An important message from Catholic Charities Jacksonville Regional Director Lori Weber:
It’s difficult to imagine what many Afghan families are experiencing right now as they flee their homes in search of safety. At Catholic Charities Jacksonville, we have humbly worked to help resettle dozens of Afghan refugee families - including many individuals who arrived with Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), earned through their service as interpreters and translators for our troops.
They have escaped extremely dangerous situations, which is only further demonstrated through the desperation evident in the videos and photos we’re seeing this week. This unfortunate situation will certainly result in our agency welcoming an increased number of displaced people from Afghanistan, but this process may be slower than desired as stringent refugee screenings take time.
That said, Catholic Charities Jacksonville has worked diligently to ensure we’re ready to resettle as many refugees as possible, as quickly as possible – a mission that we will need your prayers and support to accomplish.
The next few weeks and months will shed further light on when these refugees may arrive, but rest assured that Catholic Charities will be there to welcome them with open arms and provide them with the tools they need to restart their lives and become self-sustainable, fulfilled members of our community.
Please join us in prayer as we call to mind all who are affected by this development – families fleeing Afghanistan, those aiding in humanitarian efforts and the allied troops ensuring their safety, as well as all those who have risked or sacrificed their lives for our country amid this conflict.
If you would like to support the Catholic Charities refugee resettlement program and our agency's other services that directly transform the lives of refugees, please visit CCBJax.org.
