'These people have nowhere to go': Md. non-profit seeks help for Afghan refugees
LANDOVER, Md. (7News) — A Maryland non-profit called Homes Not Borders is expecting a surge in Afghan refugees and they are looking for volunteers and donations to help new refugees feel welcomed and at home.
Lauren Osuri leads the non-profit. The organization works with refugee resettlement agencies by furnishing and decorating refugees’ new homes before they move in.
“We’ve heard time and time again how the family’s feel appreciated and welcomed and it’s so much easier to start your life over when you have a comfortable home base and a home to go to,” said Osuri.
Osuri says her home setups have tripled in recent weeks as more Afghan refugees enter the United States. As of Tuesday evening, Osuri said her organization could use more gently used household items.
“These people have nowhere to go. They are literally homeless. They don’t have a homeland. I really feel for them coming to a new place,” she said. “Our Wearhouse is running thin."
She says her organization could use your help.
“We definitely need new twin mattresses,” she said. “And also we have an Amazon Wishlist if you go to our website that can ship like sheets, comforters, pots and pans, those are kind of our top needs and we always need the household products as well. Cleaning supplies, dish detergent, laundry detergent those kinds of things. We always buy those new.”
ALSO READ | LIST: How to help Afghan refugees by volunteering, donating in Virginia, DC and Maryland
That’s not all.
“We are looking to buy a truck. It would be awesome to have a truck donated. Or get money to buy a truck so we don’t have to keep doing the rentals,” she said. “We always need volunteers to help with our home set up. It’s really great if you have a group like a workgroup, boy scouts, church, synagogue kind of group to help with home set up. We can provide most of the materials – you can provide what you want," she said.
As Osuri says, Homes Not Borders was started by volunteers.
“I was just a volunteer at Church, National Community Church, back in 2016 when the Syrians were coming in droves, so my church launched a refugee care ministry and I just volunteered for it,” she said.
As she volunteered at her church, she saw the need for home setups firsthand, which is when Homes Not Borders was born.
“I just want to welcome people and make the world a better place,” she said.
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Below is more information on how to volunteer and donate to Homes Not Borders:
- Volunteer as a Group: If you have a school or community group that is interested in doing service, you can email laura@homesnotborders.org
- Volunteer as an Individual: You are also more than welcome to join Homes Not Borders’ regular crew of volunteers. Typically, their regular crew does set-ups on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and usually in the Riverdale/Landover area. If interested in joining as a regular volunteer, you can email laura@homesnotborders.org
- Donate New Items: This is the easiest and quickest way for you to help, according to Homes Not Borders. Simply check out the AMAZON WISHLIST and purchase some of their most needed setup items (especially twin mattresses and frames). They will ship directly to the Homes Not Borders warehouse and be ready to go for the next setup
- Donate Gently Used Items: If you have any extra gently used items on the Homes Not Borders Set Up Supply List – especially pots and pans, twin sheets and coffee tables and dressers, please consider donating them. You can fill out the donation form here and they can determine a time to pick up the items, or just email info@homesnotborders.org and let them know when you can bring them by their warehouse in Landover which is preferred.
- Donate Money: Homes Not Borders gladly accepts monetary donations. These funds help pay for trucks to move the items (about $120 each time with fuel) from their storage facility to the apartments and help them pay for toiletries and cleaning items that have to be new (about $60) per family.
