As refugees from Afghanistan enter the U.S., Send Relief is asking for churches and individuals to help in whatever way they can.
Greg Wilton directs the Send Relief ministry center in Clarkston, Georgia. He recently asked for help on social media as approximately 1,100 Afghans who left their home country after the re-emergence of the Taliban begin to arrive in the Atlanta area.
Wilton told the Baptist Press, “These families are showing up with little to nothing. These resettlement agencies provide many of their needs, but not all. This is the time for the church to come alongside as friends and minister to these people as those needs arise.”
Those needs, he added, can be providing groceries for a family, helping them navigate a new city or town or assisting them in maneuvering paperwork to secure an apartment. As Wilton experienced recently, it can also mean introducing them to a bit of America.
He said, “I took a group of four men to my sons’ football games and they had a great time. They had never seen it before. Afterward, we went and ate at a restaurant that serves Halal food.”
On Sept. 10, Send Relief hosted a Care for Refugees workshop with hundreds of participants both online and in-person. As a result, two moms from north Georgia became involved and ultimately helped an Afghan father find a new job in their city to support his family.
Wilton said the church needs to be present in their lives and show them the love of Christ.