FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 14, 2021
CONTACT:
Kelsey Parsons | (347) 527-01969 | [email protected]
We Are All America & NPNA Join Welcome.US to Mobilize Support for Afghan Refugees in the United States
Resettlement agencies, Afghan-American organizations, businesses, veterans, faith leaders, human rights organizations, governors, mayors, and more also involved in nationwide, bipartisan effort
NATIONWIDE – We Are All America and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) are proud to announce that we are joining Welcome.US, a new partnership between local and national resettlement agencies, Afghan-American organizations and leaders, refugees, community sponsorship groups, nonprofits, businesses, faith-based organizations, veterans, universities, and others geared at mobilizing everyday Americans to welcome Afghan refugees. Welcome.US is a one-stop shop for people across the country who want to get involved by donating supplies, money, or time; offering temporary housing; or sponsoring Afghan families as they start new lives in the United States.
Every American is invited to join this nationwide effort—learn more and sign up to be a welcomer at Welcome.US.
“Welcome.US will play a vital role in the welcoming efforts with the arriving Afghan refugee community,” said Basma Alawee, campaign manager of We Are All America. “As a refugee leader, I am delighted to see how various organizations, elected officials, businesses and advocates are coming together to welcome our new neighbors. Afghan refugees will need resources during this period of transition, and Welcome.US provides an avenue for the average American to connect locally and support the work happening on the ground. We Are All America is prepared to organize in any way needed to provide the warm welcome for our new Afghan neighbors nationwide.”
“We are at our best when we are a nation of refuge that welcomes and creates safety for Afghans who have been forced to flee. Tens of thousands of Afghans, many of whom were endangered because they worked with the United States, are now striving to rebuild their lives and adjust to a new normal,” said Nicole Melaku, executive director of NPNA. “We have a moral responsibility to embrace our new Afghan neighbors by listening to and uplifting their stories, donating supplies or services, hosting a family, sponsoring a refugee, and simply contributing financially to the work of welcoming Afghan refugees. The National Partnership for New Americans is proud to join Welcome.us in building a welcoming infrastructure that reflects our strongest and most humanitarian values.”
About Welcome.US
Welcome.US is a comprehensive partnership that transcends politics and brings together Afghan-Americans, refugees, community sponsorship groups, nonprofits, businesses, faith-based organizations, philanthropy, veterans, universities, governors, mayors, and many others.
Welcome.US is working in partnership with state, local, and federal officials, partner organizations, and the nine national agencies contracted by the government to oversee refugee resettlement to create a single platform for their needs and fulfill calls to action.
This first-of-its kind organization will also facilitate additional strategic collaborations on an ongoing basis in response to emerging challenges facing our new neighbors, and amplify the stories of Afghans to educate the American people about their journey.
Welcome.US created the Welcome Fund as part of its work to engage all Americans. The Fund will provide emergency grants to nonprofit organizations working to address the most urgent needs facing Afghan refugees as they arrive and begin new lives in communities across the country. An independent advisory committee will oversee the Welcome Fund.
Welcome.US is co-chaired by Cecilia Muñoz, senior adviser to New America and former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Obama, and John Bridgeland, CEO of the COVID Collaborative and former director of the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Bush.
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The National Partnership for New Americans is a national multiethnic, multiracial organization that represents 41 of the largest regional immigrant and refugee rights organizations in 37 states. Its members provide large-scale services for the communities, to leverage their collective power and expertise for a national strategy.
We Are All America is a refugee organizing alliance housed under the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA). We Are All America works to uphold and strengthen our nation’s commitment to welcome and protect those seeking freedom, safety and refuge in the United States. We organize people across religious and cultural differences to build inclusive communities where we all belong. In addition to NPNA, We Are All America’s national partners include Alianza Americas, Church World Service, Human Rights First, Refugee Congress, the Refugee Advocacy Lab, Refugee Council USA, International Rescue Committee, and Welcoming America.
