A story of hope, courage and pride is emerging in Colorado Springs, as 75 to 100 Afghan evacuees resettle here by January, with the help of residents who are opening their hearts and wallets to make the newcomers feel welcome.
“It is reflective of the very best of America,” said Dr. Vinh Chung, a local dermatologist who is spearheading a fundraiser that begins Tuesday with a daylong telethon on KOAA News 5. “Our response is a greater depiction of our character than any of our involvement overseas.”
As a former refugee from Vietnam, Vinh Chung knows what it was like to be forced out of his homeland. He and his family were among the “boat people” who evacuated following the Vietnam War, and 42 years later, as a “proud American,” he and his wife, Leisle Chung, have created a “Love Your Neighbor” campaign for Afghan refugees.
The fundraiser starts at 5 a.m. on Channel 5 on Tuesday and runs through the evening broadcast, with contributions benefitting Lutheran Family Services, southern Colorado’s sole resettlement agency.
“The pain of those fleeing Afghanistan is unimaginable, but we hope this effort will show them how dedicated their new community is to rallying around them,” said Olivia Dickinson, assistant news director at KOAA.
About 65,000 Afghan evacuees have been airlifted from Kabul, Afghanistan, following the U.S. withdrawal of military troops in August, ending the 20-year war. Statewide, 1,500 are expected to make their home in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis said in September.
“These are mothers and fathers and children who’re coming from Afghanistan and have left behind everything they know —their country, their culture, their loved ones — and they’re hoping to make a life in this country,” said Leisle Chung, whose family immigrated to the United States from Korea and became the basis for the movie Minari, which her brother wrote and directed.
“They’re not here by choice but because they had no where else to go,” she said, adding that there are more Afghan refugees needing placement in American communities than there are spots.
Romal, who asked that his last name not be used because he continues to fear retribution by the Taliban, the fundamentalist Islamic militia that now controls Afghanistan, was among the first evacuees to land in Colorado Springs nearly two months ago.
He spent several weeks at a military installation in West Virginia for processing and intake, and continues to wait on additional paperwork, but has been provided a house, furnishings and basic staples through Lutheran Family Services’ refugee program.
Romal had his choice of Florida, Texas or Washington state, but requested to assimilate in Colorado Springs because soldiers he worked with in Afghanistan live here.
“My destiny was here,” he said, adding that he most likes Colorado Springs’ weather, nature and beauty.
The horrific memories of seeing people fall from airplanes to their death trying to flee his native country are fresh and not easily forgotten, he said.
It took three tries for him to get through the crowds at the airport and board a plane, after being granted a Special Immigrant Visa to gain entry to the U.S.
“It was a mess, it was in chaos — people were shooting a lot day and night, so close to my ears that I couldn’t hear for one day,” he said, adding that he had been beaten with a stick by Taliban forces.
“I was understanding as there was no American embassy, I was in danger,” Romal said. “As interpreters, we were their language, their tongue of the U.S., and I was sure I would be targeted.”
He plans to join the Air Force and work on bringing his mother and 10 siblings to America.
“I want them to get out of Afghanistan because the situation is very bad over there; there is no order, no one pays attention to you, my little sister is not allowed to go to school anymore,” he said.
Donations, which can be made online at https://www.lfsrm.org/vanguardneighbor, will pay for rent and items to furnish apartments and units for the refugees, Leisle Chung said.
Obtaining a green card to gain permanent residency and legally work and live anywhere in the U.S. will take several years for Romal and other evacuees.
People who want to help also can volunteer for an hour or two a week as a cultural mentor, tutor or move-in assistant, she said.
Lutheran Family Services is accepting donations of new or slightly used household items, such as bedroom and living room furniture, kitchen supplies, linens, vacuum cleaners, flat-screen televisions, diapers, functioning adult bicycles and helmets, and other goods.
And Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains is looking for 2,000-square-foot to 5,000-square-foot long-term storage space for a year that can be accessed throughout the day and is centrally located in Colorado Springs.
For more information, call (719) 314-0737.
This content was originally published here.