‘Do not give up’: Americans help Afghans in new homeland

By JAMIE STENGLE and JULIE WATSON
Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — Across the U.S., the agencies that resettle refugees and volunteers are scrambling to help Afghan citizens who are fleeing their country after helping the U.S. during the 20-year war there. Russell Smith, CEO of Refugee Services of Texas, said they would typically get a week or so notice that families are arriving in the cities where they’ll be resettled. But with the events in Afghanistan, the process is accelerating. In Minnesota, the pleas for help from Afghans have been filling up Caroline Clarin’s phone for days. She and her wife have already helped a handful of Afghans get visas, and are working on helping more.