Asia Amini, her husband Abdul, and their one-month-old son, Mohammed, fled Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. In January 2022, the family moved to Anchorage, which now includes their almost 2-year-old daughter, Alina. Afghans who helped the US military in the fight against the Taliban were almost exclusively male. Asia is a rare exception as, in her family, she was the one who helped the US military as a member of the Female Tactical Platoon. 39 members of the Female Tactical Platoon, including Asia, are now living scattered throughout the US. Asia works at Catholic Social Services, helping other refugees in many ways: getting jobs, learning English, and meeting the challenges newcomers face. She is a Peer Navigator with the Alaska Literacy Program. She loves helping people and has a special place in her heart for helping women become more independent.

Dena Doublex was born and spent her first decade in a small, rural, all-white town in Oregon. The next decade was spent as a white student in mostly black schools in Oakland, California, and many decades traveling to different countries as often as possible. Seeing the differences and similarities among people has always fascinated her. As a retired person, she spends a lot of time with friends new to the US, helping in various ways, such as teaching people to drive, sharing meals or tea, and playing with kids.

She views volunteering with newcomers as a fun and cost-effective way to travel without the expense and inconvenience of flying. If you are interested in teaching people to drive, she has a list of people, so contact her at denaldoublex@gmail.com.

If you want to volunteer at Catholic Social Services, Refuge and Immigration Services (RAIS), you can get more info at https://www.cssalaska.org/our-programs/refugee-assistance-immigration-services/.

Slides - https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7wl1s4ed20cvnsb5tog8x/WorldRefugeeDaySlides.pdf?rlkey=wak504uyiyld21wsl08w4hmma&dl=0

Note that 3 slides have been removed from the podcast slides and replaced by blank pages.