Maryland is one of the top state hosts of Afghan refugees, and there are many local agencies serving refugees in the DMV. These are just some of the many groups pitching in to help our newest residents create safe homes. The sudden influx of Afghan refugees has strained their resources, and with Ukrainians now expected, they can use our help.

Currently, there is less need for clothing and furniture donations and more for gift cards, family mentoring and support services, but individual organizations can give you more guidance on their particular needs. Volunteers are always welcome! We encourage you to look for a place that can use your particular skills.

This is the local affiliate of the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, a refugee resettlement agency. It provides resettlement assistance, workforce development, family and child services and foster care for unaccompanied minors. So far this year, it has assisted more than 2,000 refugees with the help of thousands of volunteers.

Homes Not Borders is known for its ability with volunteer help to completely furnish apartments for refugees. It needs volunteers to work in its warehouses and to do set up. It also provides job and career support and can particularly use woodworking and sewing teachers. Currently, a critical need is for volunteers to sponsor refugees still in Afghanistan who are coming as humanitarian parolees.

SHC works with refugees and immigrants throughout the DMV to provide language classes for adults with simultaneous programs for their preschoolers, help children with homework, introduce them to county resources, such as libraries and other county resources. SHC Welcome Teams work with Church World Service to resettle families under the Afghan Placement Assistance Program.

Adventist Community Services (ACS) provides food, clothing and other necessities for struggling families and seniors and depends heavily on donations, grants and volunteers for this work. Currently, it is providing food to over 50 Afghan families in addition to its regular recipients. ACS can always use volunteers to put food boxes together and help in their distribution.

IRC is a well-known global refugee assistance organization with an office in Silver Spring. It works with both internally and externally displaced refugees by assessing needs and then partnering with local organizations to provide food, housing, education and job training.

More importantly, IRC is a significant source of direct cash assistance to refugees who often cannot initially support themselves. It is active in both Afghanistan and Poland.

The Silver Spring office serves clients in the DMV. Cash donations, gift cards and purchases from its Amazon wish list are especially needed along with volunteers to mentor families.