Volume 1, Issue 6
June 13, 2022
Fresh Start Khabar
Khabar, "news" in farsi, is Fresh Start's monthly newsletter. Have a story or photo of Fresh Start members making an impact? Please share them with our team and it will be included in the next issue.

Fresh Start headed into spring inspired with big plans to make a difference. In collaboration with NoVA Raft we launched our first ESL courses for the newly resettled Afghans, your generous donations gifted Eid toys for the children and Mother's day gift cards, and lastly in collaboration with our community partners we continue to support the growth and independence of Afghan families.

Your generosity has given Fresh Start the ability to help over 360 individuals with direct resettlement efforts, employment search, and skill building initiatives. We would like to thank you for the continued support that has made this possible. We hope to continue these efforts as we strive to develop and implement more programs with our partners for the evolving resettlement needs of Afghan families. Whether you can help with linguistic needs, create resumes, line up jobs, or provide transportation, Fresh Start needs you! Visit our website and sign up to become a volunteer.
ESL Classes
Nova RAFT & Fresh Start ESL classes at William Ramsey Rec Center

In collaboration with NoVA RAFT, we launched ESL classes. Over 40 students were enrolled into either a beginners or intermediate in-person class taught by Dari speaking instructors. Each student was provided a donated laptop from Community Foundation of Northern Virginia. We hope to continue enrolling more students for future classes.

Thank you to Sarah Kuglers for distributing laptops
to each student. 

Thank you City of Alexandria Parks and Recreation for the space at
William Ramsey Rec Center!
Celebrating Our Partners

Road to independence program in collaboration with Love, NoVa continues to enroll students into much needed behind the wheel training. The program has helped over 70 individuals obtain their VA driver's license. This past month the program facilitated the first car donation to an Afghan couple. Volunteers are a vital part of this successful program, if you wish to participate please sign up using the link on our website.


We want to congratulate Women for Afghan Women (WAW) on the new Virginia Community Center that opened this past month. The community center will be a hub for support to all refugees
in need of services.
Community

To help the newly arrived afghan children celebrate, Eid- a holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, Fresh Start was able to gift over 40 children with Eid toys. In honor of mother's day we distributed 25 Mother's day gift cards worth $100/ea. Thank you to each and every donor who made this possible.



Members from Nova Raft held a food drive and collected a truck full of non-perishable food items like rice, oil, beans, pasta, cooking spices, and teas. The distribution is on-going, but so far, 20 families have received groceries.
In Conversation
Our very own, Maryam Rashid moderated the discussion hosted by Afghan American Foundation with Tom West, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Deputy Assistant Secretary. It was a candid-in depth conversation around the pressing issues in Afghanistan, issues of concern for the Afghan American community, and key policy decision under consideration by the Biden Administration.
DONATE
Please consider donating to Fresh Start Refugee Assistance Center