WARSON WOODS — Nine months after the first Afghan refugees arrived in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, dozens of families gathered Saturday to celebrate new homes, new jobs and new friends.
The day’s storms pushed the picnic indoors, to the gymnasium at Ste. Genevieve du Bois Catholic Church in Warson Woods. Ann Wittman, a volunteer with , raised her voice above the din of conversations, mostly in Pashto, to greet the crowd.
“Now is the time to take a breath and say ‘thank you, God’ for our blessings,†Wittman told them.
The International Institute of ºüÀêÊÓƵ that it had placed almost 600 Afghans in permanent housing, the first of many hurdles the refugees face as they restart their lives in a strange country.
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The provides help for the first 90 days. Wittman’s organization, along with the Christian Friends of New Americans and Oasis International, have been picking up the mantle, providing necessities like clothing, home goods and car repairs.
A month ago, representatives from those agencies formed HumanKind STL, to focus exclusively on fundraising.
“This just came about because of the urgent need,†said Wittman, who lives in Ellisville. “It was so unprecedented to have hundreds of families arrive overnight.â€
Sardar Khanmomand came to ºüÀêÊÓƵ in early March. Ten days before the picnic, the 19-year-old and his eight younger siblings moved out of a hotel room and into a house with their parents.
Khanmomand applied for a job on the night shift so he can study during the day. But he doesn’t have a car and is wary of walking to work in the dark.
“Right now, life is hard,†he said.
Many of the refugees, who tend to have families nearly as big as the Khanmomands, lack transportation. Few speak English. Degrees they earned at home don’t translate here. It’s as though years of their lives have been erased.
Ihsanullah Ihsan’s arrival in ºüÀêÊÓƵ felt almost as chaotic as his life was before he left Afghanistan. His family of 11 moved into a house, then quickly moved out when a bullet came through a window while two of his daughters were playing. They lost their deposit and had to scramble to pay for a hotel.
But their situation is beginning to stabilize. A few weeks ago, they found another place in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. The Ihsan children attend Nahed Chapman, a school for immigrant students. They love it.
“Seeing my kids go to school is a good thing,†he said through a translator. “Education in America is good.â€
Four days ago, Ihsan started a job at a pizzeria in Jennings. He earned his driver’s permit. Now, he needs a vehicle.
“It’s really, really hard without a car,†he said.
Transportation is an almost universal hardship among the Afghan families. But they also need washers and dryers, assistance with medical care and guidance navigating the school system.
Haroon Safi of south ºüÀêÊÓƵ can empathize. He moved to the city in 2014, one of just a few Afghan immigrants living here at the time.
“Things get settled gradually and slowly,†Safi said. He and his 14-year-old son, Ahmad, bounced around Saturday, translating conversations between Afghans and Americans.
Some of the afternoon’s activities needed no interpretation: Kids shot baskets and showboated with glittery hula hoops. Moms piled plates high with pasta salad and homemade cookies. And bags were filled with donated shoes, toys and games.
The picnic is a beginning and not an end, Wittman, the Welcome Neighbor STL volunteer, told the group in English, with Safi echoing her in Pashto.
“We’re not going anywhere,†she said.
For more information on HumanKind STL, email humankindstl@gmail.com.