What's Happening

Bilal will be granted a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV). After additional paperwork, he will receive a Green Card and the entire family will be eligible for U.S. citizenship in five years. Bilal wrote to thank us, saying, “I am so lucky to have you all and help to settle in this beautiful and friendly country.”

Other Afghan refugees have not had the Stanikzai family’s advantages, including finding a job quickly and having a group to support them. St. John’s Norwood organized much of the help for Afghan families temporarily housed at the Bethesda Marriott and continues to assist them with housing, food, and medical care. Therefore, we are sending $2,000 from our special Afghan fund to help St. John’s with this important effort.

With our partners at Christ Church, we are discerning how we can best support additional Afghan families.

Karen Getman for the Afghan Steering Committee