Afghan Refugees Need A Car - Let's Roll!

Hey friends, More than a year ago, we joined a group of four NE Seattle families and adopted an Afghan refugee family of five; Ahmad Sana (32), Ahmad Shaja (19), Yalda (18), Sarahat (14) and Sahar (12). The family name begins with the letter "M", so we shall refer to them as "Family M" for safety purposes. Sana worked security at the US Embassy in Kabul and his father was a colonel in the Afghan National Army (allied with US and British governments), so he and his family were in serious danger once the US-supported regime fell, so they were forced to flee. They left behind two older sisters and their mother. They were fortunate to make it onto one of the last refugee flights out of Afghanistan that were so widely shared in the news. Family M spent ten months in a refugee camp in the middle east, then were finally approved to relocate to the PNW because they have an uncle in the area. We welcomed them in early July 2022 and collectively dove into the process of helping them get started in the US. Watching 4th of July firerworks over Gas Works Park in Seattle was a particularly powerful moment for all involved! Thanks to a ton of work by members of the NE Seattle Family Group, as well as some early financial support from friends of ours, we were able to get Family M settled in Federal Way, plus get some deferred medical and dental issues taken care of. Sana started looking for work and the four siblings enrolled in school in Federal Way, WA. Fast forward a year and we are SO PROUD of the entire family. Sana has been working at TSA at SeaTac since last fall, Shaja just graduated from high school and the three girls just completed their first full academic year at Federal Way Public Schools. While they miss their mother and family still in Afghanistan, they are adjusting to life in the Northwest and are excited about doing even more in the months and years ahead. Oldest brother Ahmad Sana (pictured above at his TSA post at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport), is acting as parent to his siblings and working hard to make sure everyone is safe and taken care of. The two youngest girls, Sarahat and Sahar, are intrigued and excited about the opportunity to participate in youth sports, something they didn't have the chance to do at home. All of this integration into life in the PNW has taken place by bus, light rail and walking. So that's where we need your help... Family M needs wheels. A car. Transportation. Freedom to realize their American Dream. That's why we are helping support Sana purchase a used car and to help cover some of the associated expenses of owning a car. With a car, we can help change the opportunities for Family M, particularly the youngest two girls who REALLY want to try youth sports. Culturally speaking, riding the city bus or activity bus home on a dark autumn night simply doesn't work. We hope you'll consider joining us to help Sana buy a car and keep rolling. While any amount is appreciated, we would love to exceed our goal and hit a stretch or super-stretch goal so that Family M can secure a better vehicle that is more reliable and safer. Having been closely following these refugees, we promise you that Family M could really use a lift from the extended community. Thank you for your consideration... LET'S ROLL! NE Seattle Families (Franks, Kutzes, Garvey/Nadelson, Jays)