Watching the desperation on the television of scenes from Kabul, Afghanistan as the country was overtaken by the Taliban last August gripped my attention. I was determined to help however I could on behalf of the few very fortunate refugees who were able to flee. After spending over a decade working for a Christian humanitarian relief organization and later for the Pentagon, I wanted to volunteer with a nonprofit who was comprehensively meeting the most acute needs of this refugee population and was incredibly impressed by the mission and programming at CFNA.

As I began volunteering with CFNA to capture the top needs of Afghan refugees right after they first came to St. Louis, I saw the hope in the eyes of these young children and their parents. The excitement about starting a new life in America was palpable. They have hopes of going to school (the top ask from the children was, “When can I start school?!”), of living in safety, and of a future life for them and their children in the U.S.

But these refugees still have a long journey ahead and CFNA is playing a pivotal role in their transition to the St. Louis region. They have overcome so much already and fled life-threatening situations where they were targeted by the Taliban for their assistance to the U.S. military. Now, after seeing their dreams of living in peace in Afghanistan vanish, they are crafting new lives for themselves and their children here.

When the refugees move into their homes, the support of LCMS congregations will be invaluable to these families. CFNA is diligently working to assign each family with an LCMS congregation to form Support Groups who can help their refugee family assimilate to life in the St. Louis area, including with helping them with their English skills, showing them local grocery and clothing stores, teaching them how to write a resume and practice for job interviews, and introducing them to CFNA programs.

I love working closely with refugees and have found it one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. These refugees have such closely knit families, such respect for the wisdom of older generations, and such a strong love for their country that once was and vision for what their life can become here in St. Louis. Serving these families during such a significant time in their lives is a profound privilege and I couldn’t be more grateful to CFNA for this opportunity to work with our new neighbors in such a meaningful way.

By Stephanie Hammond

(Stephanie Hammond is the former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs at the Pentagon, and also served at World Vision in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.She is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia and also attends Village Lutheran Church in St. Louis during frequent visits to the area and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.)

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A Volunteer's Experience