“Khan works at FedEx, often 10 hour days, and does so joyfully, happy to be there” shared Jane Powell, Refugee Welcome Network (RWN) volunteer and “ally” for Khan and his family. In October, his hard work was recognized by FedEx when he received a Certificate of Excellence. This was a great joy for both Khan and Jane!”
I’m soooo proud of him I don’t know what to do,” Jane exclaimed. “Oddly, he says the same of me!!!” Jane has also learned and grown in her work with Khan and other refugees, and has become a friend to him and others.
Not only does Khan work hard at FedEx, but he also works hard to commute home each day after his long shifts. At 10:00 pm, he takes the Hopewell Express to Hagerstown, then Lyft home, since he lives on the north east end of town. He found this way himself to cut down on the cost of Lyft since the Hopewell Express is free. The Lyft rides are also currently free, thanks to the Rides United program of the United Way of Washington County, MD; the codes have saved Khan and his family hundreds of dollars in transportation costs. RWN Transportation Team volunteers have been taking Khan to work in the mornings, and they have also been driving his adult son and daughter to work at Amazon. The ride support has not only saved the family money, but ensured they could get to work on time without long and complex commutes.
Khan and Farida and their four children arrived in the U.S. on January 31, 2024 and came to Hagerstown shortly after, where the RWN began working with them. They were fortunate to have won the “lottery” to escape from Afghanistan with permanent residency granted to them in the U.S. Yet getting here cost them the life they had – including a store that they owned and savings – and they had to start all over in a new country with work permits, but no English language skills. Since then, Khan has taught himself a solid level of English – “so much so that we can hold a conversation without Google!!!” says Jane.
With support and friendship from our RWN members, a church who paid their rent for one month (thank you First Christian Church!), and with their strength and determination to thrive in their new home, Khan and Family are now working hard and contributing to the Washington County Community, both economically and personally, with their kind spirits and beautiful culture. HARC and RWN are proud of them and grateful to call them friends, along with many other refugee families and individuals we’ve worked with this year.
A final note – Khan loves watching WWE wrestling; if you do, too, let us know if you want to make a new friend!
The Refugee Welcome Network is blessed to have many generous volunteers and donors, but we always need more help. Allies to work with families like Khan’s are especially needed – walking side-by-side with a new friend isn’t always easy, but it’s incredibly rewarding and we’ll train and walk with you as you do so. We also need volunteers to haul furniture; if you have a truck, that’s hugely helpful. As tax season approaches, volunteers willing to help families with taxes are also needed. There are many other volunteer roles that also help. Current household goods needs include: iron and ironing board, blender, vacuum cleaner, and 2 TV’s. If you can help with any of these, please contact refugeewelcome@harccoalition.org or 301-842-4272. If you can’t help with those, a financial gift is a HUGE help as well – you can donate here.
