East Valley community helps furnish Afghan refugees’ new home

CHANDLER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- Settling into a new community can be a scary experience. But moving to a new country as a refugee with little to no belongings is downright frightening.

Early Saturday, dozens of East Valley community members, including Arizona State students, Valley rotary clubs, and local businesses, came together to help furnish a family’s home to help them get a head start on their new life in the Valley.

The International Rescue Committee has been an NGO or “non-governmental organization” helping refugees since it first opened its office in Phoenix in 1994. IRC says most of these families were forced to flee from war, violence, and persecution. For some, Phoenix is just a pit stop along their journey, but for others, it’s what now has become home.

As the IRC works to bring families, the organization partners with community groups like the Gilbert Rotary Club, which helps gather supplies and furnishings for these new residents. The IRC says that it will be the first permanent roof over their heads in their lives for many of these refugees.

“We will be putting in all the couches, the beds, the mattresses, the food, bicycles. Everything we think is necessary for a family of 7 who will be moving in here in the near future,” said Mike Flores, President of the Gilbert Rotary Club.

If you would like to support the IRC’s effort, visit rescue.org/phoenix.

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