At Massachusetts-based Ascentria Care Alliance, a community care platform played a critical role managing health assessments, housing inspections and supply list checks.
Just over one year ago, the world watched as American troops withdrew from Afghanistan. As a result, thousands of Afghan people and families desperately tried to get out before doing so was no longer possible.For those lucky enough to leave, the difficult journey had just begun as they went to various landing points overseas, military bases where people were housed in large white tents on tarmacs, and an array of resettlement agencies throughout the U.S. They faced new challenges – finding housing, employment, education, healthcare and community – all while learning a new language far from everything they knew.
At Ascentria Care Alliance in Massachusetts, we had to act fast to be prepared. Our resettlement services reached their lowest level during the previous administration, with one office (of three) being closed down.
In October 2021, we knew that more than 75,000 Afghans were on American soil, which exceeded the resettlement services’ capacity. At first, Ascentria agreed to welcome approximately 300 Afghans, but that number soon increased. We were in uncharted territory and needed to identify how to help a lot of people very quickly.
Metaphorically, we were building the plane while flying it. We needed to find enough volunteers to help with resettlement, raise enough money to support the Afghan evacuees, and ensure we could manage the hundreds of tasks associated with resettling each and every individual.
From health assessments to housing inspections and supply-list checks, there is a seemingly endless roster of tasks necessary to complete for every person who enters the country as a refugee – within the first 90 days of their arrival.
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