OUR COMMUNITY

T

he state of Michigan has 
allocated $500,000 to 
help house about 1,300 
Afghan refugees expected to 
arrive in the state, officials 
announced this month. 
As the Taliban continues to 
exert power over Afghanistan, 
resettlement agencies across 
the U.S. are preparing to 
support an influx of Afghan 
refugees fleeing the country.
Jewish Family Services (JFS) 
of Washtenaw County is one 
of five resettlement groups 
the state of Michigan is working with in 
helping the refugees.
The office of Global Michigan, 
part of the state Labor and Economic 
Opportunity department, secured the 
half-million dollars from the Michigan 
State Housing Development Authority 
to “temporarily house the arrivals until 
resettlement agencies can secure their 
permanent housing,” the department 
said.
With three to four days’ notice about 
specific refugees prior to their arrival 
to Michigan, JFS of Washtenaw County 
starts preparing for their arrival by 
looking for temporary hotels to place 
them in. If the refugees have friends or 
family in the area that are going to host 
them, JFS will take them to that home.
JFS of Washtenaw County also 
starts reaching out to its network of 
volunteers to begin gathering items for 
families, as many of them aren’t arriving 
with enough clothing or food. 
“We start speaking with our 
community partners, health clinics, 
schools, food pantries, counseling 
services, transportation, ESL, youth 
services and start preparing for their 
arrival in terms of other auxiliary 

services,” said Shrina Eadeh, director 
of the resettlement program at JFS of 
Washtenaw County.
After they arrive, the resettlement 
process begins.
From the moment the refugees 
are placed in temporary hotels, and 
even before, JFS is looking for more 
permanent housing options for them.
Eadeh says the housing options are 
a bit low right now, so they’ve been 
reaching out to a lot of landlords and 
property management companies in 
Washtenaw County to see if they have 
any apartments available. 
“We are still currently looking for and 
will need quite a bit of housing for the 
Afghan refugees.”
In terms of numbers, JFS of 
Washtenaw County could be looking 
at about 800 individuals they will be 
resettling in their immediate area in the 
next year, if not more.

HOW TO HELP
There are many ways the public 
can help with the Afghan refugees’ 
transition. 
“If anybody knows anybody who 
has any housing options available, 

apartments to rent, homes 
to rent, we would certainly 
welcome those referrals,” 
Eadeh said.
General donations for 
auxiliary services, such as 
food, clothing and housing, are 
also more than welcome, says 
JFS of Washtenaw County’s 
Chief Development Officer 
Devon Meier.
“All the auxiliary services 
we offer here, it’s wrap-around 
for our refugee clients,” Meier 
said. “Those general donations 
that come in all go into the same pot to 
be able to provide the full wrap-around 
service approach.” 
JFS of Washtenaw County helps 
refugees like those from Afghanistan 
from the day they arrive in the U.S. until 
the day they receive citizenship, not 
just their first 90 days. JFS goes beyond 
the 90 days in a comprehensive post-
resettlement, helping with employment, 
getting kids settled, helping out with 
youth services and more. 
“Being the only resettlement agency 
within Washtenaw County, it’s a big job, 
but it’s a privilege, an honor and a moral 
obligation for this agency,” Meier said. 
“It’s the essence of the mission of what 
we do of creating solutions, promoting 
dignity and inspiring humanity. With 
much responsibility comes the need 
for much support, and it truly takes a 
village to be able to make this happen.”
The Michigan Department of Labor 
and Economic Opportunity also 
announced a new website, Michigan.
gov/afghanarrivals, that the public can 
use as a resource to donate or volunteer 
to help the refugees. To help JFS of 
Washtenaw County, visit jfsannarbor.
org/resettlement-integration-services. 

$500,000 allocated to help house Afghan refugees will help 
JFS of Washtenaw County, other resettlement groups. 
Helping Afghan Refugees

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

22 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 

