January 19, 2022

Program creates new pathway for service and relief organizations to expand reach of resettlement agencies and support Afghan newcomers

Welcome.US and Church World Service (CWS) to partner with diverse service and relief organizations, including Islamic Relief USA, Lions Clubs International, and Samaritan’s Purse to resettle thousands of Afghans

December 23, 2021

Statement from Welcome.US CEO Nazanin Ash

“Welcome.US is mobilizing an all-country response to support our new Afghan neighbors, and we are honored to receive support from Archewell Foundation and Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, in this effort. Throughout our founding, we have been deeply inspired by the outpouring of support from every corner of the country for Afghan newcomers. With this gift, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex join a growing community of welcomers ensuring that our Afghan allies are warmly embraced and resettled safely, with dignity, and with the support they need to rebuild their lives. We thank The Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their generosity and for putting their values into action to help unite communities through compassionate service and common purpose.”

December 14, 2021

Today, Welcome.US announced a first-of-its kind tool called the Welcome Exchange— an online portal for matching businesses that are willing and able to give support and resources with the specific local needs of Afghan newcomers identified by nonprofits and resettlement groups.$3 million in supplies and resources have been committed by organizations including Accenture, CVS, Harry’s, Target, Starbucks, Serta Simmons Bedding, Walgreens, and P&G.

December 13, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC—The Welcome Fund, a project of Welcome.US and administered by GoFundMe.org, and administered by , announced today the launch of its first request for proposals (RFP), which will commit $3 million to the support of national, regional and local organizations that broaden community participation in resettlement of Afghan newcomers. “Organizations across the country are working to mobilize support to help our new neighbors meet their initial needs,” said Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US. “The Welcome Fund’s next set of grants seeks to harness and enhance national, regional and local organizations in their work to broaden community participation in resettlement.”

November 25, 2021

Welcomers,
Several years ago, my family had the great honor of introducing our Thanksgiving tradition to a newly arrived family from Syria.

They were our Syrian doppelgangers — they too had five children, including a set of twins. The father had been a teacher, and they had fled to Turkey when his school was bombed and he and his eldest son were under increasing threat to choose allegiances or pay the price in Syria’s civil war. Ultimately, they were able to find safety and rebuild their lives when they were resettled to the United States.

November 17, 2021

Today, the Welcome Fund awarded more than $8.3 million in grants to 28 nonprofits and resettlement agencies working to meet the immediate relocation and housing needs of our new Afghan neighbors. This is the first set of grants announced by the Welcome Fund, an initiative of Welcome.US, to leverage philanthropic support so that Afghans and others fleeing their homelands are connected to welcoming communities across the United States. Since Welcome.US was launched in September, it has committed more than $12 million to support the arrival and housing of Afghan evacuees.

November 3, 2021

The Schultz Family Foundation, Stand Together Foundation and The Starbucks Foundation today announced the Mobilizing America for Refugees Fund to support community-based organizations across the United States that are helping Afghan refugees and parolees successfully resettle by donating goods, services, and volunteer time. As a part of the effort, the Schultz Family Foundation, Stand Together Foundation and The Starbucks Foundation have committed more than $1 million to provide general operating grants up to $45,000 to qualifying nonprofits in up to 40 communities across the country to increase their capacity to serve individuals and families who have fled Afghanistan.