TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Nonprofits in Tampa Bay are standing by to help Afghan refugees arriving in Tampa.
The Tampa City Council unanimously approved a resolution that supports welcoming families fleeing Afghanistan.
Immigration attorney Bob Sichta says an Afghan family living in Tampa almost lost nine relatives in Kabul.
“They ended up going through the United Kingdom air base, which is a safe place to go, somehow getting over to the U.S. airfield. I won’t go into more details than that. People dying next to them along the way. Can you imagine bringing small children with you and your small children witnessing people dying next to them because of the Taliban,” Sichta said.
Sichta is a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Florida, or CAIR-Florida. The group is one of several non-profits offering resources to Afghan refugees resettling in Tampa.
Radiant Hands is another local organization providing immediate food, language and housing help.
“Those Afghans, they do deserve, they didn’t only fight for Afghanistan but they also fought for the people of the United States — making sure they translate correctly and properly,” said Wahid Abawi who has lived in Tampa for two decades says.
The team at The Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services says they’re already assisting six individuals who arrived from Afghanistan in June.
