It Takes a Village: Helping Refugees as Part of a ‘Sponsor Circle’

By Maggi Johnson

I will never forget meeting “our” Afghan family at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport baggage claim. We knew almost nothing about them. That February evening, our pressing questions were if they spoke English or had winter coats. Our signs said “welcome” in Dari. Later we learned the dad is a writer who was specifically targeted by the Taliban. After a harrowing departure from Afghanistan, the young family spent months on a U.S. Army base before coming to Seattle. They found us — with big smiles on their faces. The mom said, “I never thought we would have so many friends to greet us in Seattle.”

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