Some members of St. Lucas are still supporting an immigrant Afghan family, one of the many that arrived in our country last November after helping our troops in the Afghan war. Our family has met many neighbors, and has made friends in their neighborhood, who are also from Afghanistan.
Our current efforts have wound down somewhat, but we still help them with doctor’s appointments and school schedules. We may find a way to include the child with Down Syndrome into a city school program for preschoolers, and we hope a local non-profit may offer some help as well.
Paul has also introduced them to Isaiah 58, the local food pantry that our church supports. Last week, they were given several bags of fresh vegetables and fruit by the staff there, even though they arrived after “business” hours. Such kindness, to us, justifies the financial help that St. Lucas sends their way.
Paul also escorted them to the nearby Schnuck’s, the one that has been in the news on South Grand, where vagrancy is an issue, but where many SNAP recipients depend on that neighborhood grocery. Our group has experienced only good service, sometimes especially good, when we have shopped there.
The father, with a head injury from the war, filled a prescription there, as did the mother, who has a hip injury from an auto accident in her country.
Shirley and Kathy are making a very positive contribution to the family by regularly meeting with the mother, who spends most hours at home with her kids. They have explained aspects of our difficult language to her, and worked with her on vocabulary, pronunciation, and sentence structure.
We continue to guide them through so many routine issues…drivers licenses, taxes, SNAP and WIC benefits, utility concerns, and phone issues. There are so many more things that could help, but we know that they should solve as many by themselves as possible.
Many at St. Lucas have contributed to this support, financially or in kind, and have encouraged us. Our church has made this family feel welcomed and supported. We extend our thanks to the whole congregation.