How people in the US can help arriving Afghans

Many Afghans fled with only a small suitcase or even just the clothing on their backs, leaving a major challenge settling into a new life.

As Americans across the country watch the situation in Afghanistan grow more chaotic, many are likely wondering how to help the thousands of Afghan nationals who have fled their country. Many of those fled with only a small suitcase or even just the clothing on their backs, leaving a major challenge settling into a new life. There are many ways to help incoming refugees settle in the U.S., from donations of goods and services to volunteering time to give rides and provide for other needs. Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, the president and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, a nonprofit organization that aids refugee relocation, said that that there is need for basic necessities and cash assistance. "Contributions of goods are so helpful as we provide those basic necessities to these families and children in the first few days and first few weeks on American soil," O'Mara Vignarajah told ABC News. "You know some of these families have literally no connections here in the U.S."