In August of 2021 the U.S. military ended an almost 20-year presence in Afghanistan and withdrew all troops from the Country. Many Afghans who had been employed by the US Government are now part of “Operation Allies Refuge”.  This government initiative is relocating  the employees and their families to the US.

 

Denver Mile High Rotary (DMHR) has been proud to sponsor a family in this program under the direction of Project Worthmore, a sanctioned US resettlement program.  The Club assisted in the family’s assimilation for over a year.   Primary areas of need included housing, household furnishings, transportation, education, medical, employment, cultural activities, local outings, food sourcing and general urban awareness. After six months of intense interactions beginning February 2022, the family is becoming increasingly self-supporting and the frequency of contacts is decreasing. 

 

The club has also provided a financial grant to Project Worthmore which uses donated funds to assist other refugee families with their transition costs.

 

DMHR volunteering members guided the original Afghan family of 8 children and parents to a successful calendar year.  The family made strides to secure housing and employment, as well as to master English. 

 

Year 2 with "newcomers" arriving by unconventional means was a challenge.  Soon after arriving, 4 additional families were on their way to housing, food sourcing and employment.  Work visas were applied for along with immigration/asylum document processing.

 

If you would like to join the volunteers, please contact Tom Cella or Marty Waters.   Interacting with the family will be an extraordinary experience.

 

The 9-month project consists of two primary activities: 1) mental health counseling and 2)  empowerment skills.

 

The first stages of the project were to provide booster training for current health workers, train new trainers and train new health workers.  These trainings were all essential to prepare for the primary purpose of the the Grant:  to offer counseling to the community members with mental health issues. 

 

The reaction of the new trainees has already confirmed the importance of this grant:

As of early January, the Grant has funded 1671 counseling sessions.  The next step is to provide 100 young mothers with economic skills to help them launch successful businesses.