With the current situation in Afghanistan, Refugees Helping Refugees (RHR) has been working with an increasing number of Afghan clients in Rochester to help bring their family members to the United States.
We hope to bring their loved ones over through humanitarian parole , which grants individuals outside of the US to legally enter and stay in the US for a certain duration of time if they have “urgent humanitarian reasons” or are deemed a ”significant public benefit” to the country.
To request humanitarian parole however, each individual must pay a hefty application fee of $575. This is a significant barrier for many of our clients and those who are fleeing to safety.
We are asking for your support to help Afghans apply for humanitarian parole. $575 covers 1 individual. Our goal of $12,000 will cover 20 individuals (and account for processing fees).
But that is just our baseline goal. The more support we have, the more Afghan family members we can help bring to the US. Please consider donating today! To contribute:
1. Donate on RHR's website on our Donations Page***
2. Donate through this GoFundMe Page
3. Check (made payable to Refugees Helping Refugees and mailed to 259 Rutgers St, Rochester, NY 14607)
****Please consider donating through our website. This is the fastest way for us to access the funds to pay humanitarian parole application fees. Checks and GoFundMe may take several weeks to get processed. When you donate through our website, we'll update the GoFundMe page to reflect your donation and add it as an "Offline Donation."
All proceeds will go to Refugees Helping Refugees , who will use the funds for the family members of their Afghan clients and their humanitarian parole applications.
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Even if you cannot contribute, please consider supporting our mission in other ways:
1. Sponsor (please see below for details)
2. Share this/your fundraiser on social media (FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram) and tag us! Encourage your friends to donate!
Sponsor an Afghan:
As part of the humanitarian parole application process, applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to support themselves while in the US. They are typically ineligible for federal welfare benefits. If the individual cannot demonstrate financial self-sufficiency, they can have a sponsor, who has enough financial resources and agrees to financially support the Afghan during their stay in the US.
If you would like more details and/ are interested in sponsoring an Afghan, please email our case manager Pam, at [email redacted].
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Read more about humanitarian parole at the following websites:
https://www.uscis.gov/archive/information-for-afghan-nationals-on-parole-into-the-united-states
https://immigrationforum.org/article/explainer-humanitarian-parole-and-the-afghan-evacuation/
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About Refugees Helping Refugees:
REFUGEES HELPING REFUGEES (RHR) is a community-based, refugee-led organization in Rochester, NY. Our mission is to foster the growth, self-determination, and self-reliance of refugees in our city and county. We provide the education, training, and support that enable refugees/our community members to build on their own strengths in order to advance and thrive in society. Through active participation, refugees/members of the refugee community develop essential skills, grow confidence, and gain independence.
Programs and Services Offered by RHR:
- Case Management
- English Classes
- Job Training
- Sewing
- Computer Literacy
- Health Education
- Knitting and Crocheting
- Senior Activities
- Youth Activities
