Welcome Corps - Bringing Fatima and Noor to Safety

During this extraordinarily challenging time for Afghan people, a small group of Westchester County neighbors and community members have come together to sponsor a refugee newcomer family from Afghanistan, helping to provide them a place of safety and security in our area. The family will be sponsored through the Welcome Corps program of the US State Department, and with the support of the local nonprofit Hearts & Homes for Refugees. 

We have identified the family we wish to sponsor because of their urgent need. Meet Fatima* and Noor*, a mother and daughter who have been experiencing a serious, ongoing threat, living in fear of danger and persecution as women living in Afghanistan.  Fatima has a master’s degree in science, has taught physics at the high school level, and worked with both the Americans and the Germans in Afghanistan. Because of Fatima’s work with the U.S. and the risk to her life for that affiliation, Fatima and her daughter have been granted Special Immigrant Visas to the U.S. Noor is fluent in English and ready to work to support herself and her mother after they arrive, with a long-term goal of attending med school.

 

While they are waiting in Afghanistan, they remain in danger and in hiding.

With our collective knowledge and passion, we are confident in our ability to provide the support required for these women, but we need your help. Our sponsorship group will be responsible for greeting the refugee family at the airport, securing and furnishing initial housing, stocking their pantry, helping them find employment, assisting in the navigation of healthcare, and supporting them as they adjust to life in the United States. 100% of the money raised will be used to help pay security deposit and the first couple months of rent, groceries until the family has received SNAP benefits, household furnishings that we cannot find by donation, and other essential items during their first 90 days. The Welcome Corps program ensures work authorization, and we will help them find jobs in the U.S. Our group includes experienced volunteers, as well as friends of the family who are already living in Westchester County.

Please help bring Fatima and Noor to safety here in the United States.

*Names have been changed to protect the safety of Fatima and Noor, and their family.