Outreach Ministry is a cornerstone of St. Margaret’s

Afghan Ally Families

 Update: September 2024

Afghan Allies Project, St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church

    When Afghanistan fell in August, 2021, parishioners at St. Margaret’s wanted to help Afghan refugees that were expected to settle in Prince William County. An Episcopal church in Georgetown asked if we could help a family coming to Woodbridge. This family consisted of a married couple, their teenage son, and a brother of both the husband and the wife. Within a few months all four adults had jobs and the son was settled in high school. After those first months they did not need much help from St. Margaret’s. However, they told us that they had a friend coming from Afghanistan and that she would need lots of support.

     That is how we got to know Munerah, a widow in her early 30’s with three young children. Her husband was working with the Americans when he died suddenly.  Munerah was only 24 and pregnant with her third child. Her husband had begun the application process for an SIV (Special Immigrant Visa).  She was able to get the application transferred to her name and after years of waiting she and her children arrived in Dumfries in Spring, 2023.  For a few months they lived with her sister and brother-in-law then in Summer, 2023, the four of them moved into a one bedroom apartment in Woodbridge. That is when members of the Outreach Team at St. Margaret’s met her and her children. Her rent was paid for a few months by Catholic Charities. We got her a laptop computer and an iPhone. By December she was able to begin work as a substitute with the Prince William County Schools Food Service. Parishioners from St. Margaret’s took turns driving her to and from work. We paid for driving instruction and were able to find a donated car for her. When the rent assistance from Catholic Charities ended, she was not earning enough to cover her expenses. St. Margaret’s and parishioners from the Episcopal church in Georgetown provided rent assistance.

Now she has a permanent food service job, but it is only 25 hours per week. Her two boys are in middle school and her little girl is in 2nd grade. She cannot leave the little one home alone so she cannot work full time. Day care would cost more than the additional money she could earn. After she got her first paycheck with her new permanent (non-substitute) job, we met with her and her brother-in-law to discuss her finances. Of course her government benefits (EBT, TANF) were cut when she started working. They estimate that she will be $500 short every month of being able to pay her bills. She is not paid in the summer so the shortfall will be greater, but she is optimistic that by then she will be able to apply for a better job. She has a university degree in education from Afghanistan but arrived here speaking no English. She has been studying English online since getting to the States and she is improving. Parishioners who would like to help with her rent can write “Afghan Allies” on the memo line of their check.