Afghan Welcome Home Project of Central Illinois

11/06/2022

❤

05/05/2022

We have a female evacuee who is moving into her permanent apartment in Arthur Thursday 5 May 2022!!!

We have a box truck to move some large furniture items from our storage in Decatur/Longcreek to her apartment and we could use some help loading those items into the truck in Decatur/Longcreek. We will be in Decatur Thursday morning until early afternoon, so if you are available to help load a full-size mattress, love seat and recliner, we would appreciate it greatly!! Give Ilene a call if you can help, should just take 15 minutes.

If you are in the Arthur area and can help unload the items from the truck into the 2nd floor apartment sometime Thursday, let Ilene know as well, call or text her 404-234-6513.

Here is a list of some key items we still need for our evacuee's apartment:
Full-Size Box Spring
Full-Size Bed Frame
Full-Size Sheets (clean no stains)
Full-Size Mattress Pad (new)
Bath Towels
Wash Cloths
Kitchen Towels
Dish Cloths
Chest of Drawers
Coffee Table
small desk
office chair
2 Kitchen Chairs
Full set of Pots, Pans, Skillets
Baking dishes - 9x13, 9x9, pie pan
40in Smart TV
TV stand
laptop computer
printer/scanner

We are also looking for individuals or organizations that would be willing to help pay for her utilities, internet and rent for 2 months while she gets settled into her new home and life on her own.

And as always we graciously accept monetary donations via check or PayPal.

Make checks payable to Afghan Welcome Home Project and mail to:Afghan Welcome Home ProjectPO Box 144Mt Zion, IL 62549

We also accept donations via PayPal: [email protected]

02/08/2022

Arcola Volunteer Coordination Meeting
Tuesday 8 February 2022
6:30pm
First Christian Church of Arcola
311 E Main Street, Arcola, IL 61910

We need your help to resettle 10 Afghan Evacuees in Arcola, Illinois.

There are ways big and small that everyone can help!!

01/22/2022

Go to paypal.me/AfghanWHPCI and type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal, it's easy and secure. Don’t have a PayPal account? No worries.

01/20/2022

Good afternoon, Everyone!!

The Afghan Welcome Home Project is welcoming 7 Afghan evacuees to Decatur, Illinois to be temporarily housed until permanent housing is found in Bloomington (these 7 men prefer to resettle with the other 3 in Bloomington as they served in the Afghan Army together). Below is a link to sign up to provide immediate items for the 7 men to be temporarily housed in Decatur, the Decatur house is unfurnished.

Please forward this link to any and all!!!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F44A5AD2EA6FAC52-supplies

Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, Ilene Henderson, 404-234-6513.

Thank you all for your continued support.

We are preparing a house in Decatur for the temporary housing of 7 Afghan refugee men who will arrive on Sunday (1/23). Items needed Sunday immediately upon arrival are marked URGENT, all other items are needed on Monday or Tuesday. We welcome used items that are gently used, clean and in good worki...

01/19/2022

Just a Reminder!!

Just a reminder that tomorrow evening, Thursday 20 January 2022, the Afghan Welcome Home Project is hosting a meeting to discuss the support and assistance that is needed during the current resettlement of our first 3 Afghan evacuees in Bloomington, Illinois.

At this meeting, the Afghan Welcome Home Project will outline all of the tasks and items which we need assistance in completing or acquiring. We will have individuals and organizations sign-up for those specific tasks or items which they want to be responsible for completing or providing, this will ensure that the financial, physical and emotional needs of our evacuees are adequately met.

Please note that Salat al-Isha (Evening Prayer) will take place from 7:00pm - 7:15pm. Please refrain from entering the building during prayer time, 7:00pm - 7:15pm

Date: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Time: 7:30 pm
Location: Islamic Center of McLean County; 421 Olympia Dr, Bloomington, IL 61704

01/16/2022

We are welcoming 3 Afghan evacuees to the Bloomington-Normal community and they could use your help and support.

We will be having a Facilitator/Volunteer informational meeting and sign-up this coming Thursday and we hope to see you there. There are ways both big and small that you can get involved and help facilitate the resettlement of these Afghans here in Central Illinois.

Thursday, 20 January 2022
7:30 pm
Islamic Center of McLean County
421 Olympia Dr, Bloomington, IL 61704

Contact our Operations Manager, Ilene Henderson with any questions, phone: 404-234-6513 or email: [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you Thursday!!!

01/15/2022

Alrighty, what everyone has been waiting for is in the works...we have 3 Afghan evacuees on their way to resettle in Bloomington, Illinois!!!!

We have a lot to do in a very short amount of time, so we can use all of the help and support we can get. There is a way for everyone to help out, contribute and be a part of an a amazing opportunity. Our evacuees are 3 men who had to flee Afghanistan in order to save their and their families' lives, having to leave behind wives and children.

We have 2 apartments to set up and get ready in a very short amount of time, so please get in touch with us and see how you can help out!!

We can be reached via Facebook Messenger, Email: [email protected] or phone: 404-234-6513 call or text.

You can make monetary donations via US Mail to PO Box 144, Mt. Zion, IL 62549 or via paypal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=Z8HKQR7YGTHRG

There is plenty of work to be done and support needed, so everyone can get involved and help some very deserving individuals become a part of our Central Illinois Community!!!!

12/11/2021

The resettlement of the Afghan Evacuee refugees is ever changing. More than half of the evacuees at Ft McCoy have been resettled across the United States and those remaining at McCoy will be leaving soon. Therefore, items are no longer needed at Ft McCoy and we will no longer be making trips up to Ft McCoy.

Thank you to everyone that has donated items for the the evacuees at McCoy.

We are continuing to coordinate with the resettlement agencies in Illinois, recruiting facilitators to support Afghan refugees in Central Illinois and organizing new ways that the communities and citizens of Central Illinois can support those Afghan Evacuees in need of assistance.

We will be posting ways in which you can help in the coming days!!

Thank you again for your help thus far!!!!

11/19/2021

In the realm of refugee/evacuee resettlement, the term Sponsor has a very distinct meaning, which is very different from the manner in which the Afghan Welcome Home Project has been using the term. Therefore, to prevent any further confusion, we will no longer utilize the term Sponsor, but instead will use the term Facilitator.

The responsibilities expected of a Facilitator are the same as those previously assigned to a sponsor. It is simply the label which we are assigning to those offering their support to the Afghan evacuees resettling in Central Illinois that has changed from sponsor to Facilitator.😎

Thank you for your continued support!!!!!

~ Susan, Inge and Ilene