Since the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, more than 250,000 Afghan citizens have been internally displaced, adding to the millions of IDPs already at risk. Another 25,000 Afghans have been evacuated to the U.S. and are in need of resettlement.
The Open Hands Initiative believes that it is our patriotic duty as Americans to help newly arrived Afghan citizens resettle in the United States. These allies and friends of the U.S. spent years, maybe decades, helping the American government and military in Afghanistan—often at great risk to themselves and their families.
As an organization dedicated to public diplomacy and the cross-cultural exchange of goodwill between nations, we are extending our hand to the Afghan people by donating to a select group of registered 501(c)(3) organizations. We believe these non-profits are not only working for the good of these Afghan migrants, but focusing on the most vulnerable: women, children, and members of the LGBTQ community. We hope you will consider joining us in championing these worthy causes, whether you offer your time, money, resources, or even just an open hand of friendship.
Our Chairman and Founder, Jay Snyder, has joined the Welcome.US National Welcome Council, a select group of American philanthropic and business leaders united to welcome Afghan refugees to the United States. These people all share the common belief that welcoming immigrants is an inherent American value. Likewise, the Open Hands Initiative is one of many non-profit organizations honored to be a part of the Welcome.US Welcome Coalition.
Welcome.US is a broad coalition of diverse individuals, non-profit organizations, politicians, foundations and businesses all drawn together from across the country and political spectrum to welcome refugees and support Afghan families building new lives in America. Through this far-reaching effort and cooperation, Welcome.US aims to support refugees and raise awareness during this critical moment. Please join us in welcoming Afghans to America by visiting Welcome.US to learn how to get involved.
We are proud to support the following organizations and hope to continue to support our new Afghan neighbors in the months and years ahead. Please consider helping these causes by volunteering, donating, or spreading awareness across social media.
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Choose Love (formerly Helping Refugees) is a UK-based charity that works in more than a dozen countries in order to get support to refugees as quickly and effectively as possible. In addition to providing aid, they work to raise awareness of the issues facing refugees and galvanize public support for organizations that offer direct support to refugees. Choose Love also hosts a shop in which the public can buy products directly for refugees. |
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Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is a grassroots civil society organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls in Afghanistan and New York. In particular, WAW works to help Afghan women and girls exercise their rights to pursue their individual potential to self-determination, and to representation in all areas of life—political, social, cultural and economic. WAW relentlessly advocates for women’s rights and challenges the norms that underpin gender-based violence to influence attitudes and bring about change. |
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The Afghan-American Women's Association (A-AWA) is an all-volunteer organization founded in 2009 by Ms. Shahla Azizi with co-founders Dr. Homaira Behsudi-Wali, Dr. Hosai Hesham, and Ms. Nillab Pazwhak. A-AWA is dedicated to supporting the Afghan Community residing in the Washington Metropolitan area through culturally culturally competent and trauma-informed support for Afghans. Their Resettlement Program focuses on providing guidance, support and referrals for newly arrived Afghan families in areas such as housing, translation, culture, employment and health. |
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The Afghan Diaspora for Equality and Progress (ADEP) is a non-profit organization led by Afghan-American professionals, scholars, and activists united by a vision of a brighter, more equitable future. Their mission includes advocating for safe humanitarian pathways for at-risk Afghans and LGBTQ people, raising awareness around social injustice and empowering young Afghan change-makers. ADEP is currently driving a campaign to raise legal funds to help Afghans apply for asylum in the United States. |
We actively seek partners - individuals and organizations - from around the world in order to advance our common goals. Feel free to contact us by mail, phone or email to find out more about getting involved. Please note that we do not accept unsolicited funding requests or grant proposals.
1350 Ave. of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
+1-917-544-7260
info (at) openhandsinitiative (dot) org