Community members step up to support Afghan refugees who have moved to Asheville, NC

By Hannah Mackenzie

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — Many community members have taken it upon themselves to help Afghan refugees adjust to life in Asheville.

According to Noel Aabye, refugee resettlement case coordinator for Catholic Charities, they have facilitated the arrival and housing for 21 refugees and expect at least two dozen more.

“I feel really grateful to be in this position and to be able to connect people at what must be surely the most difficult period of their lives with some of the most kind and compassionate people in our community,” Aabye said.

Aabye is the first to welcome the refugees when they arrive at Asheville Regional Airport.

“We greet folks there with a hot meal and get them to a place they can rest and have a little privacy even, perhaps for the first time in many months,” Aabye said.

She then facilitates where they will stay and what they need to transition into their new lives.

“The best we can do is to support them and help them take steps so that they can in turn help support their families,” Aabye said.

According to Aabye, Catholic Charities was told to expect 45 Afghan refugees – but the organization often doesn’t get notice of their arrivals until the day of.

“Under those circumstances, it’s difficult to plan for housing and just logistics in general,” Aabye said.

The stressful situation is alleviated some by help from community members, Aabye said. One of those is Marc Capon, who offered his house to several refugees for six weeks.

“Literally, the first refugee that landed here went to my house,” Capon said. “Then a father and son came, and they stayed there for over a month.”

Capon said his involvement only grew from there. He now volunteers to provide transportation and launched a GoFundMe. As of Tuesday night, $28,925 had been raised. According to Capon, the money goes to Catholic Charities. The Harvest Records owner is now using his store as a donation drop-off site.

“Specifically, the best things at this point actually are computers, laptops, bicycles and also gift certificates to grocery stores or department stores,” Capon said. “So, in lieu of people brining food and clothes, this gives the refugees, the agency to be able to purchase their own food and clothes.”

Parishioners at St. Eugene Catholic Church are also among the many pitching in to help the Afghan refugees.

“The call to welcome the stranger is something that we can all get behind,” Father Pat Cahill said.

Cahill, a pastor at the church, said over the last few months, parishioners have been donating gift cards to assist refugees.

“It’s been an extremely positive response,” Cahill said. “We’ve had hundreds of parishioners offer help to the tune of thousands of dollars.”

According to Catholic Charities, some of the Afghan refugees have already received their work authorization and social security cards and are actively going on job interviews.

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