MILWAUKEE — Mary Flynn, the program manager of Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, has collected a lot of winter coats that have been donated for Afghan refugees. 

What You Need To Know

  • Several organizations are working with Afghan refugee families with basic needs as they are re-settled into the United States

  • Donations are needed for hygiene products, diapers, and other daily use items

  • Monetary and gift card donations for Afghan families to buy winter coats are also needed

  • There is a push to move nearly 37,000 families off of military bases and into homes by February 2022

“We just love this little thing. This thing came in just a few days ago,” Flynn said as she showed a child’s blue winter coat. "Perfect size for a little kid, great shape, very clean and ready to go."

But, a lot of the donations Flynn gets when it comes to clothing do not always meeting the needs of refugee families. 

“The outpouring of support has been wonderful. Some donations are not of usable quality, and we have to move those along which requires extra staff organization and we have to look at everything,” Flynn said. 

Things like soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, diapers, feminine hygiene products are all in high demand.

“We thought this was going to be a sprint in resettling Afghans, we now realize it’s going to be a marathon,” Flynn said. 

Alexander Durtka, the president and CEO of the International Institute of Wisconsin agreed. 

“It’s going, let’s put it this way,” Durtka said. "It’s a long haul in terms of the number of individuals who need to be resettled throughout the United States.”

His organization is working with nearly 150 Afghan refugees. Durtka said the biggest need right now —  especially as the brutal cold temperatures start to set in in Wisconsin — is housing. 

“It is not the time that there is a lot of changeover in the housing market, and there is not a lot of availability,” Durtka said. 

This comes despite a push to get 37,000 Afghan refugee families off of military bases, including Fort McCoy, and into homes across the country. 

Durtka doesn’t see that happening easily or quickly. 

“I would venture to say it’s going to take much longer in terms of helping all of these individuals to be resettled throughout the U.S.,” Durtka said. 

In the mean time, donations, especially monetary and gift card donations for families to buy exactly what they need, are crucial. 

“Don’t stop giving; don’t stop forgetting that this is not going to be a short process with the Afghans,” Durtka said. "Your donations are needed, and will be needed for quite a while.”

There are many ways you can donate to Afghan refugee families, including: 

  • Click here for the International Institute of Wisconsin donation site

  • Text REFUGEE to 41444

  • Click here for the Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan donation site

  • Send a check to: 

                    Lutheran Social Services of  WI and UP (or LSS)
                    PO Box 88868, Milwaukee, WI  53288