Mosques welcome Afghan refugees
Local consortium assists with housing and other necessities
Five local mosques and Islamic centers formed a consortium in summer to help Afghan refugees as they arrive in the Capital Region.
The Islamic Center of the Capital District and the Al-hidaya center, both in Colonie, Masjid As-salaam in Albany, Masjid Nabawi in Schenectady and Al-arqam Center in Clifton Park banded together to help “the brothers and sisters who need our help the most right now.” A member of each mosque is on the committee, which sought donations and volunteers and sprang into action to help. They have been working both independently and with the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Albany.
The committee has raised funds to provide temporary housing to families and to cover their rent. The USCRI pays apartment rent for three months.
Al-hidaya Center of Latham has taken the lead on the settlement project with Uzma Popal of Latham helming a donation center and thrift shop on Route 2. It stocks clothing, household goods, some furniture and baby items.
Popal said 10 new refugee families came to the thrift shop to pick up items. “They had no place to stay. USCRI put them up in a hotel for a couple of days,” Popal said. The USCRI is looking for temporary housing for incoming refugees. “Even if people can can open their houses for a week, it will be a huge help,” Popal said.
“We need volunteers to sort donations, which keep piling up, thanks to generous donors.”
The donation center is open limited hours two days a week.
The refugees began coming into the Capital Region in September and the influx snowballed with the withdrawal of U.S. troops and airlifting of Afghans. Popal said 304 refugees have arrived in the area since September.
Refugees arrive at short notice, sometimes only two to four days, leaving host families and organizers scrambling to arrange housing, clothing, food, baby items and other necessities.
“Recently a refugee who had arrived here four months ago needed $100 toward rent,” Popal said. The committee was able to help and hopes to have enough funds to help out others in similar situations.
Area residents of many faiths have come forward to help.
“Our friend Barbara Dworkin, community activist from Niskayuna, has been collecting furniture. She has rounded up volunteer drivers and pickup trucks and has delivered the items to the donation center or directly to apartments. She will also get volunteers to fund raise,” Popal said.
Families are not all coming in together. “One family member may be in the area but the rest of the family may be in process,” Popal said. “The ones who just came have nothing in place. We have been able to provide food and basic necessities.”
Someone follows up to see how the families are settling in. Mentors have signed up to help for one or two years.
Language can be a barrier for incoming refugees. “Our volunteers speak Urdu and Farsi and can help them” navigate the process and fill out forms, Popal said.
Amirah Eltahir of Albany is a refugee committee member. Originally from Sudan, she has three grown children.
A representative from the As-salaam Mosque in Albany, Eltahir said about 100 refugees have received social service packages.
“Some are still being put up in hotels. Volunteers are cooking two meals a day for them. We deliver that to Al-hidayah and a volunteer driver delivers the meals to the hotel where the refugees are staying.”
Another group doesn’t have social services so volunteers deliver groceries to them, Eltahir said. The community provides money for items, including chicken or beef from halal meat shops.
Other families have been given apartments. “We need volunteers to take them to the doctor for appointments. They got COVID-19 vaccines in Texas before being sent here.” Most of the refugees are in Albany and Watervliet, Eltahir said.
“The first wave of people arriving four or five years ago was from Afghan villages, many of whom did not know even their own language. The new arrivals are from cities and are mostly educated people. Many know English. They are ready to work but they don’t have legal status yet. Cleaning hotels, whatever jobs they get, they are ready to take,” said Eltahir.
There are a lot of children. Many are not yet enrolled in school because they don’t have immunization papers. “We are thinking of having teachers teach the children at their homes. But they have to get into an apartment first.” Some children are enrolled in Islamic studies in As-salam, said Eltahir.
“There are so many of them. I worry people will get tired of helping them,” said Eltahir.