The Cryy Out Christian Fellowship in San Jose, in collaboration with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, has been offering free food to the local community. This initiative, which started during the pandemic, now serves a group of political refugees from Afghanistan. These individuals, who previously assisted U.S. forces, were relocated to the U.S. after the Taliban’s takeover. Despite language differences, Cryy Out has found ways to communicate with these clients, including hand signals and visual checklists.
Among the refugees are Aimal, Dilawar, and Najla, who supported American forces in Afghanistan. Aimal, an interpreter, and Dilawar, a base worker, both faced danger in their roles. Najla’s husband, an electrical engineer, worked with U.S. forces in defense logistics. All three were relocated to the U.S. as political refugees.
Adjusting to life in the U.S. has been difficult for these refugees. Aimal, who has been in the U.S. for five months, spoke about the challenges of leaving Afghanistan. He recently found a job and moved into a house with his family. He was glad to find a food distribution center near his new home.