Haven on Garland

06/11/2026

When there are over 20 Japanese chicken teriyaki hibachi restaurants in Lynchburg but none are halal… you find the best ingredients to make it at home. Let’s just say, almost everyone went back for seconds.

06/06/2026

Summer breaks after another successful academic year call for nights filled with ice cream. Just one of many ways we support and care for the Afghan students we support and care for. Plug for one of the best locally owned ice cream businesses in Lynchburg - Mister Goodie’s.

06/03/2026

It’s summertime here at Haven on Garland which means all of our students can breathe again and not be fully consumed with studies. We are having more family meals together and enjoying their cooking more often as well as their coffee creations for us to try. In addition we are hosting students this summer who transferred to new schools last year. So the Haven house is full! Please consider joining our growing support network in making a difference for our students as we provide them a loving, safe, inspiring home as they continue their educational journey!

05/07/2026

The garden is planted! Hoping to both enjoy some amazing fresh produce and to extend our resources even further.

04/23/2026

We are so thankful for amazing bakeries like ! Whenever we celebrate the birthdays or special celebrations of one of our Afghan ladies getting the chocolate fudge pie is always a huge hit!

04/02/2026

Spring has sprung here at Haven on Garland and this season reminds us that hope is always possible - a hope that war and violence will end, a hope that women around the world and especially those in Afghanistan will have freedom again to study and fulfill their educational dreams, hope that all our young women served through Haven on Garland will continue to make this world a brighter place with their presence in it.

03/20/2026

Today is Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Nowruz is a time of family, renewal, and the promise of fresh beginnings. Falling on the spring equinox, it is a celebration of a “new day."

It's a day we celebrate here at Haven on Garland remembering the fresh start all of our students received when we welcomed them into our home, as we've guided and helped provide them a stability to earn their education and thrive in this world, opportunities they didn't have at home.

This year, many other Afghans are longing for a new day, a new day of peace, a new day of opportunity, a new day of not living in fear of violence or war, a new day to love.

We pray for all Afghans, and all Persians around the world today as they celebrate Nowruz, renewing the promise that exists for all of us that new beginnings are always possible.

03/08/2026

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day in honor of the amazing young women from Afghanistan that we have had the pleasure of supporting and hosting and loving over the past 2.5 years. May their voices never be silenced. May they continue to grow in influence to change this world for good. May they continue to have their light shine brightly for all to see. (Photo: This was drawn by one of our students).

03/01/2026

A Season of Reflection and Mercy
The spring semester is in full force here for our students, who continue to excel in their educational studies, with full course loads that range from anatomy, to accounting, to art electives, to health advocacy, to chemistry, to physics and astronomy and beyond.

Last week, our full Haven on Garland household and extended family began their respective holy seasons of contemplation and renewal - our Afghan students began their observance of Ramadan and Sarah and Shawn began the season of Lent. Both Ramadan and Lent are religious seasons filled with dedicated times for reflection, mercy, generosity and commitment for caring for one another as well as deepening one's connection to God. One central way our students observe Ramadan is through fasting, also a traditional Christian practice during Lent. To best support and ensure the health of our students during their Ramadan observation, we stock pile rehydration packets and have food ready when they break their fast, to ensure they get the necessary nutrients to thrive.

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistan activist for women's education once said, "I believe in peace. I believe in mercy." In a world that is filled with division and turmoil, Haven on Garland strives to create a new narrative, a new reality, one in which is filled with peace and mercy. We work hard to embody this peace and mercy through all our conversations, through the networks we build, through our actions in providing advocacy and opportunity for these amazingly brave, intelligent and inspiring Afghan students who have and still call Haven on Garland home.

The spring semester is in full force here for our students, who continue to excel in their educational studies, with full course loads that range from anatomy, to accounting, to art electives, to health advocacy, to chemistry, to physics and astronomy and beyond.   Last week, our full Haven on G...

02/18/2026