The Story – Phase 3
PHASE 3 (APRIL 2023 – THE PRESENT):
PROVIDING SOCIAL CONNECTION AND SUSTAINABLE NETWORKS
At the end of April 2023, after 18 months of providing free resources to the Afghan community with 12 of those months at St. John’s Episcopal Church, CAIR Oklahoma closed its Resource Center and shifted its work towards expanding relationships across interfaith and community groups, connecting Afghan neighbors with existing resources and services, offering training and educational materials to groups providing services and resources so they can better serve Afghan neighbors, building new community partnerships, and creating outlets for Afghan neighbors to enhance social emotional wellness and reduce isolation.
Number of unique households at Resource Center
Number of unique volunteers
Total hours of service
Value
In March 2023, we hosted a Ramadan Clothing Bazaar, which was attended by 52 families, totaling over 400 individuals.
Number of volunteers for Clothing Bazaar
Number of hours served
Value
While in the process of closing down our Resource Center, we established a relationship with Goodwill Industries to create a Desi clothing section specifically for Muslim customers, including Afghan Oklahomans. Goodwill not only picked up clothing donations for their North MacArthur Boulevard location, but they also delivered donations we promised to other community partners, including Homeless Alliance, Dress for Success, and Pivot, Inc.
CAIR Oklahoma also built a partnership with YMCA to co-host the 2023 Eid ul-Fitr Festival in April for Afghan Oklahomans at the Rockwell Plaza location.
In May, CAIR Oklahoma was asked by Senator Carri Hicks to assist in organizing an interim study on the Afghan Placement and Assistance Program (APA) to inform her legislative colleagues on the large number of agencies, interfaith groups, community organizations, nonprofits, and individual volunteers it took to create the network of welcome to walk 1000+ Afghan neighbors through the process of resettlement in Oklahoma City. It was a great opportunity to recognize and celebrate the sheer amount of work that has already happened as well as identify the ways that existing services provided by the city, county, and state could be improved to not only assist Afghan Oklahomans but also any other person accessing resources and assistance.
Throughout the summer and fall of 2023, CAIR Oklahoma staff also visited over 30 Afghan Oklahoman families in their homes to learn more about them, their ongoing needs, and their hopes and dreams.
Based on these visits, we started the CAIR Oklahoma Women’s Day Out and Men’s Days Out, small social events at local parks that encourage physical activity and conversation.
In early November 2023, four Afghan women completed Computer Class 101, a basic computer literacy course held at and taught by The Computer Club of Oklahoma City in partnership with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. CAIR Oklahoma introduced these organizations to one another and shepherded the relationship through the creation and implementation of the course as well as in exploring next steps.
If you would like to partner with CAIR Oklahoma, please email Jen Hund (Refugee Services Director; jhund@cair.com).