Photos provided by VT Afghan Alliance. Photos depict VAA Staff and Board together with Governor Scott, Senator Welch and State Refugee Coordinator Tracy Dolan cutting the ribbon for the new office. VAA Staff providing Governor Scott a tour of the new office. An Afghan refugee marking her home town in Afghanistan on a map in the new VAA office.
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Afghan Alliance today announced the award of grants from the State of Vermont and US Department of Health and Human Services, and opened its first office with the help of Senator Peter Welch, Governor Phil Scott, State Refugee Coordinator Tracy Dolan and community partners.
The Vermont Afghan Alliance, a 501(c)3 and registered Vermont non-profit, formally launched in April 2022 by Co-Founders Wazir Hashimi and Dr. Dan Barkhuff with the mission of assisting Afghans in obtaining access to basic services and successfully resettling in the Green Mountain State.
On September 30, 2023, the Alliance received notice of award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement that its grant proposal had been selected for funding through the Ethnic Community Self-Help (ECSH) Program. The Program supports community-based organizations helping refugees adjust to life in the United States.
Through the ECSH Grant the Alliance will receive $250,000 a year for three years to provide direct and indirect services including, driving lessons, interpretation and translation assistance, legal rights training, community forums and assistance with case management. The grant assists the Alliance in hiring staff and opening an office.
“I was overjoyed when I learned of the notice of award. The grant application was a tremendous amount of work and I wasn’t hopeful we would be selected because of the myriad organizations from more densely populated areas across the country competing for funding,” said Executive Director Molly Gray. “I want to thank Senator Peter Welch as well as Amila Merzonovic from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants for their support of our proposal and for believing in the Alliance’s mission.”
The Alliance is one of twenty refugee led organizations selected nationwide and one of two in New England.
To date, roughly 300 Afghans have resettled in communities across Vermont, including Brattleboro, Bennington, Rutland, Norwich, Montpelier, St. Albans and the Greater Burlington area.
In November, the Alliance was also selected for a grant through the Vermont State Refugee Office led by State Refugee Coordinator Tracy Dolan. The grant provides the Alliance $200,000 per year for two years to implement an Afghan Employment Program aimed at job placement and supporting Vermont employers in serving as welcoming workplaces for the Afghan community. The grant additionally assists the Alliance with maintaining an office and employing a program officer.
“With so many job openings in the state and so many qualified Afghans in the state, we hope this program will be a win-win for employers and our new Vermonters,” said Co-Founder and Board Vice President Dan Barkhuff.
Governor Scott officially opened the Alliance’s office, located at 60 Main Street in Burlington, with a ribbon cutting ceremony together with Alliance Board members, staff and community partners.
“I have always believed that the United States, and Vermont, have a moral obligation to be welcoming of people around the globe seeking a better life and new opportunities,” said Governor Scott. “Once we welcome new Vermonters to our communities, it’s critical that they are supported and welcomed with open arms. The opening of the new office for the Vermont Afghan Alliance is a critical step towards creating a sense of community and a place to come together. I want to thank the leadership, board, staff and partners of the Alliance for their hard work to make this a reality.”
The Alliance’s office aims to be a welcoming, culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible space with new Afghan staff hailing from different provinces in Afghanistan and speaking both pashto and dari.
“Although it’s been more than two years since the first Afghans arrived in Vermont, the needs remain tremendous for my Afghan brothers and sisters,” said Co-Founder and Board President Wazir Hashimi. “I am grateful to state and federal leaders for their support of our work, much of which will be led by Afghans now here in Vermont.”
Source: 12.21.2023. Burlington, Vt. – The Vermont Afghan Alliance
