill the whole family because they knew what Ali was doing. Immediately, they made arrangements and applied for a U.S. Visa. His case was expedited, and they were flown to San Diego. Now, he is here with his wife and four children. Whatever you can donate to help these brave Afghans who have done so much for the United States would be most gratefully appreciated. All funds from the BDJ community will go directly towards immediate resettling/housing needs for Recently arrived Afghan families. Roger W. Haines, Jr., Board Chair, Alliance for African Assistance https://www.alliance-for-africa.org/
