HELP SUPPORT- Afghan SIV holders arrive in Helena, Montana

Hands On Global / HARRT (Helena Area Refugee Resettlement Team) welcomes two new Afghan families to Helena, Montana. These are special circumstances as these are SIV (Special Immigration Visa) holders. We worked with a veterans non-profit NO ONE LEFT BEHIND (nooneleft.org) to help fulfill the promise made to SIV holders.

These folks have worked with the US government, risking their lives to support the efforts of the US military in the Afghanistan theater. So many veterans say they owe their lives to these brave people. The US promised protection to these people.

In January 2025, when President Trump took office, he completely halted the refugee resettlement program, stopping arrivals of fully vetted refugees and immediately halting all US funding to the program. That left so many in a dire situation. An imminent proposed travel ban by this current administration would ban Afghans from entering the USA.

That is where No One Left Behind stepped in to provide air tickets to as many as possible to enter the USA with their VALID SIV visas.

HARRT connected with them and agreed to receive and resettle 2 families.

These families have arrived and we have settled them into apartments. Again, the wonderfully welcoming Helena community rose to the occasion and donated furnishings, kitchen supplies, and moved them in.

One of the families came from a tent in a refugee camp in Qatar. The other family arrived from Islamabad where tensions were high and Afghans were being deported back to Afghanistan. Both families would face a death sentence if returned to their homeland.

They arrived here ever so grateful and very tired. Their first requests were school for their children. Then, where can I work?

Work will take some time as due to their rapid departure they do not have the paperwork and SS cards needed for employment, though they are definitely eligible. With so many federal offices closed or having drastic staff reductions, this could take time.

In the meanwhile, we have to help them survive here until they can get the papers to work.

HARRT no longer receives any money for the resettlement of any refugees since Jan 2025.

We need financial assistance to assist these folks. The HARRT staff has gone into volunteer mode. We need assistance to pay case managers to assist these folks with all that is needed to become independent, integrated members of our Helena community. HARRT also needs assistance to temporarily assist with rent, food, clothing, etc., until the work documents arrive and jobs are procured. Please help us to help them. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS, COMPASSION AND GENEROSITY!!!!!!!!

Hands On Global / HARRT is a Montana based 501(c) 3 non profit. All donations are tax deductable