“What we should do right now is do everything we can to help the Afghan people get out, especially those who the Taliban are going to murder, torture, imprison because they tried to build a better life for future generations of Afghans.”
This is Lt. Gen. (Ret.) H.R. McMaster, former member of the National Security Council, and a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, in an interview with Seattle’s KOMO News, as the Taliban stormed across the country seeking violent retribution against America’s Afghan allies.
For the people of Afghanistan, especially those who worked with the U.S. military over the last 20 years, the U.S. withdrawal and Taliban takeover is horrifying. Which is why so many Afghan people clung to the outside of U.S. military aircraft as they took off from Kabul in a desperate attempt to flee the new regime, some ultimately falling to their deaths.
And while there is a battle ongoing in Washington with politicians bickering over who can come and how many, philanthropic organizations are stepping up to support our allies both on the ground in Afghanistan and here at home.
Spirit of America, a participant in the 2020 Philanthropy Roundtable Annual Meeting, is on the ground in the Middle East working alongside U.S. troops to provide humanitarian assistance, while launching a rapid response fund on the home front to help meet the urgent needs of Afghan families transitioning to the United States.
Meanwhile, nonprofit groups in local communities across the country, including Sacramento, St. Louis, Washington, D.C. and a number of cities across Texas, among many others, are also preparing for refugee arrivals.
For those interested in scouting organizations with specific programs to support Afghan refugees, there is no shortage of news outlets publishing lists, including USA Today and Newsweek. Below are a few avenues for connecting with efforts and organizations offering aid to Afghan allies. However, please be aware the Roundtable has not vetted all of these organizations, and we simply list them here for your review and consideration.
- Network for Good (list), Afghanistan
- Lutheran Social Services
- Commonwealth Catholic Charities – Richmond, Virginia
- International Rescue Committee Silver Spring Chapter
- US Conference of Catholic Bishops – Migration and Refugee Services
Events in Afghanistan continue to change rapidly. We will be sure to track the latest news of interest to the philanthropic sector and provide updates here on the Roundtable blog as they become available.
